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Chinese Medicine for Acne

What is Chinese Herbal Medicine?

Traditional Chinese Medicine has been practised for centuries, to treat multitudes of different health problems.  While other mainstream medicine practices often aim to cover up and even suppress health problems by merely focusing on the symptoms, Chinese Medicine addresses the underlying health issues which cause symptoms to arise.  An important part of Chinese Medicine is Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM).  In this article we’ll discuss some of the different aspects of CHM, and how it can be used to treat acne.

chinese medicine for acne

How Does Chinese Herbal Medicine Treat Acne?

Chinese Herbal Medicines (CHMs) can be used to treat acne either internally or externally.  Taking a Chinese herbal tea or decoction can be effective for treating internal causes of acne, such as organ function imbalances, while applying Chinese herbs to your skin can help with some of the external symptoms.  Researchers have found that CHMs have certain properties that can treat acne in different ways.  One study showed that “Anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects were commonly found in the CHM network, and CHMs with anti-androgen, anti-depressive and skin whitening effects were frequently used in combination.”

chinese medicine for acne

Chinese Herbal Medicine Diagnosis

A qualified Chinese Medicine practitioner can use various methods to identify which herbs you’ll need in order to heal.  In this diagnosis, your practitioner will ask questions about your physical, emotional, and mental symptoms, overall health, and medical history.  To gain more information about your condition, your Chinese Medicine doctor may also take your pulse, check the appearance of your tongue, or palpate your abdomen. At our clinics in Hamilton and Remuera, Auckland, our qualified practitioners can give you a full diagnosis in order to treat your condition as effectively as possible.

Syndrome Differentiation Technique

A key method in identifying the underlying cause of your condition is called syndrome differentiation.  Syndrome means a specific group of symptoms.  By analysing and summarising all your symptoms, your practitioner can determine the nature of your underlying syndrome.  For example, your acne symptoms may be the results of conditions such as hot or cold natured syndromes, Yin or Yang syndromes, or even excess or deficiency syndromes.

Once your practitioner knows what the nature of your health condition is, they can prescribe CHMs to help heal your syndrome.  For example, if your symptoms are being caused by a cold natured condition, your practitioner can prescribe hot natured herbs to balance it.  By addressing your condition on this deeper level, your Chinese Medicine practitioner addresses the cause of your symptoms.  This means that your symptoms will naturally go away as the cause is treated.  The specific herbs you require may also change over time, as your symptoms change, and your body starts to heal.

Chinese Medicine for acne

Internal Chinese Medicine Herbs for Acne

Chinese Herbal Medicine can be taken orally as a tea or decoction, to help address internal syndromes.  Although everyone’s body is different, and CHMs can be formulated on an entirely individual basis, CHMs can also be prescribed on a more general basis.  Several common syndromes have been identified that can cause acne symptoms, and these syndromes are treated with different herbs.  For example, levels 1 and 2 of the acne classification correspond to “pulmonary wind-heat syndrome” in Chinese Medicine, which can be treated with loquat and Xie Bai CHM powders.  Similarly, levels 2 and 3 of the acne classification are equivalent to “spleen and stomach damp-heat syndrome” and can be treated using Qilianpingwei powder or a Yinchenhao decoction. For more information about Traditional Chinese Medicine, click here.

External Chinese Medicine Herbs for Acne

While Traditional Chinese Medicine can treat acne by addressing internal syndromes, your practitioner can also treat the symptoms of acne by applying herbs externally.  One Chinese Medicine face mask can help to fight pustules, blisters, and cystic lesions, by clearing heat and blood stasis, and dissipating binds.  This mask is made from a combination of fine sulphur powder and rhubarb and is applied for 30 minutes every evening.

Another method for externally treating acne is by applying a Chinese Medicine wet compress.  This can help treat inflammatory pustules and papules, and works by detoxifying, clearing heat, and reducing inflammation.  This compress is made from a decoction of golden cypress, purslane, and violae herba, and is applied twice a day for 20 minutes.

Conclusion

Overall, Chinese Herbal Medicine can treat acne in many ways.  Your practitioner will firstly identify the underlying cause of your acne symptoms by using the syndrome differentiation method.  From there, your Chinese Medicine doctor can prescribe different types of Chinese Herbal Medicines (CHMs), either internally or externally.  These herbs work by addressing your underlying health syndrome.

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References:

Acne Group, Combination of Traditional and Western Medicine Dermatology; Acne Group, Chinese Society of Dermatology; Acne Group, Chinese Dermatologist Association; Acne group, Dermatology Committee, & Chinese Non-government Medical Institutions Association. (2019). Chinese guidelines for the management of acne vulgaris: 2019 Update. International Journal of Dermatology and Venereology, 2(3), 129-138. doi: 10.1097/JD9.0000000000000043

https://journals.lww.com/ijdv/Fulltext/2019/09000/Chinese_Guidelines_for_the_Management_of_Acne.1.aspx#

Centre of Balance: Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine (n.d.).  Would You Like to Experience More Energy, & Less Stress & Pain? https://balancetcm.co.nz/

Chen, H. Y., Lin, Y. H., & Chen, Y. C. (2016). Identifying Chinese herbal medicine network for treating acne: Implications from a nationwide database. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 179, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2015.12.032

Phua, S. (n.d.). What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine? Centre of Balance: Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine. https://balancetcm.co.nz/traditional-chinese-medicine-hamilton/

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Monica

I am originally from Hebei province in China. I hold a NZ bachelor’s degree of health and science with a major in acupuncture. I am honoured to be an acupuncturist at Centre of Balance. Helping patients to alleviate their pain brings me the greatest joy. Chinese medicine emphasises the unity of human beings and nature. During the treatment, I hope to not only relieve your pain but also help you to understand the principles behind acupuncture’s effectiveness, as well as the significant impact of diet, emotions, lifestyle habits, and living environments on disease recovery. Self-healing is an ability that our bodies are naturally endowed with.

I studied acupuncture in New Zealand and completed one and a half years of supervised clinical internship before graduating. In the early stage of my training, I mainly worked with patients experiencing neck, shoulder, and lower back pain. Under the guidance of senior clinical tutors, I gradually developed hands-on experience and confidence in treating musculoskeletal pain conditions.
As my clinical exposure expanded, I began treating a wider range of internal conditions. Alongside traditional acupuncture, I was introduced to Umbilical Acupuncture and Tungs-acupuncture Points. What interested me most about these approaches is that they often do not require needling directly at the painful area, yet can still achieve very effective results.
I was especially inspired by observing my supervisor use Umbilical Acupuncture to treat common conditions such as insomnia, menstrual irregularities, and even rheumatoid arthritis, with very positive outcomes. Another supervisor was highly skilled in Tungs-acupuncture Points and achieved excellent results in treating pain, infertility, menstrual disorders, and a variety of women’s health conditions. After completing my studies and entering clinical practice, once I observed Dr. Szenan Phua using Tungs-acupuncture points to help cancer patients relieve pain, which further strengthened my trust in this treatment method.
I later completed training in Dr. Tan Balance Acupuncture, which had a strong influence on the way I approach treatment. One of the most noticeable features of this method is how quickly patients often feel improvement, especially with pain conditions. Dr. Szenan Phua’s New Balance Acupuncture combines meridian regulation with structural adjustment and internal organ balancing, including techniques such as pulse balancing and spinal adjustment.
From my clinical experience, pain is rarely just a local issue. It often involves underlying organ weakness or structural imbalance. When these aspects are addressed together, treatment can be more thorough and longer-lasting. I also apply this approach to internal conditions, particularly in fertility and women’s health. This includes supporting natural conception, IVF preparation and embryo transfer, pregnancy support, early-pregnancy nausea, and late-pregnancy labour induction. I combine these treatments with concepts learned from a few additional fertility training, which has given me a broader and more flexible clinical perspective. This has reinforced my belief that acupuncture should be adapted to each individual rather than applied through fixed formulas.
Two other areas of study that have been very helpful in my clinical work are Tongue Diagnosis and Dr. Zhu’s Scalp Acupuncture. Although tongue diagnosis is taught in my standard Chinese medicine training, further study allowed me to deepen and refine my diagnostic skills.
My first formal training was in Li’s Tongue Diagnosis, which looks not only at organ patterns, but also at how different areas of the tongue reflect the body’s structure. This system also explores personality traits and changes during pregnancy, making it both clinically useful and engaging. I later attended online lectures on Yin’s Tongue Diagnosis and studied the related materials independently. this learning has helped me make clearer and more accurate pattern differentiation, allowing my acupuncture treatments to be more targeted. It covers a wide range of conditions, including skin disorders, oncology-related presentations, mental health patterns, and joint or limb problems. In practice, tongue observation often provides valuable insight even before a patient begins describing their symptoms.
In addition to the methods above, I regularly use local bloodletting techniques, which can be very effective for improving circulation, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. I also incorporate auricular (ear) acupressure and stimulation, which I commonly use for allergies, insomnia, headaches, stress management, and various internal conditions.
In my clinical work, I value taking the time to listen carefully to each patient and to understand their overall health, lifestyle, and concerns. Based on each individual’s condition, I also provide personalised dietary guidance and lifestyle or wellness advice to support overall health and long-term wellbeing. I commonly support patients with musculoskeletal pain, such as neck, shoulder, knee, and back pain, as well as stress-related conditions, sleep issues, migraines, digestive concerns, and women’s health and fertility-related conditions.