Teenagers troubled by acne may fare better with herbal treatments than prescriptions, scientists claim today.
Researchers in Leeds found that three herbs, thyme, marigold and myrrh, could kill the bacteria that cause acne rapidly.
The researchers at Leeds Metropolitan University, UK, say that thyme proved more effective than benzoyl peroxide, the ingredient used in most acne treatments.
The findings are to be reported to the conference of the Society for General Microbiology in Dublin, Ireland.
The findings come from laboratory studies and showed the herbal preparations killing bacteria within five minutes.
Researcher Dr Margarita Gomez-Escalada said: "While thyme, marigold and myrrh are common herbal alternatives to standard antibacterial skin washes, this is the first study to demonstrate the effect they have on the bacterium that causes the infection leading to acne."
She added: "We now need to carry out further tests in conditions that mimic more closely the skin environment and work out at the molecular level how these tinctures are working.
"If thyme tincture is proven to be as clinically effective as our findings suggest, it may be a natural alternative to current treatments."
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