Herbs for Skin Conditions

22 Sri Lankan medicinal plants traditionally used for this purpose. Open a herb to see its Sinhala, English and botanical names, the parts used, how it is prepared, the research behind it and safety notes.

Use with care: Traditional use does not prove that a herb works or that it is safe for you. Talk to a doctor or a registered Ayurveda practitioner before using herbs to treat a condition, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medicines, or treating a child. Read our disclaimer

Fruits & Seeds

Domba (Calophyllum inophyllum): Tamanu Oil from the Coastal Tree

(Calophyllum inophyllum)

Domba (Calophyllum inophyllum) leans over Sri Lankan beaches with its thick glossy leaves, dropping

Succulents

Komarika (Aloe Vera): Excellent on Skin, Complicated to Swallow

(Aloe vera)

Komarika (Aloe vera) sits in a pot by countless Sri Lankan kitchen doors for one very good reason: w

Leaves

Wel Penela (Cardiospermum halicacabum): Balloon Vine for Joints and Skin

(Cardiospermum halicacabum)

Wel penela (Cardiospermum halicacabum) is easy to identify and easy to overlook: a slender vine scra

Fruits & Seeds

Karawila (Momordica charantia): Bitter Gourd and the Diabetes Trials That Disagree

(Momordica charantia)

Karawila (Momordica charantia) is the vegetable Sri Lankan children are bribed to eat and Sri Lankan

Fruits & Seeds

Endaru (Ricinus communis): Castor, the Oil Plant With a Poison in Its Seeds

(Ricinus communis)

Endaru (Ricinus communis) grows on every neglected roadside in Sri Lanka, its glossy, star-shaped le

Leaves

Iriweriya (Plectranthus zeylanicus): The Fragrant Ceylon Herb Science Rediscovered

(Plectranthus zeylanicus (syn. Coleus zeylanicus))

Iriweriya (Plectranthus zeylanicus) carries Ceylon in its scientific name and its scent in every Sri

Leaves

Wathusudda (Tabernaemontana divaricata): Crape Jasmine, and the Eye Warning

(Tabernaemontana divaricata)

Wathusudda (Tabernaemontana divaricata) stands in more Sri Lankan gardens than almost any other shru

Leaves

Wara (Calotropis gigantea): The Crown Flower and Its Poison

(Calotropis gigantea)

Wara (Calotropis gigantea) grows where almost nothing else bothers to — sand, waste ground, the edge

Fruits & Seeds

Ehela (Cassia fistula): Avurudu's Golden Tree and Gentle Laxative

(Cassia fistula)

Every April, as the koha starts calling and families get ready for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, e

Roots & Rhizomes

Welmadata (Rubia cordifolia): Indian Madder, the Skin and Dye Root

(Rubia cordifolia)

Welmadata (Rubia cordifolia) has coloured cloth and treated skin for as long as either has been reco

Leaves

Kuppameniya (Acalypha indica): The Cat's Weed, and a Serious Warning

(Acalypha indica)

Kuppameniya (Acalypha indica) is known to most Sri Lankans for something charming: cats dig up its r

Roots & Rhizomes

Iramusu (Hemidesmus indicus): Indian Sarsaparilla, the Cooling Root

(Hemidesmus indicus)

Iramusu (Hemidesmus indicus) is known first by its smell. Break a piece of the dried root and it rel

Leaves

Wel Kahambiliya (Tragia involucrata): The Climbing Nettle

(Tragia involucrata)

Wel Kahambiliya (Tragia involucrata) announces itself. Brush past it and the sting arrives instantly

Leaves

Kowakka (Coccinia grandis): The Fence-Line Vine Studied for Blood Sugar

(Coccinia grandis)

Kowakka (Coccinia grandis) is the slender, ivy-leaved creeper that scrambles over garden fences all

Fruits & Seeds

Dehi (Citrus aurantifolia): Lime, the Sour Fruit in Every Sri Lankan Remedy

(Citrus aurantifolia)

Dehi (Citrus aurantifolia) is squeezed into more Sri Lankan remedies than any other plant: into the

Fruits & Seeds

Mee (Madhuca longifolia): The Oil Tree of Old Sri Lanka

(Madhuca longifolia)

The Mee tree (Madhuca longifolia) belongs to a Sri Lanka that ran on it. Before imported oils and ch

Leaves

Neem (Kohomba): The Village Pharmacy, and the One Rule About Neem Oil

(Azadirachta indica)

Neem (Azadirachta indica) is called the village pharmacy for good reason — a single tree supplies a

Leaves

Katu Karandu (Barleria prionitis): The Porcupine Flower for Gums

(Barleria prionitis)

Katu Karandu (Barleria prionitis) defends itself with pale spines at every leaf joint — the porcupin

Bark & Wood

Rath Handun (Pterocarpus santalinus): Red Sandalwood, and Why It Is Smuggled

(Pterocarpus santalinus)

Rath Handun (Pterocarpus santalinus) is ground on a stone into a deep red paste and smoothed onto sk

Flowers

Ranawara (Senna auriculata): The Golden Flower Tea of Sri Lanka

(Senna auriculata)

Few sights are more distinctly Sri Lankan than a ranawara bush in flower — a mass of bright yellow a

Roots & Rhizomes

Kaha (Turmeric): The Golden Spice, the Supplement, and the Lead Problem

(Curcuma longa)

Kaha (Curcuma longa) is the most researched medicinal plant in the world and the most oversold. It i

Bark & Wood

Sudu Handun (Santalum album): White Sandalwood, Scarce and Adulterated

(Santalum album)

Sudu Handun (Santalum album) needs no introduction by smell — one whiff of the ground paste explains

Other uses

Digestion (42) Coughs and Colds (22) Blood Sugar and Diabetes (18) Fever (16) Urinary and Kidney Health (16) Cooling the Body (14) Joint Pain and Arthritis (13) Wound Healing (12) Sleep and Stress (9) Immunity (8) Diarrhoea (8) Oral and Dental Health (8) Constipation (7) Cholesterol and Heart Health (7) Hair Care (7) Liver Health (6) Asthma and Breathing (5) Women's Health (4) Inflammation and Swelling (4) Memory and Brain Health (4) Eye Health (4) Weight Management (3) Piles (Haemorrhoids) (3) Intestinal Worms (3)