the efficacy of a herbal syrup (containing plum, jujube, yellow myrobalan, golden shower, tamarind, honey) in the treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris: a triple- blinded randomized clinical trial

Background: many patients, chiefly teenagers, seek e ective treatment for acne vulgaris. besides topical treatments, antibiotics, and anti-androgens, herbal treatments have been used against it.objectives: this study aims to evaluate the e ects of an herbal combination based on prunus domestica l., tamarindus indica l., terminalia chebula l., ziziphus jujube l., and cassia fistula l. on acne vulgaris.methods: this randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled, two-arm parallel trial was conducted in patients with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris. patients were randomized, 55 in each group, to receive either herbal syrup or placebo (10 cc every 8 hours) for 12 weeks and were followed for 4 weeks. the severity of acne and participants’ psychological status was assessed by acne severity index (asi) and cardi acne disability index (cadi), respectively.results: no significant changes were observed up to the sixth week of treatment in both groups (p ≥ 0.05). from 6 weeks to 12 weeks, the outcomes indicated a significant reduction in the mean number of comedones (p < 0.030), papules (p < 0.045), pustules (p < 0.026), nodules (p < 0.044), and asi (p < 0.001) in the herbal syrup group compared to the placebo group. nevertheless, this did not continue after 4 weeks of follow-up (16th week).conclusions: the herbal syrup could be an alternative treatment in patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris. indeed, more clinical trials are needed to confirm its eÿcacy and safety..