Dear Bob Liebert,

I have a terrible skin condition on my legs, noticed it about 2 months ago, wasn't as bad then until I scratched, now it itches terribly and has turned into little tiny bumps that break open and ooze a clear liquid that turn crusty, the pimples also bleed, I have been taking internally Black Walnut Hull supplements,Green Tea supplements and also Garlic supplements, I've also squeezed the garlic capsules onto my legs, I dont' know if this is scabies,ring worm or just a serious case of dermititis, what else can I do to clear my legs up ? I have patches of these red, irriated areas on the front of my two legs. help!

Best regards,
Jan

Dear Friend,

Barring any parasitic skin infection, which I don't think this is, there is present the condition of the skin which is thought of as erysipelas, with oozing small pimples turning to rusty, itchy patches. During running stage sometimes a more drying and drawing poultice aids, like powdered Slippery Elm Bark. A strong tea (simmered) of White Oak Bark can be effective at this stage. Echinacea and Calendula extracts can be applied externally; promote healthy healing of skin and are anti-bacterial. Our Teeter Creek Herbal Salve with herbs like Comfrey, Chickweed, Golden seal and Plantain; is very good for the more drying, itchy stage (Chickweed in particular good for itching, irritative skin problems). Internally, I have seen positive results using Echinacea extract (blood-purifier, anti-infective) and Yellow Dock and Nettles (liver, purifiers, blood tonics). Our Blood-Build Formula has a lot of these two herbs. To sum up; a good program with our home-grown and very potent liquid extracts (if you are interested) would be Echinacea, Calendula, Blood-Build, Herbal Salve. I can give directions for their use. The Slippery Elm can be bought cheaply at a Health store that sells bulk herbs.

You can buy these herbs and many more in the Formula and Single Herb sections of the Teeter Creek Herb website. Herbs that don't appear in the Formula or Single Herb lists can usually be requested in the "Message" section at the bottom of the order page.

The information expressed is the personal observations of Herbalist Bob Liebert based on his personal experience and his studies of folk and traditional herbalism. These observations are not meant to be a substitute for qualified medical diagnosis and treatment. Uses of many of the herbs have not been scientifically verified.