Acupuncture Continuing Education

Traditional Chinese Medicine Topical for Acne


Clear Skin

Qing Dai and acupuncture help to clear the skin from acne.

External pastes for the treatment of acne complement internal herbal medicine and acupuncture. A great external paste for the treatment of acne is comprised of Qing Dai (Indigo Naturalis) mixed with either fresh bitter melon or cucumber juice. This is a handy external paste that has been presented in HealthCMi dietetics and dermatology webinars and online courses for acupuncture CEU & PDA continuing education credit.

Qing Dai enters the Lung, Liver and Stomach channels. Qing Dai clears heat and toxins, cools the blood and stops bleeding. Order Qing Dai in the powdered raw herb form. It is best to avoid raw herbs that have been processed with sulfur and phosphates, please check with your supplier.

If a patient tries to make a paste from Qing Dai with boiling water, the Qing Dai will repel the water. A concerted effort of whisking does make this possible but the process is slightly tedious. The use of bitter melon or cucumber juice makes the mixing process much easier for the patient. Have the patient squeeze the bitter melon or cucumber to produce a small amount of juice to help mix the Qing Dai powder into a paste. Bitter melon is significantly more clinically effective, however, cucumber is more available and its ability to clear Lung and Stomach heat works well with Qing Dai.

The patient takes the paste and generously applies it to the areas where the acne is located. It is best to leave the paste on the affected regions for at least twenty minutes but longer periods are preferred. Next, the patient carefully washes off the paste. It is best to repeat this process everyday until the acne resolves.

Inform the patient that Qing Dai imparts a temporary green color to the skin, which is not permanent. The patient should be prepared to wash thoroughly in order to remove all of the green coloring. In addition, the patient needs to know that Qing Dai stains clothing and that it is often best to wear an old shirt when applying the paste. To learn more about Traditional Chinese Medicine dietetics and the treatment of acne, visit the blog item on that topic.

Acupuncture Continuing Education Credits