Topical application of natural honey, beeswax and olive oil mixture for atopic dermatitis or psoriasis: partially controlled, single-blinded study

Complement Ther Med. 2003 Dec;11(4):226-34. doi: 10.1016/s0965-2299(03)00120-1.

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the effects of honey, olive oil and beeswax mixture on patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) or psoriasis vulgaris (PV).

Materials and methods: Twenty-one patients with dermatitis and 18 patients with psoriasis were entered for patient-blinded, partially controlled study; 11 patients with dermatitis used topical betamethasone esters and 10 patients with psoriasis used clobetasol propionate. Honey mixture contained honey, beeswax and olive oil (1:1:1). Mixtures A, B, and C contained honey mixture with the corticosteroids ointment in a ratio of 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1 respectively. Patients with dermatitis were subjected to controlled bilateral half-body comparison to evaluate the efficacy of honey mixture against Vaseline, or mixture A against Vaseline-betamethasone esters mixture (1:1) in patients using topical corticosteroid treatment. In patients with psoriasis, the effect of honey mixture was compared with paraffin in an individual right/left-sites comparison, or mixture A against paraffin-clobetasol propionate mixture (1:1) in patients using corticosteroid topical therapy. In dermatitis, body lesions on right or left half-body were assessed for erythema, scaling, lichenification, excoriation, indurations, oozing and itching on a 0-4 points scale. In psoriasis, lesions of selected site were assessed for redness, scaling, thickening and itching, on a 0-4 points scale.

Results: In honey mixture group, 8/10 patients with dermatitis showed significant improvement after 2 weeks, and 5/11 patients pretreated with betamethasone esters showed no deterioration upon 75% reduction of corticosteroid doses with use of mixture C. In psoriasis, 5/8 patients showed a significant response to honey mixture. In patients using clobetasol propionate, 5/10 patients showed no deterioration upon 75% reduction of corticosteroid doses with use of mixture C.

Conclusion: Honey mixture appears useful in the management of dermatitis and psoriasis vulgaris.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Controlled Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Topical
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
  • Betamethasone / therapeutic use
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Clobetasol / analogs & derivatives*
  • Clobetasol / therapeutic use
  • Dermatitis, Atopic / drug therapy*
  • Female
  • Honey*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Olive Oil
  • Plant Oils / therapeutic use*
  • Psoriasis / drug therapy*
  • Single-Blind Method
  • Waxes / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Olive Oil
  • Plant Oils
  • Waxes
  • beeswax
  • Betamethasone
  • Clobetasol