Knowledge · Topics
Skin
What has been studied for topical application in inflammatory skin conditions?
The skin is a special case for natural substances: it is directly accessible, changes are visible, and the substance does not need to be absorbed into the body to take effect.
1. Which Substances Have Been Studied for This Purpose
The overview shows how many studies exist per substance and type of investigation. A single study may be assigned to multiple topics—therefore, the numbers are not additive but instead describe this specific subset.
| Substance | in humans | of which controlled | human tissue | preliminary work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic inflammation | 276 | 27 | 34 | 193 |
| Vitamin D | 156 | 30 | 10 | 70 |
| Gut microbiome | 96 | 13 | 14 | 104 |
| Turmeric and curcumin | 79 | 17 | 40 | 191 |
| Adaptogens | 39 | 12 | 33 | 83 |
| Humic acid complexes | 15 | 3 | 8 | 53 |
2. All Substances and Therapies with Controlled Studies on Skin
38 substance and therapy pages assign controlled human studies to this area. The number comes from each page; one study can belong to several areas.
3. The Most Robust Studies
Ranked by evidential strength, not by popularity.
Controlled Human Study
- 1 Oral Curcumin (Meriva) Is Effective as an Adjuvant Treatment and Is Able to Reduce IL-22 Serum Levels in Patients with Psoriasis Vulgaris (2015)
- 2 Role of vitamin D supplementation in the management of musculoskeletal diseases: update from an European Society of Clinical and Economical Aspects of (2022)
- 3 Safety and clinical effectiveness of Withania Somnifera (Linn.) Dunal root in human ailments (2020)
- 4 Curcumin and Curcuma longa Extract in the Treatment of 10 Types of Autoimmune Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 31 Randomized Control (2022)
- 5 Psoriasis and Vitamin D: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2023)
- 6 Efficacy and safety of curcumin in psoriasis: preclinical and clinical evidence and possible mechanisms (2022)
- 7 Health effects of a low-inflammatory diet in adults with arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2020)
- 8 Phase 1 clinical study of the acute and subacute safety and proof-of-concept efficacy of carbohydrate-derived fulvic acid (2012)
- 9 Curcumin as a complementary treatment in oncological therapy: a systematic review (2025)
- 10 Vitamin D Supplementation for Treating Atopic Dermatitis in Children and Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2024)
- 11 Effect of weekly vitamin D supplementation on the severity of atopic dermatitis and type 2 immunity biomarkers in children: A randomized controlled tr (2024)
- 12 Vitamin D supplementation in obese Sri Lankan children: a randomized controlled trial (2020)
- 13 Cholecalciferol (vitamin D₃): efficacy, safety, and implications for public health (2025)
- 14 Prenatal vitamin D supplementation and child respiratory health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (2020)
- 15 Faecal microbiota transplant to eradicate gastrointestinal carriage of antibiotic-resistant organisms (FERARO): a feasibility randomised controlled trial (2025)
- 16 Determinants and effects of vitamin D supplementation in postmenopausal women: a systematic review (2023)
- 17 Combined effects of ginger and an anti-inflammatory diet in children with obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomised clinical trial (2023)
- 18 Clinical efficacy of potassium humate in the treatment of allergic rhinitis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (2010)
- 19 Efficacy of different pharmaceutical forms of Curcuma longa or curcumin in reducing the severity and incidence of oral mucositis in cancer patients (2025)
- 20 Efficacy and safety of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) lotion on facial skin in healthy adults with photoaging: a study (2023)
Sources
- 1Antiga E, Bonciolini V, Volpi W, Del Bianco E, Caproni M · 2015
- 2Chevalley T, Brandi ML, Cashman KD, Cavalier E, Harvey NC, Maggi S et al. · 2022
- 3Tandon N, Yadav SS · 2020
- 4Zeng L, Yang T, Yang K, Yu G, Li J, Xiang W et al. · 2022
- 5Formisano E, Proietti E, Borgarelli C, Pisciotta L · 2023
- 6Zhang S, Wang J, Liu L, Sun X, Zhou Y, Chen S et al. · 2022
- 7Genel F, Kale M, Pavlovic N, Flood VM, Naylor JM, Adie S · 2020
- 8Justin John Gandy · Clinical Pharmacology Advances and Applications · 2012
- 9Gutsche LC, Dörfler J, Hübner J · 2025
- 10Nielsen AY, Høj S, Thomsen SF, Meteran H · 2024
- 11Borzutzky A, Iturriaga C, Pérez-Mateluna G, Cristi F, Cifuentes L, Silva-Valenzuela S et al. · 2024
- 12Samaranayake DBDL, Adikaram SGS, Atapattu N, Kendaragama KMDLD, Senevirathne JTN, Jayasekera HD et al. · 2020
- 13Ortiz-Prado E, Vasconez-Gonzalez J, Izquierdo-Condoy JS, Suárez-Sangucho IA, Prieto-Marín JG, Villarreal-Burbano KB et al. · 2025
- 14Tareke AA, Hadgu AA, Ayana AM, Zerfu TA · 2020
- 15Merrick B, Prossomariti D, Allen E, Bisnauthsing K, Kertanegara M, Sergaki C et al. · 2025
- 16Hassanein MM, Huri HZ, Baig K, Abduelkarem AR · 2023
- 17Kamari N, Moradinazar M, Qasemi M, Khosravy T, Samadi M, Abdolahzad H · 2023
- 18Justin John Gandy, Johanna Meeding, J. R. Snyman, C.E.J. Van Rensburg · Drug Development Research · 2010
- 19Amatto PPG, Chaves L, França SC, Carvalho JCT, Carmona F, Pereira AMS · 2025
- 20Narra K, Naik SK, Ghatge AS · 2023
Every statement on this page carries its evidence tier — proven, plausible or hypothesis — and leads to the original work. The decision in the individual case rests with the practitioner; we provide the connections.