AutumnSoul (glorious ID - I have an autumn-soul, too! - but I have to share it with my snow-bunny soul :)

Firstly, I'd want to be sure the reaction didn't come from the tincture itself...as in, was the Burdock used 100% organic? //www.curezone.org/schulze/herbal_news_herbal_formulas.asp
(read #2 specifically).
...and was the tincture a standardized or isolated extract?:
http://home.roadrunner.com/~thadson/savelife/schulze/articles/06curedisaster4...


If it was made from certified organic Burdock root and is a truly natural herbal tincture, then you can assume any reaction was caused directly by the Burdock itself (and not the toxins, or "off balance aspect" of a 'standardized extract'.

That being said, I think of Burdock as a lymph "purger" - it is very common for skin conditions to worsen as the lymph fluid is purged when using Burdock. But that doesn't mean we have to "tough through it", there are other herbs we can utilize to relieve/lessen the 'purging effects' (without reducing the efficacy of the Burdock).

Boils - people don't want to talk about them FAR more than they don't want to talk about 'poop'...and that's SUCH a shame, because SO many people have them. And yes, they do seem to 'spread'. It seems to me that they spread far more by 'under the skin' transmission that topically. Most people don't have 'random boils', they always seem to be right around the lymphs (behind the ears, under the arms and in the groin area). So it's like a double-whammy (above & below the skin) - but years worth of keeping them cleansed/dry topically never seemed to have any positive effect for me).

While it's common for "lymph" to be blamed (and "liver" too), all the Liver Flushing in the world had VERY little effect on mine. Many times we're dealing with a systemic staph infection - and all the liver/lymph purging in the world doesn't completely knock out a deep-seated staph. And of course, if a thorough Colon Cleanse hasn't ever been done, we're autointoxicating on top of everything else. (every drop of fluid and morsel we eat has to seep through decades worth of acidic, rubbery mucous that's saturated with the decades worth of poisons it has captured)...what seeps through goes directly to the bloodstream & liver, hence burdening our liver, kidneys and SKIN even further.

We always need to get down to the CAUSE of the cause...and not simply 'band aid' the symptoms with herbs. :)

Echinacea bolsters the immune system immensely (and very safely), but something that many people don't know is that it's a 'specific' for staph (it's reported to act as a mild Antibiotic for staph, but I think it's because it increases & bolsters the activities of the leukocytes, myself). Either way, it's a PERFECT adjust for the lymph cleansing/purging herbs. And if you brew up a kettle of strong echinacea tea, you can soak a natural fiber cloth in it and apply it to 'whatever', and it will be very soothing, slightly numbing and VERY healing.

Another FANTASTIC herb for skin conditions is chickweed - much less "purging" and 'strong' than Burdock, but very effective nonetheless...and it's also a demulcent herb:
Definitions of demulcent on the Web:

* a medication (in the form of an oil or salve etc.) that soothes inflamed or injured skin
* having a softening or soothing effect especially to the skin
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

* A demulcent (derived from the word "caress") is an agent that forms a soothing film over a mucous membrane, relieving minor pain and inflammation ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demulcent

* A soothing medication used to relieve pain in inflamed tissues; soothing or softening
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/demulcent

* an oily or mucilaginous substance that soothes irritated tissue, especially mucous membranes.
http://www.harristeeter.com/yourwellness/pharmacy/herbal_remedies/herbal_term...


* an herb that is rich in mucilage and soothes and protects irritated or inflamed tissue. Demulcent herbs reduce irritation down the whole length of the bowel; reduce sensitivity to potentially corrosive gastric acids; help prevent diarrhea and reduce the muscle spasms that cause colic.
http://www.doctorshealthsupply.com/ab/vitamin_glossary_D.htm


* protects and soothes internal mucous membranes
http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Herbal_Dictionary/id/35385


* soothing action on inflammation, especially of mucous membranes
abc.herbalgram.org/site/PageServer

* (action) soothing and protective to irritated tissues surfaces.
http://www.ann.com.au/subindex_dictionary.htm


* Any medicine which lessens acrimony or the effects of stimulus on the solids; that which softens or mollifies; as gums, roots of marsh-mallows, and other mucilaginous substances.
http://www.osv.org/explore_learn/document_viewer.php


* Anti-irritant. A herb rich in mucilage that is soothing, bland, offering protection to inflamed or irritable mucous surfaces.
http://www.woodlandherbs.co.uk/acatalog/glossary.html


* An agent that is locally soothing and softening.
http://www.planetbotanic.ca/glossary.htm


* Herbs that soften and relieve irritation of the mucous membranes. Also used in combination with other powders to bind them when making pills. A list of Demulcent herbs is available.
http://www.gaines.com/html/Libraries/Herbs/glossary.html


* Helps to soothe and relieve internal inflammation.
http://www.naturesanswer.com/Glossary.aspx


* High in mucilage, these herbs are soothing to inflamed and/or irritated tissues. When steeped in cold water, have a slippery feel to them. Good used internally for tissue irritation for conditions such as coughs and passage of kidney stones. ...
soapnuts.com/Soapnutsnewsletter//SoapnutsJan05/HerbalTerminology.htm

Check out this google search on Chickweed + rosacea or boils: http://tinyurl.com/chkg5j


You can safely drink quarts of chickweed tea daily (as you can Burdock, it's a 'root food' in other countries, just like we eat potatoes & carrots), and it's a VERY healing/effective herb to be made into a compress/fomentation (like above, just brew a strong pot of tea, soak a cloth, and apply it to the area). You're likely to see some VERY fast/positive effects by using it topically/internally with the rosacea. (And, it's THE most common garden 'weed' there is). But it can be had very inexpensively from Mountain Rose or Pacific Botanicals. ($7 a pound at M/R)

The bomb? Raw garlic, and lot of it. It's antibacterial strength has been known for centuries (as well as it anti-viral, antifungal, and antiparasitical action)...and no matter WHAT combo I tried (I had temporary success in varying lengths with many) - I never 'knocked it out' until I added raw garlic. The healing was fast, incredible and VERY effective (3-5 raw cloves daily for 2 weeks...well worth every clove of it!)

Of course (as always) a full body cleansing is very beneficial (and many times the only way to truly eliminate any symptom). The Colon Cleanse is imperative, Liver Flushing (yes), but NEVER short-change the kidneys. If the liver is clogged and burdened, the kidneys are overworked as well. So be sure to get 'to the cause of the cause of it ALL' :)

My recommendation for some fast relief? Top quality Echinacea tincture 3-4 droppersful 4x daily; Burdock tincture 3-4 droppersful 3-4x daily (or a strong Burdock tea...but I don't like the taste at all, so I prefer the tincture); several cups of Chickweed Tea daily (and fomentations/compresses directly to the areas needing it), and the Garlic. Do that for two weeks, and I'm sure you'll be absolutely amazed at the improvement. (oh yes, and good lymph circulation - skin brushing, exercise, hot/cold showers, the works :)

(Of course, no herbal combination will work if we're autointoxicating with a toxic/filthy colon and our organs of elimination are clogged & sluggish) - but there's a good possibility the above herbal-combo would go a LONG way toward healing, even if you need to do the cleansing).

Blessings of health -

Unyquity