Scientific Evaluation of Herbal Remedies for Acne Vulgaris: Bridging Traditional Knowledge with Modern Evidence

Abstract: Acne is an inflammatory skin disease that affects 85% of teenagers worldwide. Conventional acne treatments include topical and systemic delivery of antibiotics, comedolytic agents, and different anti-inflammatory substances. Treatment with conventional therapy is often associated with several limitations, such as antibiotic resistance, unreasonable costs, and adverse effects. Therefore, interest in herbal-based therapeutic substances has been steadily growing with objectives such as better therapeutic efficacy at an affordable cost without significant adverse effects. This review paper aims to summarize a thorough analysis of the efficacy, safety, and mechanism of action of several phytoconstituents frequently used to treat acne. The method used for this review includes a literature review of available sources found in databases such as Pub- Med, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar from 2011 to 2025. Evidence from preclinical and clinical research is presented in the current manuscript, emphasizing the potential of phytoconstituents such as polyphenols, alkaloids, and fatty acids to reduce acne symptoms. Comprehending the pharmacological possibilities of herbal treatments can aid in the development of complementary and alternative methods that are successful in treating acne vulgaris. The article concludes that phytochemicals appear to be a valuable resource for discovering novel medications to treat acne.