9 Powerful Ayurvedic Herbs for Faster Wound Healing
Updated: Jan 4
Ayurveda, an ancient holistic healing system originating from India, has long been revered for its natural approach to health and wellness.
One of the key aspects of Ayurveda is its use of herbs for various medicinal purposes, including wound healing.
The practice of using herbs for faster wound healing in Ayurveda is deeply rooted in the belief that nature provides us with everything we need to support our bodies in times of injury or illness.
When it comes to wound healing, Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of selecting the right herbs that possess specific properties to aid in the healing process.
Incorporating these herbs in this post into your wound care routine can help enhance the healing process and promote overall well-being.
9 Ayurvedic Herbs for Wound Healing
Keep reading to learn more about these powerful herbs for faster wound healing.
The Ayurvedic View of Herbs for Wound Healing
In the book The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine, Drs. Frawley and Lad explain that vulnerary herbs are those that help heal damaged tissue from wounds, burns, cuts, and bleeding.
These herbs are often used in poultices and plasters for external application and they are mostly astringent or sweet in taste with a cooling potency.
They tend to be emollient and demulcent so that they are soothing and softening to the mucous membranes and the skin.1
How the Tastes of Herbs Affect Wound Healing
Ayurveda uses taste as one of the ways to understand herbal energetics. There are six tastes in Ayurveda:
Sweet
Sout
Salty
Pungent
Bitter
Astringent
Astringent Taste
Sebastian Pole in his book Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice tells us that the astringent taste heals wounds, stops weeping, tightens tissues, and stops bleeding2
Drs. Frawley and Lad explain that astringent herbs knit together tissues such as skin through their contracting and drying actions.
Because of their cooling quality, they also have anti-inflammatory properties.3
Sweet Taste
Pole indicates that the sweet taste speeds wound repair.4
Drs. Frawley and Lad say that herbs with the sweet taste help to heal damaged tissue because they have a softening and soothing effect, and they're also considered anti-inflammatory because of their cooling quality.5
Salty Taste
Sebastian Pole tells us that the salty taste can also heal wounds.6
This makes me think about how salt water heals wounds when swimming in the ocean.
Bitter Taste
Bitter herbs are used externally because they have anti-inflammatory properties, are cold-natured, have a refrigerant effect on burns, have antibacterial and antiseptic actions, and have the power to reduce fever.7
Pungent Taste
Herbs with the pungent taste can be used in healing wounds as well if circulation needs to be improved, boils need to be ripened, or puss formation needs to be encouraged before healing can begin.
Pungent can be especially beneficial for wounds that won't heal because it improves circulation in that local area.
The pungent taste may also reduce pain.8
When Is the Best Time to Use the Different Herbs in Healing Wounds?
According to Drs. Frawley and Lad, bitter herbs are best used in the acute phase of a wound or sore when there is "fever" or heat associated with the wound.
When the heat or "fever" has subsided and pus is beginning to form then pungent herbs can be used to increase circulation to the area.
Astringent herbs and, finally, sweet herbs can be used to finish up the job of healing.9
9 Powerful Ayurvedic Herbs for Faster Wound Healing
1. Aloe
Aloe is my go-to herb when I have a burn from cooking.
Known as Kumari in Sanskrit it can be used externally to heal burns, cuts, and wounds, as well as to heal skin conditions such as hives and rashes.
Botanical name: Aloe barbadensis
Taste: bitter and pungent, with a sweet aftertaste
Qualities: unctuous, liquid, soft, heavy, slimy
Potency: cooling
Post-digestive effect: sweet
Special action: anti-inflammatory rejuvenating tonic10
Dr. Lad indicates that aloe is one of the best Ayurvedic herbs for healing wounds, burns, and scars because it contains polysaccharides (carbohydrates with a number of sugar molecules combined together that bind to proteins during wound healing) that specifically work to heal the mucus membranes and skin.
He goes on to explain that aloe even helps to heal stomach ulcers, ulcerative colitis, and intestinal bleeding when taken internally.11
Aloe (Kumari) Powder is available from Athreya Herbs.
Aloe leaves can often be purchased at local health food stores.
2. Arjuna
Botanical name: Terminalia arjuna-Cortex
Taste: astringent, bitter
Qualities: light, dry
Potency: cooling
Post-digestive effect: pungent
Pole indicates that arjuna can heal wounds like scars and even repair fractures.
It can be made into a paste or tincture and applied externally to the skin to help improve the speed of healing.
Even diabetic ulcers can be helped with the internal and external use of arjuna.12
Athreya Herbs is a source that I trust for arjuna powder.
3. Frankincense
Botanical name: Boswellia serrata
Taste: bitter, pungent, astringent, sweet
Qualities: dry, light, penetrating
Potency: heating and cooling
Post-digestive effect: pungent
Because frankincense circulates blood and has granulation-enhancing action (new connective tissue and small blood vessels that form on the top of a wound during the healing process), it can quickly heal bruises, wounds, and even broken bones according to Pole.13
Frankincense Powder is offered on Amazon by Banyan Botanicals under the name Boswellia.
4. Gotu Kola
Botanical name: Centella asiatica
Taste: bitter, astringent, sweet
Qualities: dry, light
Potency: cooling
Post-digestive effect: sweet
Gotu Kola quickens wound healing and reduces scars according to Pole.
It has flavonoids (phytochemical compounds present in plants that are anti-inflammatory) that stimulate circulation which helps in developing blood vessels in the skin to promote healing.14
Banyan Botanicals is a source of reliable Gotu Kola Powder, available on Amazon.
5. Guggulu
Botanical name: Commiphora mukul
Taste: bitter, pungent, astringent, sweet
Qualities: light, penetrating, dry
Potency: heating
Post-digestive effect: pungent
Guggulu helps to regenerate granulation tissue (new connective tissue and small blood vessels that form on the top of a wound during the healing process) and improves healing according to Pole.
He goes on to explain that it helps to heal deep-seated wounds and bone fractures.15
A source that I trust for purchasing Guggulu Resin Raw is Athreya Herbs.
6. Licorice (Yashthimadhu)]
Botanical name: Glycyrrhiza glabra
Taste: sweet, bitter
Qualities: heavy, moist
Potency: cooling
Post-digestive effect: sweet
Pole explains that licorice heals ulcers and wounds.16 It is even said to heal non-healing ulcers from diabetes.
Dr. Lad tells us that it's a natural steroid (glycyrrhiza) that helps to heal stomach ulcers and ulcerative colitis.
It can be used internally as a tea, as well as externally.
It is contraindicated for high blood pressure, nursing mothers, in conjunction with furosemide, when potassium deficient, when there is severe kidney insufficiency, edema, and congestive heart failure.17
Athreya Herbs is a source that I trust when purchasing Licorice Root Powder.
7. Neem
Biological name: Azadirachta indica
Taste: bitter
Qualities: light, dry
Potency: cooling
Post-digestive effect: pungent
Pole indicates that neem is helpful in healing wounds.18 Dr. Lad tells us that neem ghee (clarified butter that has been infused with ghee through a traditional Ayurvedic process of cooking the neem in water and then adding that water to ghee and cooking it down) can also be used for wound healing.19
A source that I trust for Organic Neem Powder is Athreya Herbs.
8. Turmeric
Because turmeric is so good a coagulating blood, purifying blood, and relieving pain, it's my favorite wound-healing herb when I have a fresh cut on my body.
Biological name: Curcuma longa
Taste: pungent, bitter, astringent
Qualities: dry, light
Potency: heating
Post-digestive effect: pungent
Turmeric is useful for healing wounds and even broken bones according to Pole.20
Dr. Lad says it can be mixed with aloe for cuts, abrasions, burns, and wounds. It also helps heal skin ulcers.21
A source that I trust for Organic Turmeric Powder is Athreya Herbs.
9. Myrrh
Biological name: Commiphora myrrha
Taste: bitter, astringent, pungent, sweet
Qualities: heavy, dry
Potency: cooling
Post-digestive effect: pungent
Myrrh can be used externally to treat bruises, traumas, and broken bones.
It's also the best herb for mouth ulcers, cold sores, and ulcerated intestinal surfaces, according to Sebastian Pole.22
Frontier Coop sells Myrrh Powder on Amazon.
Conclusion
Ayurveda gives us a bounty of herbs that can be used to heal wounds quickly and efficiently. Try some for yourself to see the healing effects firsthand.
To learn more about these herbs, check out the books that I used for research:
Now that you are familiar with the nine powerful Ayurvedic herbs for faster wound healing, I would love to hear your feedback about how these herbs have helped you by leaving a note in the comments section.
Please share this blog post with your friends.
Frawley, Dr. David, and Dr. Vasant Lad. The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine. 2nd ed., Lotus Press, 2001. p. 53.
Pole, Sebastian. Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice. 2nd ed., Singing Dragon, 2013. pp. 62.
Frawley, Dr. David, and Dr. Vasant Lad. The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine. 2nd ed., Lotus Press, 2001. p. 86.
Pole, Sebastian. Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice. 2nd ed., Singing Dragon, 2013. pp. 63.
Frawley, Dr. David, and Dr. Vasant Lad. The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine. 2nd ed., Lotus Press, 2001. p. 86.
Pole, Sebastian. Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice. 2nd ed., Singing Dragon, 2013. pp. 64.
Frawley, Dr. David, and Dr. Vasant Lad. The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine. 2nd ed., Lotus Press, 2001. p. 86.
Frawley, Dr. David, and Dr. Vasant Lad. The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine. 2nd ed., Lotus Press, 2001. p. 86.
Frawley, Dr. David, and Dr. Vasant Lad. The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine. 2nd ed., Lotus Press, 2001. p. 86.
Lad, Vasant M.A.Sc. Textbook of Ayurveda: General Principles of Management and Treatment. 1st ed., vol. 3, The Ayurvedic Institute, 2012. p. 367.
Pole, Sebastian. Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice. 2nd ed., Singing Dragon, 2013. pp. 124.
Pole, Sebastian. Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice. 2nd ed., Singing Dragon, 2013. pp. 130.
Pole, Sebastian. Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice. 2nd ed., Singing Dragon, 2013. pp. 179.
Pole, Sebastian. Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice. 2nd ed., Singing Dragon, 2013. pp. 187.
Pole, Sebastian. Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice. 2nd ed., Singing Dragon, 2013. pp. 191-92.
Pole, Sebastian. Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice. 2nd ed., Singing Dragon, 2013. pp. 220.
Lad, Vasant M.A.Sc. Textbook of Ayurveda: General Principles of Management and Treatment. 1st ed., vol. 3, The Ayurvedic Institute, 2012. p. 371.
Pole, Sebastian. Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice. 2nd ed., Singing Dragon, 2013. pp. 233.
Lad, Vasant M.A.Sc. Textbook of Ayurveda: General Principles of Management and Treatment. 1st ed., vol. 3, The Ayurvedic Institute, 2012. p. 373.
Pole, Sebastian. Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice. 2nd ed., Singing Dragon, 2013. pp. 282-83.
Lad, Vasant M.A.Sc. Textbook of Ayurveda: General Principles of Management and Treatment. 1st ed., vol. 3, The Ayurvedic Institute, 2012. p. 405.
Pole, Sebastian. Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice. 2nd ed., Singing Dragon, 2013. pp. 231.
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