Different approaches of alternative medicines in acne vulgaris treatment

Acne vulgaris is common dermatological disorder primarily acts on children and adolescents. This affects approximately 80% of the population between the ages of 12-25 years. The clinically used anti-acne drugs suffer from the disadvantage of side effects and high cost of treatment. Alternative to these drugs are traditional medicines and natural products, which offer a great hope in the identification of bioactive lead compounds and their development into drugs for the treatment of skin disorder like acne vulgaris. The use of traditional medicines and phytopharmaceuticals for treating various skin ailments dates back several centuries. The aim of the present review is to compile relevant data on the mechanisms of action of various natural compounds from ethnomedicinal plants and their role in the resolution of acne vulgaris. An attempt is also being made to enumerate the possible leads from Indian traditional medicinal system for the treatment of acne. We tried to provide the readers with the array of outcome variables, which can be further worked upon in clinical studies. Finally, this paper puts forth issues that need to be addressed by researchers in the future.