New EU regulations on herbal medicines come into force

By Dominic Hughes
Health correspondent, BBC News
New European Union rules come into force today banning hundreds of traditional herbal remedies.

The EU law aims to protect consumers from possible damaging side-effects of over-the-counter herbal medicines.

New regulations mean many herbal remedies will no longer be available over the counter

For the first time, new regulations will allow only long-established and quality-controlled medicines to be sold.

But both herbal remedy practitioners and manufacturers fear they could be forced out of business.

To date, the industry has been covered by the 1968 Medicines Act, drawn up when only a handful of herbal remedies were available and the number of herbal practitioners was very small.

But surveys show that around a quarter of all adults in the UK have used a herbal medicine in the past two years, mostly bought over the counter in health food shops and pharmacies.

The regulations will cover widely used products such as echinacea, St John's Wort and valerian, as well as traditional Chinese and Indian medicines.

Herbal remedies that have been approved for sale under the new regulations will come with this logo

But safety concerns have focused on the powerful effects of some herbal remedies, as well as the way they interact with conventional drugs.

For example, St John's Wort can interfere with the contraceptive pill, while ginkgo and ginseng are known to have a similar effect to the blood-thinning drug warfarin.

From now on only products that have been assessed by the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will be allowed to go on sale.

Manufacturers will have to prove that their products have been made to strict standards and contain a consistent and clearly marked dose.

And to count as a traditional medicine, products must have been in use for the past 30 years, including 15 years within the EU.

They will also only be approved for minor ailments like coughs and colds, muscular aches and pains, or sleep problems.

Remedies already on sale will be allowed to stay on the shelves until they reach their expiry date.

Free from contamination

Richard Woodfield, head of herbal medicine policy at the MHRA, says so far there have been 211 applications, of which 105 have been granted registration.

“We're very concerned that patients appreciate they must be very careful when they take these medicines and ideally should talk to their doctor or pharmacist”

End Quote Prof Jayne Lawrence Royal Pharmaceutical Society

"Crucially, this EU directive and the registration scheme puts consumers in the driving seat so they can identify that a product meets assured standards on safety, quality and information about safe use.

"Safety speaks for itself, but quality means, are they using the right part of the plant? Is it free from contamination? Is the claimed shelf life suitable?

"Product information will include possible side effects and interactions with other drugs, but above all it must make very clear that it is based on traditional use."

And that is a key point for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, which believes the new regime is a step forward in improving safety and quality.

But Prof Jayne Lawrence, chief science adviser to the society, says there are still some concerns about herbal products.

"They certainly haven't been tested on the same basis as a conventional medicine and some of these compounds are very potent.

"Patients might not realise that in some cases they should not take other medicines with them, or if they're going for surgery they should tell their doctors they are taking these particular medicines because there may be complications.

"So we're very concerned that patients appreciate they must be very careful when they take these medicines and, ideally, should talk to their doctor or pharmacist."

The manufacturers of herbal remedies have had seven years to prepare for the new rules after the European Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products was introduced in 2004.

Too onerous?

These regulations apply to over-the-counter sales, which form the bulk of herbal remedies sold in the UK.

But some manufacturers and herbal practitioners have expressed concern, arguing the new rules are too onerous for many small producers.

Michael McIntyre, chairman of the European Herbal and Traditional Medicines Practitioners Association, says there will be a significant impact on herbal medicine practitioners and their suppliers, but admits the rules do need bringing up to date.

"Products that go on the market now will definitely do what it says on the bottle, while we didn't know how good they were in the past.

"But registration is expensive so perhaps there may be fewer products on the market and a smaller range.

"It's difficult to argue that the market should stay as it is, without any regulation, but how many businesses will pack up and walk away? I can't say."

Natural Ayurvedic Herbal Products

New EU regulations on herbal medicines come into force

By Dominic Hughes
Health correspondent, BBC News
New European Union rules come into force today banning hundreds of traditional herbal remedies.

The EU law aims to protect consumers from possible damaging side-effects of over-the-counter herbal medicines.

New regulations mean many herbal remedies will no longer be available over the counter

For the first time, new regulations will allow only long-established and quality-controlled medicines to be sold.

But both herbal remedy practitioners and manufacturers fear they could be forced out of business.

To date, the industry has been covered by the 1968 Medicines Act, drawn up when only a handful of herbal remedies were available and the number of herbal practitioners was very small.

But surveys show that around a quarter of all adults in the UK have used a herbal medicine in the past two years, mostly bought over the counter in health food shops and pharmacies.

The regulations will cover widely used products such as echinacea, St John's Wort and valerian, as well as traditional Chinese and Indian medicines.

Herbal remedies that have been approved for sale under the new regulations will come with this logo

But safety concerns have focused on the powerful effects of some herbal remedies, as well as the way they interact with conventional drugs.

For example, St John's Wort can interfere with the contraceptive pill, while ginkgo and ginseng are known to have a similar effect to the blood-thinning drug warfarin.

From now on only products that have been assessed by the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will be allowed to go on sale.

Manufacturers will have to prove that their products have been made to strict standards and contain a consistent and clearly marked dose.

And to count as a traditional medicine, products must have been in use for the past 30 years, including 15 years within the EU.

They will also only be approved for minor ailments like coughs and colds, muscular aches and pains, or sleep problems.

Remedies already on sale will be allowed to stay on the shelves until they reach their expiry date.

Free from contamination

Richard Woodfield, head of herbal medicine policy at the MHRA, says so far there have been 211 applications, of which 105 have been granted registration.

“We're very concerned that patients appreciate they must be very careful when they take these medicines and ideally should talk to their doctor or pharmacist”

End Quote Prof Jayne Lawrence Royal Pharmaceutical Society

"Crucially, this EU directive and the registration scheme puts consumers in the driving seat so they can identify that a product meets assured standards on safety, quality and information about safe use.

"Safety speaks for itself, but quality means, are they using the right part of the plant? Is it free from contamination? Is the claimed shelf life suitable?

"Product information will include possible side effects and interactions with other drugs, but above all it must make very clear that it is based on traditional use."

And that is a key point for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, which believes the new regime is a step forward in improving safety and quality.

But Prof Jayne Lawrence, chief science adviser to the society, says there are still some concerns about herbal products.

"They certainly haven't been tested on the same basis as a conventional medicine and some of these compounds are very potent.

"Patients might not realise that in some cases they should not take other medicines with them, or if they're going for surgery they should tell their doctors they are taking these particular medicines because there may be complications.

"So we're very concerned that patients appreciate they must be very careful when they take these medicines and, ideally, should talk to their doctor or pharmacist."

The manufacturers of herbal remedies have had seven years to prepare for the new rules after the European Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products was introduced in 2004.

Too onerous?

These regulations apply to over-the-counter sales, which form the bulk of herbal remedies sold in the UK.

But some manufacturers and herbal practitioners have expressed concern, arguing the new rules are too onerous for many small producers.

Michael McIntyre, chairman of the European Herbal and Traditional Medicines Practitioners Association, says there will be a significant impact on herbal medicine practitioners and their suppliers, but admits the rules do need bringing up to date.

"Products that go on the market now will definitely do what it says on the bottle, while we didn't know how good they were in the past.

"But registration is expensive so perhaps there may be fewer products on the market and a smaller range.

"It's difficult to argue that the market should stay as it is, without any regulation, but how many businesses will pack up and walk away? I can't say."

Natural Ayurvedic Herbal Products

Jojoba For Revive Skin and Hair

The oil is obtained from the jojoba seed has excellent moisturizing qualities and regulation of fat in the skin, so is highly valued by the cosmetics industry to develop high quality products. Learn more about your property and take advantage of them the benefit of their appearance.

To make matters worse, jojoba oil also has the ability to protect and give hair body, while helping to normalize sebaceous secretion of the scalp and dissolve the wax is deposited in hair follicles, same as in bulk is the cause of dandruff and seborrhea.

Friendly Beauty
Whether pure or through products containing oil, jojoba is distinguished by its versatility in terms of grooming, among its many functions then some of the main
Moisturizing facial. As said, wetting the skin is ideal for this product, and for Best results are advised to apply pure oil or cream that contains it at night, after washing the face.

Pregnancy. Since the use jojoba oil increases the elasticity of the skin and prevents sagging and streaks so common during pregnancy, cream or oil can applied directly to affected areas of pregnant women.

Oily skin and acne. Moderately, this oil can be used in conjunction with similar tree of tea or thyme, to regulate the generation of fat reduce the formation of pimples.

Bathrooms. Oil Jojoba dissolved in the water bath helps to prevent dryness throughout the body.

Dry skin. For these cases you can apply the oil directly or use one of the many creams hydrating and nourishing jojoba employing as an ingredient. The result is a soft, moist and natural shine.

Brightness and volume of hair. You can use a shampoo made with jojoba or add a few drops the shampoo or rinse normally used for their benefit. In any case, you must apply by massaging the product and leave three minutes; can then rinse with no problems.

Damaged hair or brittle. For these cases is very useful to apply this oil throughout the hair and cover with a hot towel for 20 minutes. Then proceed wash the hair with shampoo as usual.

Shave. A solution water and jojoba oil is equally ideal for application on male face after shaving, it eliminates the redness and leaves soft skin.

Cleanser. Some aesthetic specialists recommend the use of oil drops jojoba in cotton to remove dirt and debris.

Massage. He is currently widespread use in the development of massage oils, especially for those in the hands and feet, as this product helps remove calluses.

Scrub. Currently, of jojoba leaf extract components that work as exfoliates in the most sensitive skin, but its use is not yet widespread.

Finally, it remains to say that derivatives jojoba oil are not toxic or irritating to the eyes or skin, and that only on rare occasions produce allergic reactions so that you can use them with minimal risk to take qualities for the benefit of his health, as the ancient inhabitants of America did centuries ago.

Get more information on beauty skin care and natural skin care product. And also get more info on beauty skin care products.

Dandruff is no longer a problem

Dandruff Inflammation of the superficial layers of the skin covering the scalp caused by excess fat in that area. This results in irritation and cells accumulate in the form of flakes or dust on the surface. Regularly associated with poor hygiene, fungal infection or hormonal changes that alter the secretion of sebum.

Causes
* Overproduction of oil.
* Lack of hygiene.
* Use of some shampoos, hairspray and hair dyes.
* Infection caused by microscopic fungi.
* Hormonal changes during adolescence.
* Zinc deficiency causes problems in the skin of the scalp.
* Dryness, which is accentuated by cold.

Symptoms
* Scalp irritation.
* Constant itching.
* Presence of grudges.

Diagnosis
* It is diagnosed when a person has these symptoms.

Prevention
* It is important to wash your hair regularly to remove grease, dust and pollutants.
* Moderately Use hair spray (spray, mousse or gel).
* Avoid sharing combs, brushes or other instruments for the arrangement of hair, as if the dandruff is the result of fungal attack can cause an infection.

Treatment
* Constant improvement of hygiene conditions of the scalp.
* We recommend using anti-dandruff shampoos, which are indicated to combat the disease.
* If the problem is severe, your doctor will prescribe lotions or ointments, whose use should be supervised.
* Include in the daily diet foods rich in zinc, such as meat, eggs, seafood, vegetables, peanuts and sunflower seeds. This contribution can be supplemented with vitamin supplements containing calcium.

Consult your doctor.

Read more on Natural Hair Loss Treatment at Natural hair care Supplements. And more on Hair Loss Solution