Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

SOME COMMON MEDICINAL PLANTS USED IN PROTECTING SKIN FROM SUN DAMAGE IN DISTRICT TEHRI GARHWAL, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA

L.R. Dangwal and Priyanka Uniyal

Abstract

The present communication pertains to increasing UV radiation reaching the Earth due to the depletion of ozonosphere. These harmful UV rays are responsible for many skin problems, like tanning, sunburn, inflammation, redness or itchiness, hyperpigmentation (melasma), dryness, premature ageing and even skin cancer etc. Medicinal plants have tremendous properties to cure almost every skin disease known to mankind for ages. Authors have also collected information of some common medicinal plants used in treating a sun-damaged skin in the study area. These valuable information have been collected from neighbouring villages of study area, i.e. Dharsal, Sondkoti, Ranichauri, Sursingdhar, Dikhol gaun, Saabli etc., and enlisted ten common medicinal plants belonging to 9 families and 10 different genera – Aloe barbadensis Mill., Artemisia nilagirica (C.B. Clarke) Pamp., Brassica campestris L., Cannabis sativa L., Citrus medica L., Cucumis sativus L., Lycopersicon esculentum Mill., Mallotus philippensis (Lam.) Müll Arg., Mentha arvensis L. and Ocimum basilicum L.