If there is an all-natural, herbal scar reducing cream that may actually work I guess it must be Quantum Derma’s cream. Reason? Because it does contain some promising ingredients. This cream is said to reduce the appearance of both new and old scars and contains a wide range of natural, healing ingredients.

Let’s review this product by examining its components.

Quantum Derma Scar Reducing Cream contains various herbal ingredients. Some are commonly thought to improve scars but are not backed by science (onion extract). A few of them are interesting and promising though.

Ingredients:

• Onion Extract,
• Lysine,
• Vitamin E,
• Tamanu Oil,
• Allantoin

Tamanu oil (Calophyllum inophyllum) for example. This aromatic oil is also referred to as “green gold” or “sacred oil of Tamanu”. It is said to be able to penetrate all skin layers.

Tamanu oil heals damaged skin, alleviates various medical conditions, and is known for its skin smoothing and softening properties. Revered by ancient Polynesians, the oil was historically used for its medicinal and wound healing properties. More on wisegeek.com .

Lysine is an amino acid that plays a role in building healthy tissue.

Allantoin has a positive effect on the skin’s moisture levels. Also has a keratolytic (deflaking) effect and stimulates the production of new epidermis cells, stimulates skin regeneration, rendering it smoother and softer. Clinical studies indicate it helped prevent and reduce scarring during tattoo removals.

Vitamin A (Retinyl palmitate is the safest form of the various types of vitamin A with the best tolerance, fewest side effects, and no prescription needed More on the role of vitamin A in scar treatment.

Bee propolis extract is reported to help scars heal. Especially acne sufferers seem to benefit from this substance according to some testimonials. Indirectly related to this subject is this post about scar treatment with bee venom .

Additional ingredients include:
Olive Oil, Beeswax, Aloe Vera Gel, Purified Water, Tocopheryl acetate (Vitamin E), Chamomile extract, Sweet Almond Oil, Gum Benzoin extract, Calendula extract, Bee Propolis extract, Golden Seal Root extract, Onion extract, Echinacea extract, Bisabalol (a chamomile extract), Cajeput Oil, Tea Tree oil, Vitamin E, Retinyl palmitate (vitamin A) , Vitamins A & D

A few of the ingredients of this cream appear to be promising because of their separate properties. They may provide a synergistic effect but studies should be done to proof this. When it comes to an all-natural scar cream I personally would like to see a scar cream containing Centella asiatica and liquorice. This because these substances appear to have some scar improving evidence behind them.

According to one reviewer on Amazon “this product works but has funny smell maybe because it is natural product and it is pricey for small tube.”

The manufacturer states that Quantum Derma Scar Reducing Cream:

• Significantly improves the appearance and reduces visibility of existing scars resulting from surgery, burns, injury and acne,
• helps prevent the formation of scars on newly healed wounds,
• makes scar tissue, calluses, and other skin hardenings softer and smoother,
• is also advertised to be effective on stretch marks.

Suggested Use: Massage into scar 3 5 times daily to smooth, soften and diminish appearance of scars.

Quantum Scar Reducing Cream is available on Amazon.

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There’s a plethora of commercially available home remedies for scars. Think about scar creams based on vitamin E or onion extract like Mederma, Bio Oil, cocoa butter, Aloe Vera, cucumber butter, lime juice, skin remodeling copper peptides and so on.


The superabundance of positive online reviews and upbeat testimonials would indicate these remedies to be helpful in the struggle to reduce scars.


However, considered from a scientific perspective, there’s only one type of home remedy that is proven effective. With proven effective I mean backed by science.



Silicone Gel Sheeting
This is the type of home remedy I am talking about: silicones for scars. Several clinical trials and other studies [1],[2] have demonstrated that silicone gel sheeting prevents the development of problematic scars. It has also shown to be an effective home remedy for keloid and hypertrophic scars.




Silicone gel sheets significantly and clinically improved the appearance of scars. More specific; this remedy makes red, raised, stiff scars more skin colored, softer, pliable, and flat. Also the anti-itch and pain reducing abilities have been proven by studies. It will not surprise that silicone sheets, recommended by many plastic surgeons, burn centers and dermatologists, are called ‘the golden standard in scar treatment’. However early treatment is ideal, silicone gel sheets may also be beneficial for older scars



Medical grade honey for wound care
Wound healing, which can be a of major influence on scarring, can get a real boost when wound care products based on medical-grade honey are used.

A review in which 22 clinical trials were evaluated concluded that honey minimizes scarring, removes infected and dead tissue and speeds healing by stimulating new tissue growth. Some researchers even suspect this type of honey to have beneficial effects when applied directly on scars but at present there’s no research done.

A 1996 preliminary study from India showed that burns treated with honey healed sooner than those treated with conventional methods (petrolatum and gauze) and that scarring was reduced. (6.2% of the 450 patients treated ended up with scars compared to 19.7% of the same number of patients who received conventional treatment)



Conclusion
When we rely on medical science we can conclude that the best home remedies for scars are silicone gel sheets (or gels) and, in case of wound care, medical grade honey dressings. Recently, FDA approved medical grade honey dressings have become available on the consumer market.

More on how silicone gel sheeting works. The best brands to buy, and Medihoney wound care products.

[1] Topical treatments for hypertrophic scars Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology – Volume 55, Issue 6 (December 2006)
[2] Evolution of Silicone Therapy and Mechanism of Action in Scar Management by Dr. Thomas A. Mustoe Aesth Plast Surg (2008) 32:82–92 link (.pdf)

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According to limited sources* bee venom therapy (BVT) is an effective scar treatment. * (Singh, Ratner et al and Lee)

Having scars stung by bees resulted in improvement of scar appearance by reducing, soften, and flatten scar tissue, and toning down the color of the scar.

Of the 18 substances present in bee venom the enzyme hyaluronidase is mainly held accountable for these results. Also internal scar tissue is thought to benefit from this alternative therapy.

“Charles Mraz, a beekeeper in Middlebury, Vermont who has popularized bee venom therapy for the past 60 years, says that it is reasonable to try bee venom therapy in any clinical situation where nothing else works.” [...] “Keloids and other scar tissue are broken down and softened by the substances in the venom, and can flatten out and fade in color.” source: CareCure Forums

This alternative scar treatment isn’t suitable for people who are allergic to bee stings so the first step should be an allergy test.

More info and before and after photo’s of someone who has actually applied bee stings to a scar here: before and after.

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Centella Asiatica is a mildly antibacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory herb indigenous to south and south east Asia. The plant grows in swampy areas in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iran, northern Australia,  Melanesia, and New Guinea.

The herb has been used for ages for its medicinal qualities in both traditional Chinese medicine and traditional Indian (Ayurvedic) medicine as well. It is also known as Gotu Kola, Asiatic or Indian Pennywort, Rau má in Vietnam and Saraswathi Plant” in India.

(photo by suatu ketika | Creative Commons)

Ascribed benefits of its culinary and medicinal use are stimulation of overall health, rejuvenation, boosting the nervous system and increasing concentration. Some extracts have been used traditionally to treat leprosy. In Thailand it is used as a detoxifying agent to aid treatment of opium addicts.

A popular folklore tale from Sri Lanka speaks of a prominent king from the 10th century AD named Aruna Withane who claimed that Gotu Kola provided him with energy and stamina to satisfy his 50-woman harem.  Source: Wikipedia

Centella Asiatica Scar Creams
Several studies show Centella asiatica’s ability to improve wound healing. Some aspects of the chemical compounds in this herb seem to aid scar treatment as well. More specific; the main substances; asiatic acid, asiaticoside and brahminoside seem to stimulate type 1 collagen production which leads to less prominent scars.

Also inflammation, which is a major factor in (abnormal) scar creation, is reduced. Apart from this, the process of myofibroblast production, which boosts wound healing by contracting the edges of the wound, is decreased. It is theorized that residue myofibroblasts are the reason for hypertrophic and keloid scar development.

Madecassol
A segment of the chemicals in the Asiatic acid are also described as madecassol. This madecassol has shown to be an effective treatment of keloid scars. (E1-Hefnawi H: Treatment of keloids with asiaticoside. Dermatologica 125:387, 1962)

Another scientist found that when taken orally madecassol turned out to be “an active scar improver with few side effects”.  His conclusion was that although more extensive study on its true mechanism of action and long-term safety needs to be done, it is promising regarding effective treatment of keloids. (Bosse JP: Clinical study of a new anti-keloid agent. Ann Plast Surg 3:13, 1979)

Landes reported about his 20 years of experience with madecassol ointment. He reported to use madecassol as additional treatment after cosmetic surgery. (Landes E: Konservative Therapie yon Narben und Falten. Z Hautkr 62:805, 1987)

No Side Effects
Studies as well as anecdotal reports have not shown any side effects of the topical application of Centella asiatica extract.  Because the plant and its three main chemical substances (terpenoids) are weak sensitizers skin irritations are considered unlikely, and have not been reported.


Centella Asiatica based Scar Creams
A well known scar cream is Alpha Centella cream. This product is used by some physicians, especially in Asia, to prevent and treat scars. The cream has two main ingredients.  Apart from the aforementioned three extracts of C. asiatica it also has extracts of the Bulbine frutescens plant in it. This herb possesses moisturizing and antibacterial properties and its action is sometimes compared with Aloe Vera (as is C. asiatica).

A newcomer on the market is Scartini serum with main ingredients Centella asiatica and lychee extract. As far as I know, this is the first cream with this centella asiatica (Gotu Kola) ingredient on the American consumer market, which could be promising. How much of the Centella asiatica ingredient is present in the product is unclear. Also the dermal benefits of lychee extract are not convincing when examining available research.


Conclusion
The positive effects of C. asiatica in wound healing are convincing (documented to aid wound healing in a large number of scientific reports) Also evidence for the improvement of, especially, keloid scar appearance is available but more research has to be done. Key effects appear to be speeding scar maturity, anti-inflammatory action and the decrease of excessive scar tissue (myofibroblast production). 

Or as this study abstract on New Innovations in Scar Management puts it:

“Centella asiatica has been documented to aid wound healing in a large number of scientific reports. The most beneficial effect appears to be the stimulation of maturation of the scar by the production of type I collagen and the resulting decrease in the inflammatory reaction and myofibroblast production.”
That’s why this report mentions Centella asiatica together with effective measures such as; pressure therapy, hydration, and silicone sheeting.

Since there do not seem to be any really effective scar ointments (except for the prescription cream Imiquimod (brand name Aldara) and silicone gel creams) Gotu Kolu based scar creams might be a worthy contribution to the effective scar products pool.

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Recently someone asked me about stem cell scar creams. Do they exist and do they work? Well I hadn’t heard about them so I did a little research. The notion that wounds in human embryo’s as well as in some organisms can heal without forming scar tissue has led to an increased interest in stem cell (scar) therapy.

Normally when the location of the injured skin is damaged (or missing) it will be filled up by less functional scar tissue. The last years an increasing amount of medical research shows promising results regarding self-renewal of the skin.

At the moment there have been done some clinical trials on stem cell therapy on internal scar tissue as a result of a heart attack or for example a spinal cord injury. Of course medical science prioritizes such potential life saving scar healing operations.

Since a few years stem cell anti aging creams such as ReVive’s Peau Magnifique which use an enzyme called telomerase (or products which contain a substance called Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF)) are available. There is no clinical evidence on the efficacy of these products though. As far as I know dedicated stem cell scar creams do not exist (yet).

It will probably take at least a few years before we are able to use such a cream. More likely though will be a wound care product which will prevent the scar tissue from developing by instead aiding in recreating the original skin tissue. Although we are not there yet at all in terms of scientific development, when available this could be called the holy grail of scar treatment. Visit this link for information on the most accepted products of today.

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