Milk Thistle – External Use As A Gel

Article & Photo by Ann Walker

Herbal practitioners like myself mainly think of milk thistle (Silybum marianum) as a liver-supporting herb. It has a traditional reputation for helping the body to overcome the effects of intoxication, including anaesthetic recovery after surgery or after accidental ingestion of the death-cap mushroom (Amanita phalloides). However, most of us don’t think of milk thistle as a herb for external use.

We know that it is highly antioxidant and anti-inflammatory on account of the presence of some unusual compounds which make up the ‘silymarin complex’. Not only is this complex liver-protective, but research has found that extracts of the herb can reduce insulin resistance – so it may be supportive in conditions where glucose tolerance becomes an issue, such as in type 2 diabetes.

Although most herbs can be used externally as creams, gels, ointments or poultices etc, I had not heard of milk thistle being used in this way until I came across this study (PMID: 28635153). In a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled pilot study, researchers looked at a gel containing silymarin for hand-foot syndrome (HFS) – a condition caused by chemotherapy drugs during cancer treatment.

The condition looks like sunburn and is associated with redness, swelling, pain and numbness on the palms of the hands and/or the soles of the feet. If symptoms are severe it can curtail planned chemotherapy, putting cancer recovery at risk. Half of the forty patients in the study applied the silymarin gel to their palms and soles twice a day from the first day of chemotherapy, while the rest applied placebo gel. Symptom scores of HFS were significantly lower in silymarin group at the end of the 9th week. Even though the treatment did not eliminate HFS, it delayed its onset enough to allow completion of planned chemotherapy

PMID = PubMed identifier

Ann Walker PhD, FCPP, MNIMH, RNutr
Course Director DHM
Herbal Practitioner