Over the last week, we’ve covered two acne plants which received acne studies for the very first time recently.
Both are remedies which have potential, but were completely unheard of beforehand. The cedar tree (ziziphus spina-christi) had an excellent study directly on acne, while water spinach was weaker but looked decent for suppressing acne bacteria.
Now, we have the grand finale of our trilogy, a study unleashed upon a world of unnoticing dermatologists in October 2019. The subject was the American beautyberry, or callicarpa americana.
The plant was obviously chosen for one reason: the name was irresistible. These berries are natural inhabitants of the southern USA, but they barely look real. They look like the world of cartoons and reality have met after a lighting bolt struck a nearby telephone mast at a funny angle. They are incredibly purple berries which look photoshopped onto their main plant, which grow in easily pickable clusters from summer to early autumn.
Nevertheless, real they are. They’re so common that you might have walked past them in the last week.
These berries look like the magical fruit of whichever faraway kingdom Barney the Dinosaur is supposed to inhabit. Does the magic extend to their acne powers? Do they live up to their name, or has their entire life been a lie?
PART 1: the experiment
Before this day, there hadn’t been a single study on American beautyberries and acne.
There were no experiments on conditions closely related to acne like p.acnes bacteria or oil production. In fact, there were barely any studies at all. This study showing cancer reductions in human cells from both fruit, twigs and leaves was the best hope humanity had.
So here’s what the scientists did…
Firstly, they got their hands dirty by venturing to Atlanta, Georgia. Wandering through thick forests, they picked 500 grams of raw beautyberries from the branches between June and August 2017.
Back in their high tech laboratory, the berries were dried in a dehumidification chamber before being ground into a fine powder using a 2mm mesh. This raw berry essence was dissolved in ethanol for 72 hours. The powder was placed in a high tech rotational machine, the type you might use to fail to kill James Bond, evaporating the powder’s moisture through relentless spinning.
The powder was then scraped into glass vials and stored at minus 20 degrees centigrade. Then they created 4 different active extracts, using 1) hexane, 2) water, 3) ethyl acetate, and 4) n-butanol. Ethyl acetate had the strongest antibacterial activity, so they discarded the others and made a total of 33 different ethyl acetate extracts.
Then there’s p.acnes, the antagonist of our story. Firstly, 10 different strains were purchased from a biobank. You might know that p.acnes isn’t one monolithic, restlessness borg of acne destruction; there are 11,000 subspecies divided into 4 large families, which are 1a (the most vicious), 1b, 2 and 3. There’s also subgroups within those families.
Anyway, the p.acnes was placed in a petri dish containing sheep’s blood. When the colony had grown enough under a microscope, it were transferred to another petri dish containing a brain-heart infusion, a bacteria-feeding substance rich in nutrients that contains exactly what it says on the tin. The scientists also added a 1% concentration of dextrose sugar, to fuel the bacteria’s growth further. To mimic a human skin pore, with the lack of oxygen that p.acnes loves so much, the bacteria was placed in an anaerobic chamber.
The result was that 33 extracts from the same American beautyberry harvest were tested against 10 strains of the deadliest acne bacteria. The goal: to see how much the bacteria’s overgrowth slowed down…
PART 2: the bacteria
As usual, they used the trusted minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), the lowest quantity that prevents bacterial growth after 18-24 hours.
What happened was simple: the American beautyberry, which could grow a minute’s walk away from your grandad’s Florida retirement home, inhibited all 10 strains of p.acnes.
None of them matched clindamcyin, the big bully antibiotic which was also tested. However, 8 out of 31 beautyberry extracts inhibited p.acnes by 100%. P.acnes didn’t die, but it was treading water, unable to expand.
In a human skin pore, it would be only a matter of time before the immune system picked off the surviving stragglers, or their food source ran low, like old Antarctica explorers getting stranded on a seal-packed island in the 1800s. The team was fresh off testing other plants like jeju and Damask rose; supposedly, the American beautyberry had an MIC 30 times lower than these plants.
They also tested cytotoxicity, damage to living cells, using human skin samples (rather than octopus). For the strongest two beautyberry extracts of them all, the dosages for cytotoxicity were 32 and 128 times higher than the p.acnes MIC. The poorest two were samples 649C-F8 and 649C-F9, but their cytotoxicity dosage was still 8 times higher than the MIC.
IN SHORT: the danger to acne dosage was way below the danger to humanity dosage.
PART 3: the biofilms
A great feature of this study was that biofilms were also tested, when bacteria develops impenetrable structures using glycolax slime that are incredibly resistant to normal remedies.
In their words, however: “none of the fractions were found to significantly eradicate the biofilm”.
It’s the exact opposite of impepho. When compared to the antibiotic clindamcyin, it was defeated for bacterial growth, but it beat the pharmaceutical antibiotic for punching holes in the biofilm.
Today, the best beautyberry extract only managed 30-40% demolition. For example, if you look at the charts, when the beautyberry concentration reaches 1ug, the inhibition of bacterial growth spikes upwards like a skyscraper. Yet for biofilms, it starts at 1ug again, but only increases sluggishly like a gently rolling hill.
The scientists sounded disappointed, but 33% is still pretty strong, particularly if it’s rolled into a product with aloe vera and tamanu oil one day.
They also compared it to resveratrol, the money-generating red wine antioxidant. Interestingly, they claimed to be disappointed, because resveratrol only inhibited the biofilm by 21-30%, whereas in an older study it was unstoppable.
Therefore, it’s possible that in a new study, American beautyberry will perform much better than this one too. Anything is possible; Georgia could have had a wetter summer in 2017 which decreased the berries biofilm-killing nutrients. Or, maybe this study is correct.
PART 4: the strains
Compared to water spinach, this remedy has one great advantage: it killed all 10 subspecies of p.acnes bacteria.
It removes the ever constant possibility that a great looking study accidentally tested one particularly susceptible strain. There’s always a worry with antibacterial remedies, but here our minds can rest easy. It is a very broad antibacterial weapon against the p.acnes lurking in your pores.
However, this is where the first flaw of our study appears: what if beautyberry wipes out the healthy strains?
Every year, scientists uncover more fantastical powers unique to different p.acnes strains. For example, members of the sinister 1a sect are known to manufacture more lipases. These enzymes are how p.acnes acquires food, how they cling to life in your skin pores, by breaking down fatty acids in your oil, but this digestion also generates inflammatory by-products.
Malicious, ungrateful strains also pump out more neuraminidase, and even have more antigens in their cell walls that our immune systems are trained to target with inflammatory fire.
But then you have the friendly strains. These reformed dogooders, who have vowed to never again cause acne, can actually kill harmful staphylococcus bacteria by manufacturing antibacterial peptides. These peptides include acnecin and propionicin PLG-1 and also target 1a family p.acnes strains. That’s only what we’ve discovered so far; one study that 99% of p.acnes “strain 6” came from clear-skinned people with only 1% coming from acne sufferers.
If beautyberry wipes out these guardians of human skin flora then we could be in serious trouble.
In fact, today’s study contains a clear example: the HL030PA1 strain it crushed was shown here to suppress inflammatory staphyloccous bacteria.
My guess? It’s only a slight worry. If p.acnes as a whole falls, then you’re probably safe. Plus, if you’re going to dismiss beautyberries based on this, then every antibacterial remedy is also suspect.
My guess is that as long as the malicious p.acnes strains fall by a similar or greater quantity to the friendly ones, our clear skin mission will still be on the rails. The whole saga does illustrate how much mystery still surrounds p.acnes though.
Did the experiment go too far?
Another flaw was that the extracts were so concentrated, with all moisture evaporated.
The great results here might not mimic a raw berry picked in a woodland near you, unless you have a futuristic rotational evaporator in your garage. Likewise, while preparing, they deliberately selected the most antibacterial extract possible. Ethyl acetate extracted was most effective, so hexane, water and n-butanol were discarded.
This is the classic type of study that pro dermatologists might dismiss for not having a study on actual living acne patients. That it’s essentially laboratory tinkering which will never make a dent in the real world.
This argument doesn’t apply to everything. For example, if you test an oil like tamanu oil on p.acnes, then it’s a much better indication. It’s just an oil, so it’s exactly the same as when you splash it on your face in the bathroom. However, this is one study where those dismissals definitely ring true.
What our study does prove is that the antibacterial powers are in the berry in some form. Maybe they’ll work on your face, and maybe they won’t, but the raw potential is there.
A very telling power
Where do the powers come from? What’s interesting is that several unique compounds were also identified, called intermedeol and callicarpenal.
Unlike the quercetin that predominates in water spinach, these bad boys are found in very few plants, also including Japanese beautyberry (callicarpa japonica). They could be the p.acnes killers in chief.
Their raw potential is illustrated in a very different power: wiping out mosquitoes. Native American folklore has long stated that beautyberries are among the best mosquito repellents nature has to offer.
In 2006, a study finally confirmed it: callicarpenal, intermedeol and spathulenol were all fantastic anti-mosquito compounds. Callicarpa americana was 80% as effective as DEET, the world renowned insect-repelling ingredient. Specifically, they killed the feared Ased mosquito, carrier of the Zika virus, acquired by breeding in stagnant water pools.
Rumour has it that the scientists got involved because their grandparents used it against mosquitoes. Callicarpenal also works against fire ants, so well that a gardening company tried to patent it. This failed due to the fact that patenting a naturally occurring compound is idiotic; it’s about as smart as trying to patent apples.
These compounds could be the signature acne-clearers of American beautyberries just like curcumin in turmeric or resveratrol in red wine.
Legend states that for decades, farmers in the southern lands of the US crushed beautyberries and smeared them below their horse and mule saddles, to ward off mosquitos. Which leads into something else…
Beautyberries are right on your doorstep!
This is the best part of this acne remedy of all. In the southern US, beautyberries can be as common as coconuts on tropical Pacific islands.
Instead of an isolated, crumbling cliffside in South Africa patrolled by lions waiting for skincare enthusiasts to turn up, it’s possible that this acne-clearing secret is waiting for you right outside your front door.
Where exactly do they grow? Their main territory stretches from Texas to Florida, with Georgia, Arkansas and Maryland as heavy strongholds where no other berries dare tread. However, their distant outposts include Mexico, Bermuda, the Bahamas and Cuba.
The beautyberry’s natural habitat is forests. They avoid particularly damp or dark areas; you’ll find them by the edges of footpaths, by fences, or on the moist edges of grassy clearings.
Beautyberries are common enough that the internet is full of people inquiring about whether eating them is safe.
The answer is yes, you won’t roll over with Xs for eyes, but some unlucky people have suffered nausea and stomach cramps. They’re said to have nasty, bitter undertones, but weirdly for such a bright and colourful berry, the rest of the fruit is insipid, the opposite of blueberries.
Word on the street, however, is that beautyberries make a fantastic jam. Squirrels love them; the bushes are 5 to 8 foot tall and the squirrels often snap off entire branches and drag them back to their secret dens. Raccoons, opossums, mockingbirds, finches and woodpeckers are also massive fans of the beautyberry.
Another weird fact is that beautyberry powder is superb as a fish stunner. Simply grind some into a fine powder, spread it across the surface of a pond, and you can watch the fish float up immobile. It’s believed that the Native Americans used this technique, but you’d probably be arrested for crimes against wildlife if you tried. Plus, it’s a massive cheat code anyway – where’s the fun in that? The plants are also extremely resistant to fire – in a nuclear war, it might be your only food source.
One thing is for certain – beautyberries are a more accessible berry than the sea buckthorn, which grows along the trail to Mount Everest base camp.
How does it compare to other antibacterial remedies?
Judging solely on the evidence we have acquired today:
Water spinach – the weakest of our recent trilogy of weird acne remedies. The one p.acnes study we have tested only growth inhibition, ignoring biofilm formation and different strains. Its high quantity of quercetin is promising though, the powerful flavonoid antioxidant. BEAUTYBERRY WINS.
Tamanu oil – it wins overall due to boosting collagen, but for bacteria? An advantage is that the magical compounds have been pinpointed: unique compounds called calaustralin, calophyllolide, inophyllum C and inophyllum E. Tamanu oil defeated p.acnes more effectively than the antibiotic ofloxacin in a 2015 study, whereas today, the American beautyberry just fell short of clindamcyin. However, tamanu oil hasn’t been tested on biofilms yet (unless the scientist randomly decided to write the study in Latin). Overall, BEAUTYBERRY SCRAPES TO A DRAW.
Impepho – the bush twig that summons your ancestors if you burn it after sacrificing a goat. It looked equal for growth inhibition, but was fantastic for breaking down impenetrable biofilms. No strains tested, but overall, BEAUTYBERRY LOSES.
Thyme oil – this strangely ignored essential oil killed p.acnes faster than benzoyl peroxide in a 2013 Leeds University study. It also beat marigold oil and myrrh oil. Thyme oil has its own secret weapon – the potent thymol and carvacrol. Among 10 essential oils, thyme, cinnamon and rose oil killed p.acnes bacteria most effortlessly. While it was there, thyme oil also lazily beat up some cancer cells (study). There are no studies on biofilms, but nevertheless, BEAUTYBERRY LOSES.
Tea tree oil – there’s no contest. BEAUTYBERRY LOSES. First of all, tea tree oil is proven directly on acne, reducing it by 5.75 times more than placebo in 30 lucky acne patients (study). However, taking a step back, its natural monoterpene terpinen-4-ol is well known to kill even drug resistant hospital bugs like MRSA. Killing p.acnes will be as easy as breathing, and this study confirmed it. Tea tree oil is near unbeatable as long as you take care to dilute it and don’t suffer a rare reaction.
Aloe vera – a fantastic topical treatment, apart from the small worry of potassium sorbate in some products. However, despite the anti-inflammatory treasure trove the gel contains, the antibacterial studies are just a trickle. Nevertheless, the one study is very good: rather than just killing p.acnes, aloe vera went a step further and inhibited the skin inflammation it caused. BEAUTYBERRY SETTLES FOR A DRAW.
The verdict
The cold, hard facts are staring us in the face. Callicarpa americana ranks below the vast majority of antibacterial remedies we have covered so far…
…but like water spinach, it’s only because this is the first study ever. Time will tell where the American beautyberry truly ranks.
The biggest problem with today’s study is the concentration of the extract, but if in 2030AD, a natural skincare wizard adds a hyper concentrated extract to his all-natural recipe featuring tamanu oil sold in drugstores near you, then there’s no harm done.
Thus we reach the end of our trilogy of recent studies on obscure acne plants. Water spinach, cedar, and American beautyberry all have potential for clearing your skin, but cedar is automatically a step above because it has evidence directly on pimples.
What unites them is the total lack of presence in mainstream dermatology. There are no formulas in stylish glass bottles on Amazon, but if anything, that just shows how much potential is hiding in the world.
All three studies have only appeared in the last year, and before that, we already had numerous fantastic remedies which dermatologists deny work. I would be amazed if in the future, the mad scientists of natural skincare fail to create the ultimate formula, which can destroy acne just as well as accutane without any of the depression or hair loss.
Thanks for reading!