Pruritic skin conditions are common during pregnancy. Skin conditions specific to pregnancy include pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP), prurigo of pregnancy, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, pemphigoid gestationis, impetigo herpetiformis, and pruritic folliculitis of pregnancy. PUPPP seems to be the most common of these disorders.1

Metallic preparations have a prominent role in Ayurvedic therapeutics on account of their advantages like smaller doses, and quick action. Zinc plays a pivotal role in various biological processes in humans and its deficiency is known to lead to several diseases.2

Yashada bhasma (zinc) is a natural mineral that is often used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various skin ailments. It is known to inhibit bacterial growth on the skin and inflammation.3 Yashada bhasma is a traditional herbomineral preparation that has an important role in the normal functioning of skin. It affects the synthesis of collagen. Yashada bhasma has been described to have antimicrobial properties, and is known to improve complexion and moisture holding capacity of skin. It is also known to work as a rejuvenator.4 Zinc has also been noted to relieve itching, eruption and burning sensation in eczema.2 Topical zinc therapy has a potential role in auto debridement, it has an anti-infective action, and promotes epithelialization. Use of zinc preparation has been shown to relieve pruritus in patients with eczema in a recent study.5 Zinc inhibits mast cell degranulation and reduces the secretion of histamine which is an important mediator of inflammatory response and induces itch. This makes zinc a useful treatment option in pruritic conditions.6

Yashada bhasma thus appears to be a potential therapeutic agent to control pruritic conditions during pregnancy.

References

1. Tunzi M, Gray GR. Common Skin Conditions During Pregnancy. Am Fam Physician. 2007 Jan 15;75(2):211-218.
2. Chandran S, Patgiri B, Galib R, Prasanth D. A Review through Therapeutic Attributes of Yashada bhasma. International Journal of Pharmaceutical & Biological Archives 2016;7(5):6-11.
3. Verma SR, Sultana S, Thiyagarajan OS, et al. Yashad bhasma (Zinc calx) and Tankana (Borax) inhibit Propionibacterium acne and suppresses acne induced inflammation in vitro. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2014 Aug;36(4):361-8.
4. Datta HS, Mitra SK, Patwardhan B. Wound Healing Activity of Topical Application Forms Based on Ayurveda. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011; 2011: 134378.
5. Rani M, Kashyap CP, Sankhyan JR. A study on the effect of yashadamrita malhara and yashad bhasma with sikth taila in vicharchika with special reference to eczema. International Ayurvedic Medical Journal 2017;5(9):3398-405.
6. Gupta M, Mahajan VK, Mehta KS, Chauhan PS. Zinc Therapy in Dermatology: A Review. Dermatology Research and Practice 2014, Article ID 709152, 11 pages. Available from: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/drp/2014/709152/. Accessed on June 11, 2018.