What is Tepezcohuite?

Tepezcohuite is the bark of a small thorny tree, Mimosa tenuiflora. People in Mexico and Central America use it as a skin remedy.

It goes on the skin for burns, scrapes and sores that heal slowly. It is also used on rough or sore skin. You will find it in creams, soaps and healing powders sold as "skin tree bark".

Here is the honest evidence picture. Tepezcohuite has strong traditional standing in one region. But the human trial evidence is very thin.

Lab work shows the bark can kill bacteria. It can also calm inflammation (swelling and redness). There are published reports of people with leg ulcers getting better.

We could not confirm a well-designed human trial we trust. Traditional use tells you what people have long done. It is not proof that a remedy works, and that gap applies here.

One point matters more than the marketing does. The root bark of this same tree holds DMT (a strong drug that alters the mind). In some countries that makes the root bark a controlled substance.

Tepezcohuite is a bark product for the skin. It is not something to brew and drink. This page treats it as an outside remedy only.

How does Tepezcohuite work?

The most likely explanation is simple chemistry at the skin surface. It is not a deep, body-wide effect.

The bark is very high in tannins. These plant compounds pull tissue tight and form a guard film over damaged skin.

That may be why it feels drying and soothing on a weeping burn or graze. It may also be why it seems to slow minor oozing.

Lab studies also show the bark extract can slow the growth of some bacteria and fungi. In cell and animal tests, it can reduce inflammation (swelling and redness).

Some flavonoids in the bark act as antioxidants. That means they mop up damaging molecules. Whether any of this speeds real wound healing in people is still unproven.

What forms does Tepezcohuite come in?

Tepezcohuite is nearly always used on the skin.

Common forms:

Dried bark powder, dusted on clean, dry minor wounds or mixed into a paste.

Creams, ointments, gels and salves, usually with 1 to 5 percent bark extract.

Soaps, shampoos and face products.

Bark decoction (a strong simmered water extract) used as a wash or compress.

Capsules and tinctures for swallowing are sold online. There is no set dose for taking it by mouth. There is no good safety data for that use either.

Where it comes from:

Mayan and other Native peoples of southern Mexico and Central America have used tepezcohuite for centuries. It was mainly a burn and wound bark. The name comes from Nahuatl and is often translated as "skin tree".

It became widely known in Mexico after the 1985 Mexico City earthquake. The powdered bark was used on burn injuries. The press reported it as helpful, but those reports were observations, not controlled studies.

In Brazil the same tree is known as jurema preta. There the root bark has its own ritual and mind-altering history.

What does Tepezcohuite help with?

• Minor burns and scalds (after cooling and cleaning): This is the classic traditional use and the reason the bark is famous. People report less weeping and faster crusting when the powder or cream is applied to a clean, cooled, superficial burn. There are no controlled human trials we could confirm. Never put bark powder on a deep, large, blistered or charred burn, and never on a burn to the face, hands or genitals; those need medical care.
• Grazes, cuts and minor wounds: Traditional use is long and consistent, and lab work showing the extract slows bacterial growth makes it plausible. Human evidence is essentially absent. It does not replace cleaning the wound with clean water and covering it.
• Slow-healing leg ulcers (open sores on the lower leg): This is the one area where clinical reports on people exist in the ethnopharmacology literature, describing improvement with a bark extract dressing. We could not verify a study identifier we are confident in, so treat this as unconfirmed rather than proven. Leg ulcers need a doctor's assessment because the cause, often poor circulation or diabetes, drives the treatment.
• Skin irritation and general skin care: Widely used in soaps and creams for dry, rough or irritated skin. The claim rests on tradition and on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity seen in the lab, not on human trials. Anti-ageing and scar-erasing claims on product labels go well beyond the evidence.
• Acne-prone or oily skin: A popular modern cosmetic use. The tannins are drying and the extract slows some bacteria in the lab, which is the whole basis for the claim. No human acne trials support it.
• Minor skin infections: Lab tests show activity against some bacteria and fungi. That is test-tube activity, not proof that it clears an infection on a person. Spreading redness, heat, pus or fever means you need a doctor, not a bark powder.

Which foods are rich in Tepezcohuite?

Tepezcohuite is tree bark, not a food, and it is not found in any diet.

What are the side effects of Tepezcohuite?

• Stinging or burning where it is applied
• Redness, itching or rash from allergy
• Dryness or tightness from the high tannin content
• Temporary brown staining of skin, nails or fabric
• Contact dermatitis (an itchy allergic skin reaction) with repeated use
• Stomach upset and nausea if swallowed
• Hallucinations, racing heart and confusion if root bark is swallowed or brewed

Good to know:

Used on unbroken or lightly grazed skin, tepezcohuite is generally well tolerated, and most reactions are mild irritation or allergy that settle when you stop.

The serious problems come from two things: putting it into deep or large wounds where it can trap dirt and delay proper care, and swallowing bark preparations. Livestock in Brazil that grazed heavily on this tree gave birth to deformed young, which is why pregnancy is a firm no. Always test a small patch of skin first.

How much Tepezcohuite should you take?

• Recommended daily: There is no established or officially agreed dose for tepezcohuite, and no safe internal dose at all. For skin, typical practice is: Creams and gels containing 1 to 5 percent bark extract, applied thinly once or twice a day. Dried bark powder dusted lightly on a clean, dry minor wound. A bark decoction (simmered water extract) used cool as a wash or compress. Do not swallow tepezcohuite powder, capsules or tinctures. There is no reliable dosing information, and loose bark powder may contain root bark, which carries DMT (a strong psychedelic drug).
• Best time of day: Any time. Most people apply it after washing, morning and evening, on skin that is clean and dry.
• With or without food: Not relevant. Tepezcohuite is a skin preparation and should not be taken with meals or swallowed at all.
• Time to effect: On a minor graze or superficial burn, people often describe a drying, soothing feel within a day or two. Any real difference in healing, if it exists, would show over one to two weeks. Cosmetic changes to skin texture, if any, take several weeks.
• How long to take it: Use it on a minor wound only until the skin has closed, usually a few days to about two weeks. If a burn, graze or sore is not clearly improving after 7 to 10 days, stop and see a doctor. Cosmetic creams can be used longer, but stop at once if the skin stings, reddens or itches.