Xanthium strumarium is a member of the pharmacologically active plant family Asteraceae. Although most likely native to North America, it is now naturalized globally. Indeed, it has a long history of use in Traditional Oriental Medicine, where it was used in treating nasal sinusitis, headache, urticaria, allergic rhinitis, and arthritis. In Indian Ayurvedic medicine, X. strumarium is used to improve the complexion. A recent scientific study has detected the presence of anti-inflammatory fractions confirming the traditional use as an anti-inflammatory agent. The primary topical anti-inflammatory and analgesic fractions are considered n-butanol, but the effect may also be due to the synergistic effect of n-butanol with phenolic acid fractions, which have been identified as offering anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial properties.