<![CDATA[Background: Uncaria gambir (gambir) is an Indonesian medicinal plant rich in catechins, procyanidins, tannins, and indole alkaloids. Its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, angiogenic, and extracellular-matrix-modulating activities have prompted interest in topical dermatology, although the evidence has not been critically integrated. Objective: To synthesize direct gambir evidence relevant to skin disease, distinguish it from broader catechin-class extrapolation, and define priorities for clinical translation. Methods: A structured narrative search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Crossref-linked publisher records, and reference lists was conducted through 29 July 2026. Dermatology-related gambir studies were organized by indication and appraised according to chemical characterization, model relevance, dose-response assessment, controls, and human evidence. Findings: The evidence remains predominantly preclinical and heterogeneous. The most coherent signal concerns keloid biology, with linked computational, fibroblast, and ex vivo findings involving TGF-β1, AKT1, PDGF-related signaling, collagen, cytoglobin, proliferation, and migration. Wound findings are mixed, psoriasis evidence is limited to early formulation and animal studies, and acne, pigmentation, photoprotection, and photoaging data are mainly laboratory based. Implication: Gambir is a promising development candidate, but clinical use is not justified without botanical authentication, marker-based standardization, dermal safety testing, delivery studies, and phased human trials.]]>
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