A study here in the u.k found some chinese herbal creams contained steroids and other such nasties, un-prescribed and not listed

I think one needs to be very cautious, regardless.

Herbal products that are manufactured with care tend to be expensive. Their inexpensive counterparts tend to be adulterated. And companies and individuals can claim pretty much anything in order to maximize sales.

It seems to me that nowadays people take a lot of supplements and many would choose value over quality, perhaps in the misguided belief that “since it’s natural, why pay more for brand name.”

Also, too much of anything can be dangerous. For example, blueberries contain many medicinally beneficial polyphenolic compounds however, when these compounds are isolated and dispensed in pill form, they can be toxic.