The Best Natural Remedies For Psoriasis Relief

While conventional psoriasis treatments aim to alleviate symptoms, they often fall short when it comes to addressing underlying causes and providing long-term relief. Other treatments can create their own problems and side effects. 

As a functional medicine expert, I’m always searching for the simplest, safest, most effective remedies and healing strategies, and working to address the root cause of symptoms and disease. 

Here, I’ll share some of my favorite natural remedies and tools for psoriasis, along with why and how they work. 

What Is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune condition characterized by the rapid overproduction of skin cells, leading to the development of thick, scaly, and often itchy patches of skin. 

Like other autoimmune conditions, psoriasis is a case of mistaken identity. Thinking your skin cells are foreign invaders, your immune system ends up attacking your healthy skin cells, causing an inflammatory response that accelerates the skin cell turnover process. As a result, new skin cells form on the surface of your skin at an abnormally fast rate, forming plaques all over the body, particularly your elbows, knees, scalp, and lower back.

The severity of psoriasis is usually assessed based on the percentage of your body that’s affected, with less than 3% of the body indicating mild psoriasis, 3-10% of the body indicating moderate psoriasis, and more than 10% of the body indicating severe psoriasis. 

Getting To the Root Cause of Psoriasis 

Regardless of the clinical severity or exact manifestation of symptoms, in functional medicine we emphasize the importance of addressing overall autoimmunity and underlying causes or contributing factors, which often include chronic stress and gut health imbalances. 

In this article I’m focusing on simple and at-home remedies, but I do also recommend working with a functional medicine practitioner for specialized testing and personalized guidance to help really get to the root of your psoriasis. 

Conventional Treatment For Psoriasis 

Conventional treatments for psoriasis may include prescription or over-the-counter topical creams and ointments, often steroids or corticosteroids, and sometimes oral biologics to reduce inflammation. 

These treatments can be effective when it comes to symptom relief, but they don’t work for everyone. They can also cause both short and long term side effects, and they don’t get to the root of the problem. 

Best Natural Treatments & Home Remedies For Psoriasis

Here are some of my favorite natural treatment options, lifestyle strategies, and remedies you can try at home to both ease the symptoms of psoriasis and heal underlying immune system triggers and dysfunction. 

Topical Remedies

Here are a few natural, topical treatments that can help to relieve symptoms and soothe your skin. Topical treatments can be very helpful especially while you’re also working on healing underlying imbalances. 

1. Dead Sea Salt Baths

One of the most soothing natural remedies for psoriasis is soaking in a bath of Dead Sea salt. Its unique combination of anti-inflammatory minerals combined with its exfoliating capabilities help soothe itching and remove dead skin cells, promoting skin renewal and overall appearance. 

Studies have also found that Dead Sea salt can help alleviate chronic pain symptoms in those with psoriatic arthritis. (1) To use Dead Sea salt, dissolve Dead Sea salt in a warm bath and soak for about 15-20 minutes. After bathing, gently pat the skin dry and apply lotion to lock in moisture. Epsom salt baths can also be soothing and help to relieve pain and tension. 

2. Tea Tree Oil

Thanks to its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, studies have found that tea tree oil both as a stand-alone remedy and in conjunction with other psoriasis soothing compounds can help alleviate uncomfortable psoriasis symptoms and improve skin appearance. (2, 3)

3. Aloe Vera

With its soothing and moisturizing properties, aloe vera has been a go-to remedy for skin conditions like psoriasis and dry skin in general. Applying aloe vera gel topically to affected areas can provide relief from both itching and scaling. 

4. Capsaicin Cream

Derived from chili peppers, capsaicin cream may help alleviate itching and discomfort associated with psoriasis as it can desensitize nerve endings and moderate inflammation levels. (4) 

5. Oatmeal Baths

Another soothing bath option, oatmeal baths can help to improve dryness and itchiness. Oatmeal-based bath products are available commercially, or you can make your own by mixing 0.5 to 1.5 cups of colloidal oatmeal (or finely ground oats) into a warm (not hot) bath. Soak for 15-20 minutes. An added bonus to therapeutic baths for psoriasis is that they can help relieve stress, which is a significant trigger and contributing factor to the condition. 

Supplements

Here are some of the best vitamins, minerals, and supplements that can help with psoriasis. Other kinds of supplements may be recommended for some people based on their individual case, but these are my go-tos. 

6. Probiotics

Immune system health is inseparable from gut health, and as with other autoimmune conditions, research shows that individuals with psoriasis have variations in their gut microbiomes compared to those without psoriasis. (5) Healing the gut is foundational to functional medicine treatment of autoimmune conditions, and probiotics are foundational to healing the gut. Studies have shown that probiotics can improve psoriasis symptoms, decrease severity, reduce inflammatory markers, improve quality of life, and reduce the risk of relapse. (6, 7) 

7. Curcumin

Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is known for its anti-inflammatory superpowers. Curcumin supplements offer a more targeted dose of curcumin compared to just cooking with turmeric (which is also great), and they can help reduce both plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis symptoms. (8, 9) 

8. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Fish oil supplements provide omega-3 fatty acids, whose anti-inflammatory properties can help reduce psoriasis symptoms. Additionally, since people with psoriasis are up to 50% more likely to develop heart disease, fish oil supplements can pull double duty as omega-3 fatty acids can also reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. (10) 

9. Vitamin D

This fat-soluble vitamin plays a major part in immune health through its role in regulating your immune system function. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to an increased risk of psoriasis with more severe symptoms directly correlating with the severity of vitamin D deficiency, whereas vitamin D supplementation has been linked to a significant improvement in symptoms. (11) 

10. Vitamin A

Vitamin A is another fat-soluble vitamin essential for a strong immune system and healthy skin, with studies linking Vitamin A deficiency to multiple autoimmune diseases, including psoriasis. (12, 13) While you can get Vitamin A from plant beta-carotenes, a precursor to vitamin A, in sweet potatoes and carrots, the conversion rate to the usable retinol is low, so supplementation can be very helpful. 

Lifestyle Tools and Other Therapies

There are many habits, lifestyle practices, and other therapeutic options that can help to support the health of your gut, immune system, and skin. 

11. Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated is essential for managing psoriasis. Dehydration can exacerbate symptoms by causing the skin to become dry, flaky, and more prone to irritation and itching. Drinking enough water also promotes your body’s detoxification process by encouraging regular urination and the flushing out of inflammatory toxins.

READ NEXT: Hydrating Mason Jar Mocktail For Glowing Skin & Calm Mind 

12. Acupuncture

Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques such as acupuncture work to alleviate psoriasis symptoms by stimulating specific points that promote energy flow, with early studies linking it to lower inflammation, less itching, and fewer psoriasis lesions. (14) 

13. Anti-Inflammatory Diet

The way you eat is one of the biggest factors in determining how you feel, and numerous studies point to the power of dietary changes to ease psoriasis symptoms. (15) Incorporating anti-inflammatory foods like fruits, vegetables, omega-3-rich fish, and healthy fats while reducing processed foods, gluten, and dairy may help manage inflammation associated with psoriasis. 

Sensitivities to gluten in particular have been associated with psoriasis (as with many autoimmune conditions), and eating gluten free has been found to be very effective at improving symptoms for those who test positive for antibodies to gliadin (a component of gluten). (16) 

To learn more about food and its relationship to inflammation (and how to identify your personal inflammatory trigger foods) check out my book, The Inflammation Spectrum. 

14. Sunlight

Controlled exposure to natural sunlight or phytotherapy can be beneficial for managing psoriasis symptoms thanks to its effect on slowing skin cell growth. In fact, sunlight has been shown to resolve symptoms of psoriasis in 50-90% of cases. (17). Of course, it’s important not to go overboard and to wear natural sunscreen during prolonged exposure. Sunburn can worsen psoriasis, and cause more serious health problems of its own. 

15. Mindfulness 

Stress is both a driving force behind and a trigger of symptoms in psoriasis. Research has shown that mindfulness practices can significantly improve self-assessed severity of psoriasis and quality of life. (18) Combining mindfulness meditation with ultraviolet light therapy may be especially effective. (19) 

Seeking Help From a Functional Medicine Doctor

From dietary adjustments and herbal supplements to alternative therapies like acupuncture, there are many natural remedies for psoriasis that can be just as helpful for psoriasis, if not more so, than medication. If you are struggling with psoriasis and are interested in learning more about addressing the root cause of your symptoms and ways to heal naturally, schedule a telehealth consultation today.

As one of the first functional medicine telehealth clinics in the world, we provide webcam health consultations for people around the globe. 

Photo: unsplash.com

FAQs

Sources

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