Herbs for Psoriasis and Eczema

Even though psoriasis and eczema are two totally different skin disorders, they do share some common factors. Both are aggravated by anxiety and stress and metabolism of micronutrients (selenium and zinc) are defective. Some specialists claim that the rash could be caused by dietary allergy or contact with a chemical, which "get's it all started" or "faired up". They believe it is truly some type of nutritional imbalance.

Tea Tree Oil

My personal favorite to help minimize the flaking and itching from dermatitis that one my twins Madeline has on her scalp. When she was a baby, Maddie always had scull cap- I would soften it with baby oil and it would go away. Guess I should have known then that it was psoriasis since it kept coming back. What we do now is our once a month "Beauty Night".

I pour orange juice in a wine glass for her and a little wine in a glass for me. Then the fun begins-I mix either Almond oil or Caster Oil with 4-5 drops of tea tree oil into a small glass bowl. Then I massage the oil into Maddie's scalp, let it soak in and we buff our nails. Then she takes a bubble bath and washes it out. Who knew that a treatment for psoriasis could be so "spa-like".

Herbs for Treating Psoriasis & Eczema

Plectranthus barbatus aka Coleus forskohlii

When taken as a dried extract is showing some promise as a treatment for psoriasis.

Chamomile, Anthemis nobilis
Topical Borage Seed Oil, Borago officinalis
Evening Primrose Oil, Oenothera biennis
Horsetail, Equisetum arvense
Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis
Sage, Salvia officinalis

Herbs that help metabolism of fatty acids.

Gamma Linoleic Acid (GLA)-The only natural source is breast milk.

Omega 3 and 6 Oils- found in fish and fish/oils, linseeds, algae.

Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) contains GLA andomega 3 and 6.

DermaZinc - Zinc Therapy Spray/Drops

Herbs for psoriasis

Psoriasis is essentially a skin inflammation, which causes redness, white patches, bumps and spots on the affected area. Sometimes the skin may exfoliate. It occurs when the growth of skin cells increases rapidly. It affects elbows, knees, palms, soles of feet, back and also fingernails and toenails. If on the nails, there can be lines across the nails or it can make the nails crumble. It is known to have chronic recurrences and relapses. Psoriasis has been known to be hereditary but is not contagious.

Psoriasis is mostly genetic, but other causes attributed to it are stress, anxiety, depression, hypertension, pollution, sunburn, diabetes, inadequate diet and extreme salt intake. Ayurveda even claims that having a bath after a workout can cause an outburst of Psoriasis. As a sure, a healthy diet is highly recommended.

There are a lot of herbal ointments available which help soothe the irritated skin containing mostly aloe vera and bees wax. Aloe Vera, is applied regularly will show results within weeks.

Neem or margosa leaves are most effective for Psoriasis and can be applied on the skin as well as taken orally. Milk Thistle extract too helps in purifying blood and thus build the immune system. It has also been known to slow down T-Cell (white blood cell) activation, an occurrence of psoriasis.

There are various oils too, that help soothe the skin, such as cashew nut oil, wheat germ oil, sunflower oil and castor oil.

Licorice tea is not only an anti-inflammatory but also helps relieve stress.

Oregano, commonly used in food preparations, is also an anti-inflammatory and has anti-fungal constituents. This too can be taken orally or topically.

Turmeric used extensively in Indian and Chinese cooking, is another anti-inflammatory and an anti-septic.

Fish oils and flaxseed oil, made of essential omedga-3 fatty acids, contain a chemical compound that blocks inflammation.

Grape seed extract, is a concentrate of Vitamin E, which is a natural anti-oxidant. Other Vitamin A rich foods, such as Cayenne peppers, carrots and potatoes also help.

Other herbs that benefit are Andiroba which is an anti-fungal. Bittersweet is used externally as it is highly toxic and is only to be applied to the affected area topically.

Calendula is an anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory too and is used topically.

Cleavers is used traditionally as a diuretic and a vulnerary and is also used to lower blood pressure. Rich in vitamin C, it is also used as an anti-perspirant.

Other anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal herbs include Comfrey, Calendine, Copaiba, Dandelion, Feverfew, Figwort, Goldenseal, Juniper, Pokeroot, Psoralea, Scotch Pine, Queen's Delight, Red Clover, Sarsaparilla, Sassafras, Soapwort, Tamanu Nut Oil, Turmeric, Walnut, Xi Shu, Yellow Bedstraw and Yellow Dock.

It is recommended that any application of herbs is done after consulting a professional.