4 Home Remedies for Psoriasis

According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, more than 8 million Americans suffer from the itch, discomfort, and embarrassment of the skin condition known as psoriasis. Psoriasis isn’t just about disfiguring rashes that you want to cover up; more than 60% of those with the condition consider the discomfort “a large problem.”

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, which means that your immune system is overreactive and can attack healthy tissue, including your skin. Various medications and treatments can keep you more comfortable and minimize flare-ups. However, you may also need to take additional steps to manage your discomfort at home.

At Advanced Medical Care, the members of our expert team focus on improving wellness as well as helping you with cardiology and neurology concerns. If you struggle with the symptoms of psoriasis, we may recommend interventions that support your immune system, such as intravenous therapy. 

You can also take proactive steps at home to better manage your condition. Here are four of them.

1. Kick the bad habits

Anything that’s bad for your overall health is bad for your psoriasis. Remove stressors from your life that could trigger your immune system to overreact, including:

• Smoking
• Alcohol
• Chronic stress
• Pollution
• Inactivity

Supplying your body with needed fluids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants can help jump-start your health and diminish cravings. If you need help breaking addictions or starting new, healthy habits, talk to our team.  

2. Take a tepid bath

Hot water can irritate your skin, so avoid it in showers, baths, and spas.

You may feel relief if you soak in a tepid or slightly warm bath, however, especially if you add epsom salts or colloidal oatmeal. Both oatmeal and epsom salts help reduce itchiness. 

Dry yourself by blotting — not rubbing — gently with a soft towel. Immediately slather on a rich emollient or moisturizer to keep your skin moist and supple.

3. Feed your skin

Apply a paste of colloidal oatmeal directly to your skin to soothe inflammation, redness, and itchiness. About 96% of patients who tried oatmeal — in the bath, as a paste, or as an ingredient in store-bought remedies — found relief. 

Mix organic apple cider vinegar with the “mother” in equal proportions to water and apply directly to your scalp if you have scalp psoriasis. Be sure that you don’t have any open sores, or the vinegar can sting.

You may try other foods and plant products that can quell itchiness and discomfort:

• Turmeric: supplements with piperine to minimize flares
• Oregon grape: 10% cream or ointment to improve symptoms
• Aloe vera: lotions and creams to aid in hydration and subdue itchiness

Of course, feed your skin from within by eating whole foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Ultra-processed foods and junk food may be palatable and fast, but they don’t adequately nourish your body and may trigger flares.

4. Bask in the sun — but not too long

Phototherapy, or light therapy, is an effective treatment for psoriasis. If you don’t have access to a medically supervised tanning bed or red light panel, lying, walking, or running in the sun with exposed skin may help turn down the inflammation and itch. That kind of light therapy is known as heliotherapy.

Heliotherapy for your psoriasis is not an excuse to roast on the beach or go all day without sunscreen. Sunburns can not only worsen your psoriasis but increase your chances of potentially deadly skin cancer. 

You may wish to start by getting outside with unprotected skin for 10-20 minutes in the morning. Early sun can also help reset your circadian clock, putting your body more in tune with nature’s rhythms.

To treat your psoriatic plaques, however, you may need to expose yourself when the sun’s rays are the highest and strongest — between 10am and 2pm. Cover your clear skin with sunscreen, and put an oil on your plaques to help them absorb the sun’s rays. Then spend about 20 minutes in the sun, three times a week. 

Seek out our team for additional help

Would you like to support your immune system with the vitamins and minerals that may keep it functioning optimally, avoiding over-reactivity that could lead to psoriasis flares? Schedule an appointment at Advanced Medical Care in Queens or Brooklyn, New York, for a wellness visit and IV therapy today.