Home Remedies for Psoriasis

You’ve been diagnosed with psoriasis. Those itchy, red, scaly spots of skin are unsightly and sometimes painful. Our board-certified dermatologists with Seacoast Dermatology are the experts you want to see if you have this chronic skin condition.

Medical treatment for psoriasis

At Seacoast, we examine your skin and take a small sample to view under a microscope to confirm the diagnosis of psoriasis. Then we create a customized treatment plan based on the severity of your symptoms, the type of psoriasis, and any other health conditions you have. 

Your plan may include laser treatments, light therapy, topical cortisone, or special moisturizers. For more severe cases, you may need immunosuppressants or biologics. 

Home care for psoriasis

You have a role to play in the care of your psoriasis. Following are some tried-and-true home remedies to help calm and control this skin disorder. 

Apply the right cleansers and moisturizers

Look for gentle cleansers that contain moisturizers as well as the right kinds of moisturizers to apply after you clean your skin. Our team can recommend types that work well. 

Buy a thick moisturizer that is fragrance-free. Avoid moisturizers with essential oils that can worsen symptoms. Thick moisturizers contain emollients with oils that hold moisture in and calm red skin. Your moisturizer should contain ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides, peptides, and niacinamide. 

Warm baths with Epsom salts or colloidal oatmeal

A lukewarm bath with Epsom salts may help reduce inflammation and can remove flaky, scaly skin. If Epsom salts don’t work for you, try putting colloidal oatmeal in your bathwater. It dissolves in the water and soothes inflamed skin. You can buy it at your drugstore. 

Make sure the water is just warm and not hot. Hot water dries out your skin. 

Aloe vera 

The aloe plant is a succulent that grows in tropical climates. It’s a natural anti-inflammatory that’s been used to calm skin disorders and heal skin wounds since the days of ancient Egypt. 

Today’s aloe vera comes in the form of a gel or cream. Use unscented aloe vera to calm the inflammation that produces the redness in your skin. Buy a form that contains 0.5% aloe for use on your skin. 

At least one large research study found that aloe vera helped improve psoriasis symptoms significantly. 

Turmeric 

Try taking turmeric orally. Our team can recommend the right amount. This spice has long been used for thousands of years in Asian cultures as an anti-inflammatory. 

Curcumin is the ingredient in turmeric responsible for its anti-inflammatory properties. Although more research is needed, a 2018 study as well as other studies have found strong evidence that curcumin can help relieve psoriasis symptoms. 

Anti-inflammatory diet 

Some research suggests that a Mediterranean diet may help calm psoriasis symptoms. It’s an anti-inflammatory diet, so it makes sense that it could help calm psoriasis. 

This diet emphasizes consumption of lots of fish, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, while avoiding red meats, fried foods, refined grains like white bread and white rice, and processed foods that can increase inflammation. 

Call our nearest location or book an appointment online today for effective treatment of your psoriasis. We have offices in Portsmouth, Exeter, and Dover, New Hampshire.