This unpleasant disease is characterized by sharply defined, thick, raised, pinkish red patches of skin, often covered with dry silvery gray scales, appearing on any part of the body, but particularly the scalp, knees, elbows, fingers, and lower back. Psoriatic patches can itch, burn, or sting, depending on the severity of the disease. The disease generally develops slowly, typically followed by unexplained remissions and recurrences.
The symptoms can vary in severity from very mild, where an individual doesn’t realize he or she actually has the disease, to extremely debilitating, in which the skin’s protective functions are destroyed, allowing the skin to lose fluids and nutrients and to no longer control body temperature, making patients susceptible to infection.
Psoriasis is caused by abnormal skin cell production. Normal skin cells mature every 28 to 35 days and are sloughed off unnoticed. With psoriasis, skin cells mature in just 3 to 4 days, causing them to pile up and create thick skin plaques. Their red appearance is due to the rich blood supply feeding the rapidly multiplying new skin cells.
If your parents suffered from psoriasis, chances are that you will, too. But you can take measures to help prevent the disease from progressing. Eat a whole-foods, anti-inflammatory diet high in vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, zinc, and sulfur (from onions and garlic). Emphasize cooling foods, such as watery fruits and vegetables (especially greens), as well as grains, rice milk, fermented soy products, beans, and fish. Avoid warming spices and stimulating beverages. Minimize sour and salty foods and all refined foods, especially sugar. Evening primrose oil or borage oil, fish oil (unrefined, low-temperatureextracted), and flaxseed oil are often beneficial for reducing inflammation.
Many professionals suggest using stress reduction methods such as hypnosis, exercise, deep breathing, and yoga on a regular basis. Additionally, regular elimination of waste is paramount in order to detoxify the body. Avoid using soap on your skin; instead, use a soap-free body cleanser. Cold aloe vera juice, applied twice daily with a soft cloth, makes a refreshing, soothing cleanser for psoriasis plaques.
The following two remedies do not offer a cure for this condition, which is often frustratingly difficult to treat, but they generally deliver blessed symptomatic relief from the discomfort and dryness. The underlying cause(s) of your psoriasis need to be identified by a qualified health professional. Your external skin is crying out because your internal body is irritated and attempting to detoxify itself.
3 CS CALMING SALVE
Chamomile, calendula, and comfrey — the three ultra-calming “Cs” of the herb world are energetically cooling when applied to metabolically overactive psoriasis plaques. This blend contains vulnerary, antiinflammatory, ever-so-gently astringent, yet emollient properties that offer comfort to psoriasis sufferers.
Note: I prefer to use freshly wilted herbs to make this infused oil blend, but dried herbs will work nicely, too. I use the stovetop method of infusion, as I feel it best concentrates the sticky, resinous properties of these herbs, while evaporating their heavy moisture content (especially if you use them freshly wilted).
½ cup dried or 1 cup freshly wilted calendula blossoms
½ cup dried or 1 cup freshly wilted chamomile flowers
½ cup dried or 1 cup freshly wilted comfrey leaves
3 cups extra-virgin olive base oil
2,000 IU vitamin E oil
3 tablespoons beeswax
1 tablespoon cocoa butter
EQUIPMENT: 2-quart saucepan or double boiler, stirring utensil, candy or yogurt thermometer, strainer, fine filter, funnel, glass or plastic storage container (for the infused oil), glass or plastic jars or tins (for the salve)
PREP TIME: 5 hours to infuse oil, plus 20 minutes to make the salve and 1 hour for it to thicken
YIELD: Approximately 2½ cups of infused oil and 1¼ cups of salve
STORAGE: Store at room temperature, away from heat and light; use within 1 year
APPLICATION: 2 or 3 times per day, or as desired
PREPARING THE HERBAL INFUSED OIL:
If you’re using wilted herbs, first cut or tear them into smaller pieces to expose more surface area to the oil (though the chamomile flowers need no further processing as they are quite small). Combine the calendula, chamomile, and comfrey with the olive base oil in a 2- quart saucepan or double boiler and stir thoroughly to blend. The mixture should look like a thick, chunky yellow-orangegreen herbal soup. Bring the mixture to just shy of a simmer, between 125° and 135°F. Do not let the oil actually simmer — it will degrade the quality of your infused oil. Do not put the lid on the pot. Allow the herbs to macerate in the oil over low heat for 5 hours. Check the temperature every 30 minutes or so with a thermometer and adjust the heat accordingly. If you’re using a double boiler, add more water to the bottom pot as necessary, so it doesn’t dry out. Stir the infusing mixture at least every 30 minutes or so, as the herb bits tend to settle to the bottom. After 5 hours, remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes. While the oil is still warm, carefully strain it through a fine-mesh strainer lined with a fine filter such as muslin or, preferably, a paper coffee filter, then strain again if necessary to remove all debris. Squeeze the herbs to extract as much of the precious oil as possible. Discard the marc. Add the vitamin E oil and stir to blend. The resulting infused oil blend will be a lovely hue of greenish goldorange. Pour the finished oil into a storage container, then cap, label, and store in a dark cabinet.
PREPARING THE SALVE:
Combine 1 cup of the infused oil with the beeswax and cocoa butter in a small saucepan or double boiler, and warm over low heat until the solids are just melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Pour the liquid salve into glass or plastic jars or tins, and cap and label. Set aside for 1 hour to thicken.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
If the psoriatic plaques itch, gently cleanse the affected areas two or three times per day using a mixture of 1 part baking soda to 8 parts water. The baking soda helps ease itching. Alternatively, you can cleanse the plaques with cold aloe vera juice. Pat the skin dry, then gently massage a small amount of the salve into the irritated areas, until the salve is absorbed.
Bonus
This salve is quite beneficial for healing diaper rash, minor cuts and scrapes, poison plant rashes, blisters, dermatitis, and dry eczema. It also conditions brittle nails and cuticles, rough elbows, knees, and shins, and cracked or fissured heels. It makes a soothing salve for chapped lips and an excellent skin conditioner for the prevention of stretch marks during pregnancy.
De-Stress Tea
If you are feeling stressed and anxious, regular consumption of herbal nervine-based teas (3 to 4 cups per day) may relax the peripheral nerves and your heightened emotions, thus reducing inflammation and itching to some degree. At your local health food store, look for relaxing herb tea blends that contain such herbs as lavender, valerian, catnip, lemon balm, licorice, chamomile, skullcap, and passionflower.
ULTRA-NOURISHING SKIN REVITALIZER
This blend of rich, skin-nourishing oils is chock-full of valuable antioxidants such as vitamins A, D, and E, flavonoids, gamma-linolenic acid, and punicic acid, plus lecithin, proteins, and squalene. It often works like magic to control the excessive discomfort of psoriasis while softening and adding flexibility to the dry, thick, flaky plaques.
½ cup jojoba base oil
3 tablespoons evening primrose base oil
3 tablespoons pomegranate seed base oil
2 tablespoons wheat germ base oil
EQUIPMENT: Glass or plastic storage container
PREP TIME: 15 minutes, plus 24 hours to synergize
YIELD: Approximately 1 cup
STORAGE: Refrigerate; use within 6 months
APPLICATION: 2 or 3 times per day Add the jojoba, evening primrose, pomegranate seed, and wheat germ base oils directly into a storage bottle. Screw the top on the bottle and shake vigorously for 2 minutes to blend. Label the bottle and place in a dark location that’s between 60° and 80°F for 24 hours so that the oils can synergize. After the first 24 hours, refrigeration is required.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Shake well before using. If the psoriatic plaques itch, gently cleanse the affected areas two or three times per day using a mixture of 1 part baking soda to 8 parts water. The baking soda helps ease itching. Alternatively, you can cleanse the plaques with cold aloe vera juice. Pat the skin dry, then gently massage a small amount of the herbal oil blend into the irritated areas, until the oil is absorbed.
Bonus
This conditioning oil is beneficial when applied nightly to dry fingernails and cuticles, cracked and fissured skin, slow-to-heal wounds, patches of dry skin or dry eczema, chapped lips, and blisters.
Tuesday, 22 April 2014
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