Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a chronic dermatitis, a non-contagious inflammatory disease characterized by skin lesions, scaly and erythematous plaques, whose severity refers to a chronic course associated with a wrong lifestyle: for many people psoriasis is considered a real social obstacle.
Natural remedies
Psoriasis lies halfway between the actual disorder and a cosmetic necessity: psoriasis cannot be treated with natural products for the acute course phases.
In herbal medicine you can buy many products for topical use to treat psoriasis such as balms, creams, ointments and gels.
These natural remedies will have to be formulated with targeted drugs, which act directly on the disorder: the active ingredients derived from them will promote antioxidant, re-epithelizing, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic activities. Furthermore, the product must be characterized by oils or waxes with an emollient and protective action to soften the skin.
The following are some examples that are very good remedies to lighten psoriasis:
Natural gel against psoriasis
- Aloe vera ( Aloe vera gel ) is considered in this formulation for the presence of polysaccharides that exert a re-epithelising action (recent studies have shown that aloe is able to stimulate cell division in vitro). Aloe also works by reducing skin dehydration. Some people attribute moisturizing properties to aloe-based products: this definition, referring to a product for topical use, is imprecise, since purely moisturizing drugs capture water from the atmosphere and carry it into the skin. Despite what has been stated, aloe can be defined as a pseudo-moisturizer because it manages to preserve the amount of water in the skin and reduce water loss thanks to the organic acids that gradually release the water captured by the environment (the correct term he is emollient).
- Propolis : apiculture product characterized by many bio-molecules of flavone-derived derivation (pinocembrine, galangin) and phenyl propanoid (caffeic acid with phenyl ethyl ester with antibacterial and antibiotic properties). Flavonoids promote the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, re-epithelializing and antiseptic action. Propolis is characterized by a surprising sanitary importance for physiological situations; the only problem is that it is potentially allergenic.
- Grapefruit ( Citrus paradisi ): the oily extract of grapefruit seeds is rich in phenols and flavonoids with antioxidant activity. Furthermore, grapefruit is characterized by ceramides consisting of sphingosine (nitrogen molecule) esterified with fatty acids. The ceramides are constituents of membrane and mediators of the transmission of inflammatory signal: for this reason, the oily extract of grapefruit seeds acts with anti-inflammatory activity.
A formulated herbal product is very effective: there are only three drugs used, but each of them has a specific and targeted action. Now we will analyze another formulation that has the same action as the gel, but is made up of many drugs.
Natural cream against psoriasis
- Macadamia oil ( Macadamia integrifolia ) and jojoba oil ( Simmondsia chinensis ) are two oil products that give emollient, protective and antioxidant properties, whose unsaponifiable fraction prevents inflammation: they are, however, typical properties of all oils (despite the jojoba oil is actually a liquid wax because it consists of a mix of fatty acids esterified with alcohols other than glycerol), therefore sweet almond oil, for example, would have been an excellent substitute for macadamia oil and jojoba wax.
Oil products generally have nourishing properties when applied topically, thanks to the unsaponifiable fraction consisting of little polar molecules such as flavonoids and tetraterpenes. Jojoba oil promotes dermal protective activity and gives elasticity to the skin, is rich in vitamin E and protects the skin from the attack of free radicals.
- Squalene: squalene is the chemical precursor of steroids, a triterpene hydrocarbon that constitutes animal and plant membranes. It occurs naturally in rice bran, olives and wheat germ; in a herbal product against psoriasis it serves as a tonic - metabolic tissue of the skin and promotes the eudermic and re-epithelising activity of the cream.
- Salicylic acid, extracted from almonds and willow ( Salix babilonica Linneus ): the presence of salicylic acid in a cream against psoriasis is ambiguous. Erroneously, one might think that it performs an anti-inflammatory action, but it is not correct to attribute this property to this molecule if it has been inserted in a product for topical use and not in a formulation for internal use. In fact, salicylic acid, in addition to being a market element, carries out a mild re-epithelizing and stimulating action, not anti-inflammatory.
- Burdock ( Arctium lappa ): the sulphate and phenolic terpene components give anti-inflammatory properties and improve skin transpiration.
- Pineapple ( Ananas sativus ): the importance of pineapple in a natural product against psoriasis lies in the presence of bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme that promotes anti-inflammatory activity: in vitro bromelain has been shown to inhibit the production of prostaglandins and thromboxanes, mediators of pain. The term "proteolytic enzyme" could make us think: literally means "break the proteins", so it is natural to ask what connection there is between bromelain and the treatment of psoriasis. The answer is simple: psoriasis also manifests itself with the desquamation of the skin, referred to a damage of the cells gone to apoptosis (cell death), consequently the skin feels the need to be re-epithelized and bromelain exerts just this function, "Breaking" the proteins of the skin and promoting their re-epithelialization.
- Centella ( Centella asiatica ): the phytocomplex of triterpene saponins gives capillarotropic properties to the product, which tones up the peripheral venous microcirculation, stimulating circulation. The centella could be replaced with other saponine plants such as rusco, horse chestnut, ivy.
- Zinc oxide : exerts remarkable adsorbent capacities, decreases excessive transpiration of the skin and limits suppuration. It is necessary in case psoriasis is accompanied by lesions and wounds that are difficult to heal.
The second product analyzed is much more complex and complex than the gel with propolis, grapefruit and aloe: in fact the drugs used for the cream are many and the functions exercised by the same are repeated many times. The first is advisable between the two products: a targeted and precise formulation is preferable, whose drugs manage to carry out their properties correctly and unequivocally.
Before dealing with any natural treatment, it is advisable to undergo a specialist examination by a doctor or dermatologist who will direct the patient towards natural treatments, phototherapy or specific pharmacological treatments against psoriasis.
Summary
To remind…
Illness / disorder | Psoriasis |
Incidence | Males and females |
Course | Acute or chronic |
Affected skin areas | Skin and appendages |
Distribution | Knees, elbows, scalp |
Signs / symptoms | Itching, peeling, redness, sores, erythematous scaly plaques |
Causes | Genetics, familiarity, alcohol, smoking, unbalanced nutrition, hormonal changes, psycho-physical stress |
Remedies for psoriasis |
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