Herbs for psoriasis are an effective and safe form of therapy for skin pathology. With the help of natural plants, it is possible not only to significantly reduce the manifestations of the disease, but also to normalize the body’s immune defense, which is an integral element in the treatment of lichen planus. So, what herbs can treat psoriasis and how to do it correctly in order to achieve the best result and avoid side effects.
Properties of medicinal herbs
Herbal treatment of psoriasis is carried out using many plants. This is not surprising, because many of them have the following properties:
- anti-inflammatory;
- wound healing;
- painkillers;
- drying;
- disinfectant;
- antifungal;
- regenerating;
- restorative.
The effectiveness of herbal medicine for psoriasis has been proven in practice. Many patients successfully use medicinal plants externally and internally. Competent treatment with the help of natural products allows you to achieve remission of the pathology and prevent exacerbation of lichen planus.
Baths and compresses
Herbal baths soften the epidermis, help reduce plaques, and heal damage.
- Pine buds have worked well in treatment. You need to boil 150 g of kidneys in 3 liters of water for 12 minutes. Wrap the pan in a towel, strain after an hour, dilute the liquid in water and use for a bath.
- Fresh pine needles are useful. They need to fill a three-liter metal bowl halfway, add water to the top and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Pour the warm broth into a bath of water and immerse yourself in it for 20 minutes.
- An effective component that relieves dermatological problems is sage. In a liter of water you need to boil 100 g of sage leaves. After 3 hours, filter the broth and pour into bath water.
What herbs really help against psoriasis?
Treatment for lichen planus is carried out using many herbs. The list of plants includes chamomile, nettle, calendula, St. John's wort and many others. Let us consider the name of the herbs and their properties in pathology in more detail.
pharmaceutical camomile
This widely used plant is undoubtedly one of the leaders in the treatment of various diseases. Chamomile has an anti-inflammatory, disinfecting, soothing, healing effect.
Mode of application:
Add 250 ml of boiling water to a tablespoon of dried flowers and place in a steam bath for a quarter of an hour. After the tincture has cooled, it is filtered and used for internal use and external application. For a compress, moisten a gauze bandage in the broth and apply it to the affected areas of the body. You can also add this medicine to bathing water.
Contraindications:
It is not recommended to use chamomile for pregnant women during lactation. Therapy cannot be carried out if there is an individual intolerance to the components of the plant.
Aloe
Herbal treatments for psoriasis often involve aloe. This plant has an antiseptic, regenerating, antitumor effect. The components of the green doctor help normalize the rate of cell division. Thanks to this, the growth of psoriatic rashes on the body is significantly reduced, the skin is restored and cleared of plaques.
Mode of application:
To remove stains, aloe is used as a compress. To do this, soak a bandage or gauze in the juice of the plant and apply it to the affected area. The course of treatment is 20 days. The frequency of application is once a day for the first 7 days, once every other day for the next 7 days, once every 4 days for the last week.
Contraindications:
It is forbidden to use aloe for women expecting a child, during breastfeeding, or for patients who have a personal intolerance to the plant.
If during therapy negative symptoms such as allergies and irritation occur, you should stop the course and consult your doctor.
Caustic sedum
This herb is often used to treat psoriasis and is famous for its wound-healing, restorative, and anti-inflammatory properties. Used to cleanse the skin of plaques, heal wounds and microcracks, and prevent infection of rashes.
Mode of application:
To eliminate the symptoms of the disease, fresh or dry leaves of the plant are doused with boiling water, placed on a gauze bandage, and applied to the plaques. The procedure can be repeated as needed when the disease worsens.
Contraindications:
Sedum is classified as a poisonous plant, so it should not be used among pregnant women or children. It is recommended to use the herb with extreme caution for allergy sufferers.
Cassia holly
A popular herb for internal psoriasis is cassia aculifolia. It has a bactericidal, astringent, antitoxic, healing, restorative effect.
Mode of application:
To make a decoction, pour a spoonful of the dry plant into a glass of boiling water, leave for a quarter of an hour, then strain it, and use it warmly instead of tea.
Contraindications:
The plant has no contraindications; the only disadvantage of its use is the risk of addiction. To prevent this, you should alternate between herbs to treat psoriasis.
Calendula
When answering the question of what herbs to drink for psoriasis, one cannot ignore calendula officinalis. This plant is used to treat many skin diseases, such as scaly lichen, eczema, and various dermatitis. Calendula has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, restorative, soothing, and wound-healing effects.
Mode of application:
To treat psoriasis, fill half a liter container with dried flowers and fill them to the top with vodka. The tincture is prepared for 20 days in a room protected from sunlight. After preparation, a drop of the product is dissolved in a glass of clean water, and this solution is used to apply compresses or wash out plaques.
Contraindications:
It is prohibited to use calendula-based medicines for people suffering from hypertension, women expecting a child, during breastfeeding, and children under 3 years of age.
Valerian
Often, when the disease occurs, an herb for psoriasis on the body, such as valerian officinalis, is used. This plant is an excellent natural antidepressant and restores the condition of blood vessels.
Mode of application:
Grind a tablespoon of valerian root well, add a glass of boiling water, and leave to brew for a quarter of an hour. After this time, the drink is filtered and taken 30 g three times a day before meals.
Contraindications:
Treatment of psoriasis with herbs at home using valerian is not recommended for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or young children. The herb can increase blood clotting, so it is prohibited to use it among elderly patients with hypertension and other pathologies of the heart and blood vessels. An overdose may cause indigestion, constipation, abdominal pain and other negative consequences.
St. John's wort
Herbal medicine for psoriasis necessarily includes St. John's wort. This plant has an antimicrobial, wound-healing, anti-inflammatory, and healing effect. St. John's wort strengthens the walls of blood vessels and capillaries well, and enhances tissue trophism.
Mode of application:
A herbal decoction for psoriasis based on St. John's wort is very easy to prepare. To do this, pour a tablespoon of the plant into a glass of boiling water and place it in a water bath for 20 minutes. Take the decoction, cooled and strained, a few tablespoons three times a day for 14 days.
Contraindications:
Therapy with this plant is prohibited for women expecting a baby and hypertensive patients. It should be remembered that long-term use of the herb can negatively affect male potency.
Sea buckthorn
The fruits and leaves of sea buckthorn have anti-inflammatory, healing, antimicrobial, antitumor effects. Thanks to tannins, ascorbic acid and a number of vitamins, sea buckthorn gets rid of psoriatic plaques and reliably cleanses the skin.
Mode of application:
A tablespoon of fresh fruit is poured into half a liter of water and brought to a boil over low heat. The product is infused for about an hour, the drink is consumed instead of tea.
Contraindications:
Contraindications include individual intolerance to sea buckthorn, acute kidney and liver pathologies. With caution, medications based on orange berries are prescribed to patients with a tendency to diarrhea and small children.
Sea buckthorn juice can be used topically to treat rashes on the body and head.
Leuzea safflower
Effective herbal treatment of psoriasis is carried out using this plant. Leuzea has a tonic, vasodilator, immunomodulatory, tonic, and blood purifying effect. When treating scaly lichen, this green medicine is used to restore skin health, helps cleanse the dermis of papules and plaques, and increases blood circulation.
Mode of application:
Treatment of the disease is carried out using an alcohol tincture or a decoction of rhizomes. To prepare the tincture, pour 50 g of raw material into a glass of medical alcohol, infuse for 14 days, consume 3 drops twice a day for 14 days. To prepare a decoction, 100 g of the plant’s rhizomes are crushed, poured with half a liter of boiling water, and simmered over low heat for a quarter of an hour. Take the medicine 100 ml for 14 days.
Contraindications:
Leuzea should not be used for diseases of the kidneys, liver, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, for children under 12 years of age, for acute and chronic infectious pathologies.
Common agrimony
The grass contains mineral salts, saponins, flavonoids, vitamins, phytosterol and other useful components. When treating scaly lichen, the plant helps restore the health of the dermis and relieve a person from itchy rashes.
Mode of application:
To prepare a medicine based on agrimony, pour a tablespoon of the dry plant into a glass of boiling water, leave for half an hour, filter, and take orally after meals. The procedure must be repeated until the symptoms of the disease disappear.
Contraindications:
Contraindications include constipation, increased blood clotting, and allergies to plant components. It is forbidden to use the herb if there is low blood pressure or obstruction of the bile ducts.
Golden mustache
The tincture of this herb for psoriasis of the head and other parts of the body has an anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, antioxidant effect. The golden mustache includes components that are capable of suppressing the rate of excessive cell division. Thanks to the use of this plant, swelling, itching, redness and other negative signs of pathology go away.
Mode of application:
Treatment of psoriasis with herbs orally using golden mustache is carried out in the form of a tincture. To prepare it, half a liter jar is filled with the plant, the other half is filled with vodka. The tincture should stand in a dark room for 14 days, then the product is filtered and stored in the refrigerator. Take the medicine three times a day after meals, 3 drops.
You can use a golden mustache for baths. To do this, pour a liter of boiling water over several large sheets, simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, then drain and add to bathing water.
Contraindications:
Contraindications include pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is not recommended to use natural medicine among children under 12 years of age, with allergies, kidney pathologies, as well as men with prostate adenoma.
Burdock
This plant contains healing mineral salts, vitamins and other elements. When treating scaly lichen, burdock has an anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, and analgesic effect.
Mode of application:
The medicine is prepared mainly from the root of the plant, but burdock leaves also have healing properties. To prepare the tincture, the large root of the plant is dried, crushed, and poured with half a liter of alcohol or regular vodka. After 20 days the medicine is ready. Take the tincture 5 drops three times throughout the day until the symptoms of the disease completely disappear.
Another way to treat with burdock is to add a decoction of the plant to the bath. Fresh herb leaves are crushed, poured with a liter of boiling water, and cooked for several minutes over low heat. In order for the decoction to infuse, it takes at least an hour; after this time, the product is filtered and added to the bath.
Contraindications:
The plant has no serious contraindications. Mothers should avoid using medications based on it while expecting a baby and during lactation. You should not use burdock if you are personally intolerant to its components.
Burdock roots should be stored in bags made of natural fabric or paper. This will help better preserve the properties of the plant.
Sage
The list of medicinal herbs for psoriasis includes sage. This plant has a bactericidal, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, drying, regenerating effect.
Mode of application:
A herb for psoriasis on the body, like sage, is used in the form of lotions. To prepare the medicine, pour 20 g of herb into half a liter of boiling water, boil for 3–5 minutes, and leave to infuse. After 2 hours, the broth is filtered and used for compresses and rinsing the affected areas of the skin.
Contraindications:
It is forbidden to use sage for pathologies of the kidneys and pancreas. Contraindications include personal intolerance to the components of the herb. It is important to note that the plant has an estrogenic effect, so it is strictly not recommended for fibroids, polycystic disease, and endometriosis. It is not advisable to use medicines with sage during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Rhubarb Tangut
Herbal treatment of psoriasis is effectively carried out using rhubarb. This plant is rich in resinous substances, resins, pectin, organic acids, iron salts and other components. When treating scaly lichen, the herb has an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and immunomodulatory effect.
Mode of application:
To get rid of rashes on the body due to psoriasis, powder of crushed grass roots is used, which is sprinkled on the wounds. Therapy can be carried out using a decoction. To prepare it, 20 g of rhubarb root is poured into half a liter of boiling water, left for at least an hour, and used to wash plaques and compresses.
Contraindications:
The herb should not be used for kidney and gallbladder diseases, uric acid diathesis, or gout.
Celandine
The herb celandine for psoriasis has a disinfecting, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, regenerating, restorative effect. The plant is rich in bitterness, tannins, and organic acids. This allows it to be used for many skin pathologies. The name of the herb itself indicates the healing properties of celandine.
Celandine for mastopathy
Mode of application:
The herb celandine for psoriasis is used in many variations. The most popular methods include preparing tinctures and decoctions for baths. The tincture is prepared from fresh leaves and stems of the plant. They are filled with vodka or alcohol in a 1:1 ratio. Infusion time is 14 days. After this, the medicine is filtered and taken orally, 3 drops twice a day for 7 days. The tincture can also be used for compresses. To do this, dilute 10 drops of the medicine in a glass of water, soak gauze or bandage in the solution, and apply it to the affected areas of the dermis.
A decoction is prepared from a dry or fresh plant. To do this, pour a few tablespoons of the crushed product into a liter of water, boil for about five minutes, strain, and pour into the bath.
Contraindications:
The grass juice is highly toxic, so it should be used with extreme caution and strict adherence to recipes.
The use of celandine among pregnant women, among small children, and during breastfeeding is prohibited.
Nettle
When considering the question of which herbs treat psoriasis, you should definitely include nettle in this list. The plant has a rich chemical composition, including amino acids, vitamins, microelements, pectins and other valuable components. Nettle helps to establish the body's metabolic processes, eliminates inflammation, and accelerates tissue regeneration and healing.
Mode of application:
Nettle is used to treat psoriasis internally and externally. For internal use, a decoction is prepared from the leaves and stems of the plant. To do this, pour a few tablespoons of the product into half a liter of boiling water and simmer over low heat for about no more than 5 minutes. After this, the broth is filtered and taken 100 ml twice a day for two weeks.
For external application, the decoction is used to apply compresses and lotions.
Contraindications:
The plant should not be used for venous pathologies, increased blood clotting, or thrombophlebitis. The herb is contraindicated for patients with kidney and liver diseases. Taking nettle is not recommended for women expecting a baby. The components of the plant can provoke a miscarriage, as they tend to increase the tone of the uterus.
Series
This plant eliminates inflammation well and has a calming and restorative effect on the dermis. For the treatment of scaly lichen, a decoction of the plant is used to wash the plaques and use the medicine in the form of tea.
Mode of application:
A few tablespoons of the herb are placed in a thermos, filled with boiling water, and left overnight. The resulting product is drunk instead of tea or rinsed off the plaques several times throughout the day.
Contraindications:
The sequence has no serious contraindications. The herb should not be used among small children or women who are expecting a baby.
Licorice
Licorice for psoriasis has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and regenerating properties. The plant helps to establish metabolic processes.
Mode of application:
This herb can be used for psoriasis on the head and body. To prepare a decoction, pour half a liter of boiling water into a few tablespoons of the dried plant, leave for a quarter of an hour, filter, and drink half a glass three times a day. In addition, you can use the decoction for compresses and washing plaques.
Chicory root
To relieve the inflammatory process in cases of scaly lichen, a decoction of chicory root is used.
Cooking method:
A small amount of crushed roots is poured into a glass of boiling water and left to brew for about an hour. After this, the medicine is filtered and used for compresses.
Contraindications:
It is forbidden to use chicory for ulcers, gastritis, varicose veins, gout, rheumatism. Contraindications include children under 3 years of age, allergies, pregnancy and lactation.
Air
Treatment of psoriasis on the head and other parts of the body is carried out using an infusion of a herb such as calamus. The plant quickly relieves itching, inflammation, swelling, redness and other negative manifestations of the disease.
Mode of application:
Calamus herb is indicated for psoriasis in the form of an infusion or compress. To prepare the infusion, the root of the plant is cleaned, crushed, and poured with cold water. Boil the medicine over low heat for no more than 10 minutes. After this time, the product is filtered off and used for baths and rubdowns.
To make a compress, you need to squeeze the juice out of the plant, soak gauze or bandage in it, and apply it to the plaques. The duration of the procedure is 20 – 30 minutes. Repeat treatment for 14 days.
Contraindications:
It is not recommended to use calamus medicines for patients suffering from ulcers, gastritis, during pregnancy, with pathologies of the liver, kidneys, as well as among young children.
Bay leaf
Bay leaves are rich in essential oils, organic acids, flavonoids, phytoncides, micro- and macroelements, and vitamins. The plant has an antiseptic, disinfectant, immunostimulating, regenerating, healing, soothing effect.
Mode of application:
Psoriatic rashes are washed with a decoction of the plant. To do this, 10 large sheets are poured with two glasses of boiling water and boiled for several minutes. The resulting medicine is used to rinse the rash. The decoction can also be used for compresses.
For internal treatment, the decoction is taken 10 g three times a day for a week.
Contraindications:
Medicines based on bay leaves are prohibited for people suffering from constipation, diseases of the liver, kidneys, heart and blood vessels. It is not recommended to use the decoction during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Hop
To eliminate unpleasant symptoms of the disease, hop cones are used. To prepare the decoction, pour a handful of cones with water, 100 g of cones per 1 liter. Cook the medicine over low heat for about half an hour. After cooling, strain the broth and take a few spoons in the morning and before bed.
Contraindications:
It should not be used by women expecting a baby, while breastfeeding, or among small children.
Hops are toxic, so you should strictly adhere to the medication recipe and dosage.
Kirkazon
The herb kirkazon for psoriasis perfectly relieves the inflammatory process, eliminates redness, soreness and other manifestations of skin pathology.
Mode of application:
To wash the rashes, add a few teaspoons of herb to a glass of boiling water. After cooling, the medicine is filtered and used in the form of compresses.
A tincture is prepared for internal use. To do this, one part of the plant is poured with two parts of alcohol, infused for 21 days, and used for oral administration, 5 drops daily. The course of therapy is 2 weeks. You can use the remedy for all types of psoriasis.
Contraindications:
It is impossible to treat scaly lichen with Kirkazon among pregnant, lactating women and children under 16 years of age.
Ingestion
- A decoction of hop cones cleanses the body well from rashes and peeling. A tablespoon of raw material should be filled with 200 ml of boiling water. Drink a large spoon before breakfast, lunch and dinner for 2 weeks.
- A collection based on medicinal violet and celandine has good cleansing properties. Herbs must be mixed in the same ratio. Take a spoonful of raw material, brew it in 200 ml of boiling water, wait 3 hours and filter. Drink 2 large spoons before main meals. The duration of therapy is 14 days.
Effective herbal teas for psoriasis
What herbs should you take for psoriasis to achieve the best effect? Sometimes using one herb may not give the desired result. To enhance the therapeutic effect, it is recommended to use fees. The following fees are used for this:
- horsetail, corn silk, St. John's wort, calamus, elderberry, elecampane;
- elderberry inflorescences, lingonberry leaves;
- celandine, nettle, elecampane root, blackberry leaves;
- celandine, chamomile, string, horsetail, elderberry.
Herbs are taken in equal quantities. To prepare the decoction, pour 1 part of green raw material into 9 parts of boiling water and place in a water bath for half an hour. Take the medicine half a glass several times a day for 2 weeks.
How to use correctly
There are several tips for using herbs:
- Be sure to read the information about all ingredients, paying attention to contraindications.
- There may be allergic reactions, but you can easily check how the dermis reacts to the healing mixture. Simply apply a few drops of the prepared solution to the skin of your elbow or wrist for 7-10 minutes. If no changes occur, feel free to apply the resulting suspension externally.
- Preparing decoctions takes time. The herbs can either be poured with boiling water or simmered over a fire for several minutes.
- The healing potion must be infused: the more, the better.
- Be sure to filter the broth using a sieve or gauze.
- You can use the product internally before or after meals - see how indicated in the recipe.
- If you use oils for external use, combining them with herbs, be sure to heat the extract to a temperature of 45 degrees.
- Are you making a mask or lotion? Leave the product on the dermis for up to 15 minutes. You can wrap a towel on top for better activation of the components.
Preparation of natural ointments based on medicinal plants
To prepare ointments at home, you usually use Vaseline, natural oils or regular baby cream. Let's look at a few recipes using herbs:
- 100 ml of sea buckthorn oil must be mixed with a tablespoon of crushed celandine. The ingredients are thoroughly mixed and applied to the affected areas of the body;
- Meadowsweet root is ground in a mortar or coffee grinder and mixed in equal quantities with Vaseline. The resulting ointment is used to treat plaques twice a day until the dermis is completely cleansed;
- 200 g of rendered lard is mixed with a tablespoon of ground celandine. Store the product in a cool place, treating psoriatic rashes several times a day after a bath. The course of therapy is 1-14 days.
Before using this or that product, it is recommended to consult a doctor, especially when it comes to therapy among children.
Herbs for the treatment of psoriasis should be taken internally and externally with extreme caution. Even the most harmless plants can sometimes cause serious harm to the body. To avoid undesirable consequences and exacerbation of the disease, it is recommended to consult a specialist before starting therapy. This will help achieve the best result and achieve stable remission.
How they work
Herbal medicine in the fight against psoriasis involves several methods of action:
- Taking various decoctions and tinctures internally.
- Lubricating the affected skin with a healing potion (this can be compresses, baths, masks for the dermis of the scalp, ointments, etc.).
According to dermatologists, skin problems are a direct indicator that some body system or individual organ is malfunctioning. That is why, if you clearly establish the cause of psoriatic plaques, you can quickly and easily eliminate the disease.
Among the causes of exacerbation of psoriasis are:
- weakened immunity;
- stressful situations;
- hormonal disbalance;
- diet or vitamin deficiency;
- metabolic disease.
It is quite difficult to say which of the above factors led to the accelerated regeneration of the skin. But you just need to remember what happened to you a few days before the formation of peeling. For example, you went on a diet to get the desired shape, or at the end of the year you had to submit reports and constantly listen to criticism from your superiors, which led to frequent frustration and lack of sleep, or perhaps you recently suffered from a viral disease.
If you manage to establish the root cause of the disease, then select herbs according to their vector of influence. People who have experienced disorders are recommended to take sedative herbs internally. Those people whose bodies have recently fought viruses will need to drink restorative infusions.
Can't determine the cause of psoriatic plaques? Then consult a dermatologist. The specialist, having in hand the results of tests and examinations of various organs, will select pharmaceutical preparations and will definitely recommend herbal medicine.
Important point! You should not expect a lightning-fast effect from using herbs against psoriasis. Beneficial substances must accumulate in the body in order to stabilize its protective functions.
Patient reviews
Olga, 33 years old: I use birch tar to treat psoriasis. The smell is, of course, so-so, but it’s tolerable. For me, this product was the best of all that I have tried. I apply it 2 times a day and wash with tar soap. It didn't go away completely, but it got much better. I continue further.
Valeria, 42 years old: The main reason is nerves and stress. Therefore, in addition to searching for an effective medicine, it is necessary to maintain iron calm and take sedatives if necessary. It’s also very important to follow a diet; you can’t drink any alcohol at all. Sunbathing helps a lot, so if possible, you should not hide under clothes, but, on the contrary, expose the spots to ultraviolet light.
Elena, 46 years old: I’ll leave a good recipe for a decoction that helped me: I mixed celandine, yarrow and tansy in a tablespoon and poured 600 ml of boiling water. I insisted until the morning in a thermos. You need to drink 100 ml in the morning, and the remaining amount throughout the day. The course of treatment should last 40 days. As a result, small spots will disappear, and the overall condition will improve.
This article has exclusively educational, encyclopedic and informational functions. It is necessary to obtain the approval of your physician before using the tips and recommendations described in this article. You should not self-medicate!
