Psoriasis Eczema And Other Skin Diseases
One hot summer day at my herb shop, a woman named Laura arrived looking
for a skin salve. The temperature was well up into the nineties, yet she
was wearing a long-sleeved turtleneck shirt. I politely said nothing
about her attire, for I suspected she was covering up a skin problem. It
turned out I was right, and Laura was more than anxious to roll up her
sleeve. When she did, I saw a terrible case of eczema and asked if she
had seen a dermatologist. She nodded, but then explained that except for
keeping her on cortisone, her doctors were ready to give up. In spite of
this poor prognosis, she hoped that askin salve might help. She chose
one that contained comfrey and calendula.
A month passed and I forgot about Laura, until I received an order for
more salve and some traditional herbs used as a tea for the liver, such
as burdock, yellow dock, sarsaparilla and dandelion. Then, one day in
the fall, I was at a laundromat sorting clothes when a slender woman
wearing a spaghetti-strap blouse practically jumped over my laundry
cart, spilling my clothes in the process. She gave me a huge bear hug.
As she stepped back, wearing a huge smile, I saw that it was Laura,
thanking me for helping her. Actually, I had done nothing, but I was
certainly impressed with what the herbs had done for her. Her skin was
smooth and clear—I could see why she had chosen the blouse she was
wearing. Equally impressive was her slender figure—in addition to
clearing up her scaly, oozing skin, she had lost a great deal of weight.
She said that she felt so much better about herself that she no longer
binged on food.
If you’re confused about the difference between psoriasis, eczema and
dermatitis, I’m not surprised. Even dermatologists sometimes have
trouble identifying these skin problems. Actually, botheczema and
psoriasis are types of dermatitis, which simply means "inflammation of
the skin." Eczema is considered more of a symptom than an actual
disease, and is best treated by dealing with the underlying cause.
Psoriasis can be controlled by prescription drugs, but these are hard on
the liver and therefore must be carefully administered, especially
considering that impaired liver function is thought to contribute
topsoriasis.
Most types of dermatitis result in inflamed, red skin that is often
itchy and may develop into lesions. Eczema can include crusty sores,
scabs, thickened skin, pimplelike eruptions and some-times even lesions.
The skin can be either oozing or crusty and easily becomes infected.
Psoriasis produces reddish lesions with a characteristic silvery scaling
that flakes off, causing the skin underneath to bleed. These scales are
actually excess skin generated when certain substances in the body that
are responsible for directing skin cell growth go out of control and
make the cells grow too quickly—sometimes 1,000 times faster than the
normal rate of growth.
The exact cause of these skin conditions is often difficult to
determine. We do know that you are more prone to get them if you have
thin, dry skin. According to researchers, dermatitis is often caused by
allergies and sensitivities to particular foods. Eliminating the foods
most likely to cause allergies often decreaseseczema.
Most people with eczema test positive to some type of allergy, have
elevated levels of antibodies in their blood (a sign of an allergic
reaction) and often do not have enough stomach acid, a common cause of
food sensitivities. People with psoriasis usually have high levels of
polyamine, an undesirable, toxic type of amino acid that is formed
during poor protein digestion, another cause of food sensitivities.
To combat psoriasis and eczema, first try the Cleanser for Dry
Complexion (see chapter 310). Do not use soap, because it can irritate
your skin. Another natural way to treatpsoriasis is by exposure to
direct sunlight and heat. Secondary skin infections, which often occur
with eczema, need to be treated with antiseptic herbs such as those
suggested for acne in chapter 69. To make a salve for eczema or
psoriasis, you can start with a standard salve and add a few essential
oils.
Dermatitis Skin Salve
/½ teaspoon each tinctures of pau d’arco bark and goldenseal root (or
barberry bark)/
/8 drops each tea tree and chamomile essential oils/
/2 ounces skin salve (buy a comfrey salve from a store, or use the
Herbal Healing Salve in chapter 100)/
Using a toothpick, stir the tinctures and essential oils into the salve.
This will make the salve semi-liquid. Apply throughout the day.