Psoriasis is a very common skin disorder. The skin cells multiply too quickly, coming up in red thick patches that form white scales that flake off the top. It can be very unpleasant in appearance in prominent places. The joints, fingernails, scalp and hair may become affected.

With Psoriasis the skin cells multiply too quickly, coming up in red thick patches that form white scales that flake off the top. It can be very unpleasant in appearance in prominent places. The joints may become affected by psoriatic arthritis , and the fingernails can become pitted and deformed. The scalp and hair can be heavily affected. It is now thought that the immune cells mistakenly trigger the skin to grow too fast.

Seal oil is an excellent remedy. The fatty acids in harp seal blubber are just the right omega 3 fats to correct the immune cells. The skin will often remarkably improve within two weeks at two capsules twice daily. You may notice many pleasant side-effects from seal oil like better circulation and clearer thinking.

The fatty acids in fish oils are less well absorbed, but the vitamins A and D make them helpful for healing and regulating the skin cell growth. Eating more fish is good advice for many conditions of the skin and immune systems, as well as the heart and circulation.

Plant oils with omega 3 fats such as evening primrose oil and flaxseed oil are also good to supplement. Flaxseeds are about 1/3 oil. These also have the two essential fatty acids our bodies need but cannot make.

The skin has a role in getting toxins out of the body. If the skin is overloaded we may support cleansing by the kidneys and the liver with a herb such as burdock root to help the body detoxify.

In Asia burdock root is eaten as a food, called "Gobo" root. In India the naturopaths use Neem tree extract on the skin and taken internally. We use it in shampoos and creams. Traditional herbalists also use natural psoralen plants, which make the psoriasis cells sensitive to light. This is similar to the modern medical dermatologist using PUVA treatments, which combine a psoralen with ultraviolet light. Calendula or marigold flower is also a psoralen plant, and probably grows in your garden.

Psoriasis can flare up with food allergy reactions, especially from corn and egg. All skin disorders are likely to flare up with stress. Helping a person to find peace of mind will always make the skin healthier.