I want to uncover the mystery behind this frustrating skin disease and why it is so prevalent

(I’ll also introduce you to some things that may help clear it up. All natural and drug free).

(Reader discretion: please be aware that I have some graphic photos and equally graphic information in this blog)

Are you living with psoriasis?

If you are one of the unlucky people out there that has this skin condition, maybe there is something I can do to enlighten you about its origin and the underlying reasons why you have it. Read on and let’s see if we can get your psoriasis under control (or at least more manageable). Life is about living and not about feeling self conscious about your skin.

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What is Psoriasis?

At a basic level, psoriasis is a disorder of the immune system. It occurs when skin cells are replaced more rapidly than usual. White blood cells become overactive, producing excess amounts of cytokines and other chemicals. These chemicals trigger inflammation in the skin and other organs. It’s not known exactly why this happens, but research suggests that the root cause is problems with the immune system.

What does psoriasis look like?

Psoriasis is an auto immune skin disease that shows as patches of thick scaly skin, redness and inflammation. It can occur in anybody and anywhere on the body. It can be painful and especially frustrating. So far, there is no cure for it.

Hormones and psoriasis

The rush of hormones can cause or worsen skin problems, including teenage acne and psoriasis. In girls and women, high levels of estrogen after your first period may cause certain skin cells to reproduce too quickly. Since hormone levels go up and down during your menstrual cycle, so can your psoriasis symptoms. In boys and men, low testosterone was associated with clinical symptoms of testosterone deficiency. Severe psoriasis is associated with low serum testosterone.

What does eczema look like?

Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is a condition that makes your skin itchy, red and inflamed. It is common in children but can occur in anybody at any age. Atopic dermatitis is long lasting (chronic) and tends to flare periodically. It may be accompanied by asthma or hay fever. No cure has been found for atopic dermatitis. Eczema and psoriasis are not the same.

The social stigma around skin disorders

Some people think that people with this disease are not caring for themselves, that they are not clean. This is so far from the truth and probably the opposite. The sufferers are constantly trying to wash the scales away every time they shower. No, psoriasis is not a hygienic issue. No amount of fancy, expensive body wash is going to fix your psoriasis. You cannot cleanse it away or coat it in creams made for hygienic purposes. It goes much deeper than that. It is an effect of the immune system and should be treated as such. Healing the outside is one step. Working on the inside is another.

The myths about skin disorders

There appears to be a link between psoriasis and much larger and more complex diseases and disorders like diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, celiac disease, sclerosis and Crohn’s disease. Check in with your doctor and get a few answers. There may be a larger underlying reason why you have psoriasis.

Mental health and psoriasis

If you live with somebody that suffers from this disease, it can be heart wrenching. Not being able to take off your shirt in public or showing off your legs in a skirt are just two examples of the limits that comes with psoriasis. Sometimes, it takes a great deal of confidence to just put on a short sleeve shirt. People afflicted with this disease need compassion from others. It takes a toll on your mental health and this should not be a thing in 2022. We are so far along in medical technology, I mean, we go to space. Why can’t we cure psoriasis? C’mon now.

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A common complication of psoriasis

Aside from the visual aspect of large flaking scales and red skin, psoriasis can also create other problems that when not treated can lead to bigger issues…infection. If your skin is opened up due to friction or picking at the area, you can create an open wound. Any open wound is a recipe for disaster if not taken care of. If you have any open spots, once the bleeding has stopped, rinse the wound with warm water or saline solution. Remove any debris, like clothing lint, dirt, or make-up from the sore. Gently clean the area with warm, soapy water and pat dry with a clean cloth. Close the sore or fissure with medical tape, an adhesive bandage, or liquid bandage. Keep an eye on the wound to make sure it is healing. The incessant itchiness of psoriasis is a problem so keep your hands off (if possible).

Parts of the world that experience higher levels of skin disorders like psoriasis and eczema

Did you know that there are an estimated 125 million cases of psoriasis in the world today…and that is just the reported numbers. What is going on here? The UK has over a million and Norway’s population has 11.9% suffering with this disease. I think there may be a direct correlation of these big diseases, psoriasis and diet. Let’s look at that for a bit. If changing your diet is a cure, why aren’t they telling us this? Well, the short answer is that you can’t sell boxes of sugary junk and alcohol to people that are educated about their disease, can you? I believe profits over people may be an issue and getting us to buy all the garbage that they are selling is more important than a cure. That goes for every disease today.

Diet and psoriasis

Because psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, it’s important to maintain your overall health to limit inflammatory triggers. Vitamins are not proven to effectively combat psoriasis but taking vitamins like B-12 and biotin for healthy cell growth and mental health would probably be beneficial to improve your mind state. Monitoring the variety and dosage of vitamins in your diet is a good way to understand your overall health. It can’t hurt.

Alcohol

There is no conclusive evidence about whether alcohol consumption increases flare-ups in psoriasis, but we all know that alcohol may disrupt your immune system. This is a fact. An increase of inflammation will almost always follow an non-light beer fueled binge. Beer seems to be more of an issue as it contains grains and starch. Light beer, wine and hard liquor do not have enough research done and don’t show a significant association. If you have lived with psoriasis for a long time, only you will know how alcohol effects your body. I would just skip the heavy beer and use booze in moderation. Don’t make the problem worse when you can make it better.

Gluten

There is a link between beer and a psoriasis flare-ups and it is gluten. As you may already know, celiac disease—like psoriasis—is also an autoimmune response. It isn’t shocking to see people with psoriasis that also have a gluten sensitivity. Maybe, following a gluten-free diet can help avoid flare-ups with your psoriasis.

Nightshades

All of the nightshades contain toxins that want us to not eat them. Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos and tobacco are all members of the nightshade family—and are all are linked to psoriasis flare-ups. Researchers think that nightshades may aggravate the intestinal lining and exacerbate immune-related disorders.

Sugar

This is an obvious one but cutting sugar out of your diet helps in a plethora of ways. One of them is decreasing flare ups and issues with your psoriasis. Give it a try if you seriously want to feel and look better.

Processed Foods

White flour products (which is everything in a box nowadays) like crackers, cookies, cake mixes, cereals and more are typically loaded with sugar, palm oil and chemicals. These things contribute to obesity. Being overweight is shown to make psoriasis worsen. A diet high in processed foods can also lead you down a road to cardiovascular disease. I would recommend trying to avoid these packaged “goodies” and opt for some fruit or one of the many alternatives to flour and sugar. There are hundreds of options out there.

Raw honey is nice and doesn’t effect blood sugar levels. If you are a good cook or a baker, there are plenty of recipes online that use more acceptable ingredients that won’t exacerbate your condition.

Treatments that “doctors” recommend and why I don’t agree

I have been using products on patients with psoriasis for over 15 years and the ones that don’t make any sense to me are usually prescribed by a doctor (supporting big pharma). Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of great doctors out there but I think some of their treatments are archaic. I mean, Vaseline is a petroleum product. Why put that on your skin? Not much to say but “Yuck”. Some coal tars that are recommended are disgusting, dirty and don’t work on everybody.

Other products like steroid creams just mask the problem and don’t get deep enough to be effective. I have seen conditions get worse and create a counter intuitive reaction that we would have to care for. That is a bit backwards. Some products are too greasy and smelly and just downright inconvenient. Some even sting like a son-of-a-gun or have nasty side effects. Why exacerbate an already horrific problem?

This year, I created something that smells amazing, is from mother nature and has lasting results and will cost pennies compared to over the counter medications and creams. Try this first and if it doesn’t work, go back to the conventional methods. Honestly, I think it will work because of the results we have seen.

My at home remedy that truly eliminates scaling and heals the skin.

I have created something that my husband (who suffers with psoriasis) calls a “miracle salve”. Not only does it completely eliminate his scaling but he says it smells great and feels amazing on his skin. It’s even healing the new skin underneath. He’s happy. This gets me excited.

We decided that we don’t want money for this product, we want to see results and give the recipe to anyone that needs it. Sort of like an open source recipe. I know there are many similar things out there that work but the cost is outrageous and frankly, unfair. Who can afford $100 or more a month for creams nowadays? Not me.

So, as our gift to the world, here is the recipe. Results may vary but we have been testing for 6 months on severe plaque psoriasis and it works incredibly well for us. I want to know how your skin reacts to this treatment so please send me a message or comment. I would love to see some of your positive results. If you have a bee or pollen allergy, this may not be for you. I wish you nothing but success in your treatment.

Creating your own salve at home

Shannon’s disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am not a scientist. I am a loving wife that felt very sad that my husband had to deal with the pain and frustration of this disease. Results may vary depending on your lifestyle. We eat well and balanced. We don’t drink too much or smoke tobacco. We apply the salve after the shower and it is working so well that after six months, I just had to share. I wish I had created it back when I was nursing. I could have relieved so much pain in my clients. Good luck and be patient when melting the wax. It is a slow process.

Shannon’s Psoriasis Salve

It takes just 3 ingredients to make my salve. This is a tester amount and you can create more if it works for you by doubling or quadrupling the recipe. I experimented with many different quantities until I found the right mix. You can too.

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• 2 tablespoons of organic easy melting beeswax (I like those teeny little drops because they melt evenly. Remember not to buy the cheap dollar store stuff).

• 1 tablespoon of raw, unprocessed honey

• Cold pressed, organic extra virgin olive oil (enough to create a smooth consistency)

Steps

1. In a double boiler on very low heat, melt the beeswax, stirring constantly
2. Once melted, remove from heat as it may start to create a gritty texture if overheated
3. Stir in the honey until evenly dispersed.
4. Add enough olive oil to create a smooth product and I find whipping it a bit emulsifies all of the ingredients so that it will glide over the skin. If it is too runny, you can repeat step 1 and add a bit of melted beeswax to the mix
5. Pour into a clean container with a lid.
6. After bathing, test a spot on your body to make sure you don’t have a reaction to bee stuff.
7. Let me know how it goes. Use it every time you shower or bath and watch what happens.
8. We noticed an improvement almost immediately. Within a few days, all of the scales had come away from the skin and underneath was healthy.
9. I use this product on my lips and on cuts and so far, it works better than anything from the drugstore.

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In Conclusion

I sure hope some of this information is helpful to you or a loved one. Nobody should suffer the frustration of a skin disorder without at least giving a few of these ideas a try. Whether you change your diet, get on a weight loss routine for overall better health, or try the salve, there are ways to move through life without pain and suffering. I wish you nothing but success in your journey to go out and thrive and have a great life. Maybe even psoriasis free! Love ya. Shannon