Psoriasis affects an estimated 7.5 million to 8 million people in the United States and about 125 million people worldwide. What causes this chronic inflammatory skin issue? Well, your immune system and your genes both play a role.

Psoriasis occurs when disruptions in the immune system cause it to attack healthy cells, producing psoriasis symptoms. The condition is a symptom of immune changes rather than a cause - in addition, genetic predisposition is considered a key contributor to psoriasis and involves genes expressing inflammatory signal proteins that affect cells in the immune system.

Many also are affected by environmental and behavioral factors: smoking, obesity, some medications, and alcohol can play a role. New studies also show there could be a role that Vitamin D deficiency plays. Also, other notable concerns from medical research are stress, gut health, and even some vaccines.

So What Can You Do? 

Outside of what your physician recommends, what can you do to help calm the nuisances of psoriasis?

For starters, we recommend good skin and scalp care. Barrier creams temporarily help the skin barrier and add some comfort. We recommend our Barrier Repair Cream to defy sensitivity and blemishes with a renewing support system for overworked or damaged skin.

Anti-inflammatories: there are some natural products allowed in cosmetics. For example, extracts of the fern Polypodium aerial parts have shown antioxidant, photoprotective, and immunomodulatory activities. Black cumin oil (Nigella sativa) has been used for psoriasis.

What Not to Do

This is an example of a situation where the epidermal growth factor (EGF) will not help because it works by accelerating cell division, which is already accelerated in psoriasis.

Prevent further disruption of the skin barrier, and avoid all detergents. Bubble baths are bad for normal skin, even worse for skin affected by psoriasis.

Here are some products we recommend to help combat the nuisances of psoriasis:

For Your Face & Skin

• Salicylic Serum 0.5%: Salicylic Serum delivers the proven cleansing & exfoliating properties of salicylic acid in a perfectly gentle ingredient profile.
• Skin Soothing Serum: Our Skin Soothing Serum delivers a sense of relief, effectively reducing irritation & redness, especially after shaving.
• Repairing Cleanser with Salicylic Acid: A hint of salicylic acid discourages blemishes with lightweight exfoliation, while ceramides provide the lipid content needed to maintain an optimal skin barrier.
• Ultra Calming Cream: The Ultra Calming Cream lightly moisturizes and soothes redness, irritation and inflammation without leaving a residue.

For Your Hair & Scalp

• Nourishing Hair Mask: Signature KGF peptides motivate new hair growth while astaxanthin cleans up free radicals and lowers oxidative stress.
• Hair Care Serum: In addition to KGF, our Advanced Ageless Hair Serum includes Methionine Sulfoxide Reductase (MSR), a powerful antioxidant enzyme that reduces free radical damage.