***This is a personal story from Erin. Please leave comments with your experiences with psoriasis. Let's help others by sharing our own journey.
Our Story
My first introduction to psoriasis was almost 20 years ago when I met my husband David. Visibly he had very minor psoriasis, a few dry, flaky inflamed looking patches of skin on his face, scalp and chest that I perceived to be ‘just some irritated skin’. I was to learn however, that these patches of ‘irritated skin’ created significant pain & endless frustration.
Our lives became a cycle of crazed itching, late night showers, hair washing, pastes, creams, tar shampoos, oral steroids, topical ointments & other medication. All of which would very temporarily relieve the symptoms and then we would start all over again.
What is Psoriasis?
Psoriasis is an auto-immune condition that can affect multiple body systems, although primarily manifests as dry, flaky, scaly, red plaques on the skin that can be extremely painful and itchy. The causes of psoriasis are still debatable although are generally considered to have both genetic and lifestyle factors and the symptoms can range from mild to extreme. Studies show that psoriasis can have a similar impact on our quality of life as other major diseases including cancer, heart disease, diabetes & depression.
It wasn’t until I really started looking further into auto-immunity, and the factors that can contribute to it, that we started to make some progress with David’s psoriasis. I realised that all of the creams, shampoos, ointments and medications had been treating the symptoms, rather than the cause of his psoriasis. And so we started on a new trial of treatment that would address the condition from many different angles and would span many years.
The Nervous System Link
We began by looking at his nervous system. Our Chiropractor did some testing that showed his was functioning in a ‘flight & fight’ state most of the time & that would mean his body’s ability to regulate & co-ordinate other internal systems in an optimal way, including the immune system & skin, would be downgraded. We worked with her to bring his nervous system back into a state of ‘rest & regenerate’, thus creating a more calm and in-control inner environment.
The Gut Link
Next we had his gut health tested by our Naturopath which showed a complete imbalance of his bacterial flora. As 70 % of the immune system exists in the gut, this was no doubt also having a significant impact on his auto-immunity. We worked under her guidance to re-balance his gut flora using supportive foods and nutritional supplementation.
The Stress Link
We learned Vedic meditation & integrated a twice/daily meditation routine into our life to help us manage the stresses of living in a big city and running multiple businesses. We also cut out all cleaning, skin & hair care products with any chemicals or toxins, which was incredibly difficult as most psoriasis, eczema & dandruff products are full of them!
Products That Worked For Us
And finally we started to have a sense of ease in our life. David's psoriasis reduced considerably both visibly and symptomatically. He still however found that his skin remained reactive & sensitive, even to natural products. And so when I discovered Sans [ceuticals], a beautiful brand from New Zealand that creates hair and body products without harmful or unnecessary ingredients, David was still a little anxious about trying it. But after speaking with founder Lucy Vincent about her research into cellular function & natural ingredients I was convinced it was worth a try.
David used the Goji Body & Face Cleansing Oil, Activator 7 Body, Hair & Face Oil, Cellulair Repair Body + Face Lotion & Barrier Restore Butter and he is an absolute convert! Not only is it the first product (including other natural products) that hasn’t stung his skin on contact, he has noticed a significant reduction in dryness and redness of his psoriatic patches. With active ingredients that support cellular health and regeneration like Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Gogji Oil and Pharmaceutical Grade Botanical Oils both products appear to be encouraging his skins health rather than just alieving the symptoms.
Some other products from the Nourished collection that have shown to have excellent results with reducing psoriasis include:
+ Biologi Bc Refresh Cleanser
+ Biologi Bf Restore Face + Body Serum
+ Ere Perez Papaya SOS Marmalade
+ Vida Glow Collagen
+ Nourished Daily Sensitive Skin Cleanse Bar
+ Nourished Daily Daily Moisturizer
The journey trying to heal psoriasis can be a long and difficult one. Our experience became significantly less frustrating once we started looking at treating the cause of dis-ease in the body, rather than just the symptoms.
Are you interested in more products that are suitable for dry skin? Click here
