Hi Tracey!
My sister has psoriasis on the scalp & although she's gone to many doctors & dermatologists, nothing has helped.
I advised that she stop using SLS-based shampoos & recommended that she try using your Rosemary Rhassoul vegetable glycerin Shampoo Bar instead, followed by toning.
I also recommended that she take a warm shower each night followed by a custom-scalp treatment consisting of jojoba, hemp, apricot, &carrot root oils with Frankincense, tea tree, and lavender essential oils (all purchased from you- thanks!). After using it for 1 week, she says that as long as she uses the treatment nightly, there is no more scaling & flakiness. However, if she misses a night, it starts to flake again. Additionally, she is not achieving relief from the itchiness.
Have I advised her appropriately? Is there anything you would recommend in addition/in place of my amateur recommendations? Is there any remedy for the itchiness?
Thanks, C
A: How wonderful! Thanks for giving her great advice and getting her on the road to healing.
Healing a chronic condition takes at least as many weeks as years that one has had the problem. This is a great start, but psoriasis IS a chronic inherited condition. It can be much improved but rarely disappears entirely.
That being said adult skin cells renew every 60 days. Psoriatic skin defensively turns over too fast. Still, it's best to continue a healing regimen for two months before evaluating success. I expect her scalp will be much improved by then.
Some thoughts:
Make sure that the rinse has a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in it. A warm anti-inflammatory tea such as chamomile is an ideal rinse.
The hair may not need to be washed every shower so much as rinsed.
Some essential oils can relieve itch and are best used 5% or less in jojoba oil, rubbed into the itchy spots as needed: clove bud, true peppermint. (taking great care to avoid touching the eyes). A serum of 1% chamomile german or yarrow, or Australian cypress, in jojoba would perhaps be best since she is already using some that treat itchiness. As the skin heals the itchiness should fade.
The skin will heal all the faster with 25 minutes to an hour of sunlight daily (of course, not allowing the skin to become uncomfortable or to burn.)
Thanks!
Tracey, Certified Natural Health Practitioner, Founder, Teacher