In 2014 I had scalp psoriasis on the back of my head, dryness and cracking in my ears and several rough skin patches on my body. I’d put up with this for 5 years trying all sorts of homemade remedies. I went to the dermatologist who just prescribed cortisone cream and said I’d have the problem for the rest of my life so get used to it.
I refused to believe this because the problem appeared out of the blue. So I embarked on a mission to rid myself of my autoimmune disease.
I researched as much as I could and decided that I needed to work on my problem from the inside. I cut out gluten, sugar, alcohol, dairy and meat. I attended yoga classes several times a week to reduce stress and pump classes to work my muscles. I studied Ayurveda at a local college and did a yoga teacher training course. I substituted black tea with an Ayurvedic herbal tea including turmeric, ginger and galangal. I stayed on my new eating plan for around 5 months, then gradually introduced dairy, meat, sugar and alcohol. My body responded by clearing up all the psoriasis plaques on my scalp. I lost weight, felt relaxed and my gut thanked me!
I haven’t had psoriasis since, so that’s 8 years now. I fermented kefir milk for a while and used that in porridge. Then I researched other fermented foods and started making my own kimchi for gut health.
I also started making my own shampoos and conditioners, skin moisturiser, lip balm, deodorant and skin balms and have been using these ever since.
2022 update – I’m still using my home grown turmeric in my herbal infusion tea several times a day together with ginger, galangal, coriander, fennel, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, cardamon, mustard seeds, celery seeds, etc.
I haven’t had scalp psoriasis since 2014. I also make my own kimchi and use a small amount daily for gut health. I avoid gluten but will have it from time to time, have 2 glasses of wine 4 nights a week, have cheese several times a week and mostly make healthy choices with my diet. I am convinced that all my auto immune problems stem from stress and my gut health, so I feel that I’ve now made lifelong changes to keep me healthy.