Salve
Aloe vera & turmeric gel
Psoriasis plaques itch, tighten and crack, and what helps is rarely one thing but two working from different directions. Aloe vera lays moisture and calm on the surface. Turmeric goes after the inflammation beneath it.
It is a modest little gel you stir together in thirty seconds. It cures nothing, and it is not meant to. It makes the skin less angry while you live with something that comes and goes.
A practical warning: turmeric stains everything yellow. Towels, nails, bathroom grout. Use the dark towels.
Ingredients
- 1 fresh aloe vera leaf, or 2 tbsp pure aloe vera gel
- 1 pinch ground turmeric
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Spoon
- Small bowl
- Dark towel
Method
- 1
Cut a fresh aloe vera leaf, scrape out the gel, stir in a pinch of turmeric, and apply to plaques 1-2 times daily.
Dosage
A thin layer on the affected areas, 1-2 times daily.
Leave it 15-20 minutes, then dab it off gently with a dark towel.
Shelf life
Mix fresh each time, or keep at most 3 days refrigerated in a closed jar.
Safety
Try a small patch on calm skin first and wait a day. Both aloe vera and turmeric can cause an allergic reaction.
Rinse off the yellow aloin sap under the rind. It irritates skin.
Do not use the gel on cracked, bleeding or weeping skin. Wait until the surface is whole.
Turmeric stains skin slightly yellow, especially fair skin. It fades within a day, but be aware if you are going somewhere.
If your psoriasis is severe or spreading, it belongs with a doctor or dermatologist. Treatment exists that works, and this gel is a supplement, not an alternative.
How the herbs work
Aloe vera lays moisture and calm on the surface and eases the itch around plaques.
Turmeric contains curcumin, anti-inflammatory, and studied in psoriasis for its ability to slow the excessive cell division in the skin. The two work in different places, one on the surface, one beneath.
The content here is general knowledge and folk herbal lore, not medical treatment. In illness, pregnancy, breastfeeding or alongside medication: always talk to your doctor first.