Natural Remedies and Vitamins for Psoriasis: What Does the Evidence Say?

TL;DR

• Patients commonly try oils, salt baths, aloe, vitamins and dietary supplements alongside their prescribed treatment.
• The dominant pattern patients describe is short-term soothing followed by the return of plaques.
• Moisturisers can reduce dryness and discomfort but do not treat the underlying inflammation.
• Prescribed phototherapy has strong clinical evidence. Unsupervised sun exposure is less predictable and can cause burns or skin damage.
• Evidence for oral vitamin D, omega-3, probiotics, turmeric and herbal remedies remains limited or mixed.

What did patients report about natural psoriasis remedies?

Nearly every patient we hear from has tried some kind of natural remedy. Almost none feel their doctor has really talked to them about it.

Patients usually turn to natural remedies after feeling frustrated with conventional treatment, worried about side effects, or unable to access other options. Across topical remedies, supplements and complementary approaches, patients describe a crowded "self-experiment shelf." It commonly contains:

• Petroleum jelly or thick moisturisers
• Shea butter and coconut oil
• Black seed, argan, hemp or olive oil
• Aloe vera
• Oatmeal, Epsom salt or Dead Sea salt baths
• Vitamin D
• Omega-3 or fish oil
• Zinc and magnesium
• Turmeric or curcumin
• Probiotics

The recurring journey isn't one of a hidden cure. Patients describe hope, brief improvement, and disappointment when plaques return. That pattern isn't a sign of failure — it's simply what topicals and adjuncts tend to do on their own. Real, lasting disease control usually needs more than that.

Salt baths, aloe and sunlight receive some of the most positive comments. Even then, patients usually describe less dryness, softer scale or temporary relief rather than lasting clearance.

Synthesised patient experience: Patients often say they've tried several oils, supplements and bath routines because these options felt safer or more controllable. Most find something that soothes their skin, but few feel that natural remedies changed the long-term course of their psoriasis.

This is a synthesis of recurring themes, not a quotation from one identifiable patient.

Can natural remedies cure psoriasis?

No natural remedy, vitamin or supplement has been shown to cure psoriasis permanently.

Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated condition. Complementary approaches may support comfort, stress management or general health, but they shouldn't be presented as replacements for treatments that control psoriasis inflammation. Our guide on psoriasis treatment options covers what those evidence-based options actually are.

The American Academy of Dermatology reviewed herbal products, fish oil, vitamin D, turmeric, zinc, dietary changes and mind–body interventions. Because available evidence was limited or conflicting, its guideline doesn't make a general recommendation for these approaches as psoriasis treatments.

A 2024 systematic review found encouraging early findings for several complementary approaches, including curcumin, acupuncture and balneotherapy, but concluded that better-designed trials were still needed to confirm benefits and safety.

Which natural topical products may help?

Thick moisturising products and some baths may reduce dryness, itching or scale, but they are supportive rather than disease-modifying.

Can petroleum jelly or natural oils help? Petroleum jelly, shea butter and oils can create a barrier that reduces water loss and softens dry scale. Patients often use them alongside prescription treatment rather than instead of it — our guide on psoriasis creams, moisturisers and skincare covers this in more depth.

Coconut, olive or argan oil may make plaques feel softer, but evidence that these oils control psoriasis inflammation is limited. Oils can also be greasy, stain clothing or irritate sensitive skin.

Tea tree, oregano and other essential oils deserve particular caution. Concentrated plant oils can cause irritant or allergic contact dermatitis. "Natural" does not automatically mean gentle or safe.

Does aloe vera help psoriasis? Some patients report that aloe reduces burning or tightness. Clinical studies of herbal products, including aloe, have produced mixed results. A 2025 systematic review found that some herbal preparations showed promise, but study quality varied and findings were inconsistent.

Aloe may feel soothing, but it shouldn't be expected to clear persistent or extensive psoriasis.

Do salt or oatmeal baths help? Patients commonly describe salt or oatmeal baths as helpful for loosening scale and calming itchy skin.

Research has found possible benefits from Dead Sea climatotherapy and balneotherapy. However, treatment at the Dead Sea combines mineral-rich water, a specific climate and controlled ultraviolet exposure. A packet of bath salts used at home is not equivalent.

Baths should be warm rather than hot, followed by gentle drying and moisturising. Cracked skin may sting in salt water.

Is sunlight a natural treatment for psoriasis?

There's one "natural" treatment with genuinely strong evidence behind it — and it's free: sunlight.

Sunlight is the complementary approach with the strongest positive language patients use. Some describe major improvement during holidays in sunny coastal areas or after swimming in the sea.

The clinical evidence supports phototherapy, particularly narrowband UVB, for appropriate forms of psoriasis. Phototherapy uses measured ultraviolet doses under medical supervision. NICE recommends narrowband UVB when plaque or guttate psoriasis cannot be controlled with topical treatment alone.

Casual sun exposure is not the same treatment, though, and it's worth being clear about that distinction. The dose is unpredictable, and sunburn can worsen psoriasis or cause new plaques. Repeated ultraviolet exposure also increases cumulative skin damage and skin-cancer risk. Tanning beds should not be used to treat psoriasis.

Does vitamin D help psoriasis?

Topical vitamin D medicines are established psoriasis treatments, but oral vitamin D supplements are a different question.

This distinction is often unclear in how patients talk about it. Prescription vitamin D analogues, such as calcipotriol, are applied directly to plaques. They slow excessive skin-cell growth and are often used alone or with topical corticosteroids. They are medicines, not nutritional supplements.

Oral vitamin D is the supplement patients mention most often. Some associate it with calmer skin; others notice no change.

A recent analysis of supplement trials found possible improvements with vitamin D, but confidence in the estimates was limited by differences between studies and relatively small samples. No supplement performed best across all outcomes.

Vitamin D supplementation may be appropriate when deficiency or another health need is identified. High doses should not be self-prescribed — supplements can interact with medicines, and excessive vitamin D can be harmful.

Do omega-3 supplements help psoriasis?

Omega-3 supplements may have a supporting role, but results are inconsistent.

Fish oil is one of the most common supplements patients describe trying, often because they understand psoriasis as an inflammatory condition and reach for something they believe calms inflammation from the inside.

A meta-analysis found that fish oil alone did not significantly improve psoriasis severity, affected area or itching. Some benefit appeared when omega-3 was combined with conventional treatment, but this doesn't establish it as an effective standalone therapy.

Fish oil can affect bleeding risk and may interact with medicines at higher doses. Supplement use should be discussed with a healthcare professional when other medicines are involved.

What does the evidence say about turmeric, probiotics and zinc?

Evidence for these supplements remains preliminary or inconsistent.

Turmeric and curcumin: Small studies have reported possible benefits from curcumin, but formulations and doses differ. Larger, better-controlled trials are needed before it can be recommended as a reliable psoriasis treatment.

Probiotics: Patients often link probiotics with the "gut–skin axis." A systematic review found only a small number of human trials, with early positive findings but insufficient evidence for firm conclusions.

Zinc and magnesium: Some patients take zinc or magnesium because they believe a deficiency contributes to psoriasis. Current psoriasis guidelines do not recommend routine supplementation for people without an identified nutritional need. Evidence for zinc as a psoriasis treatment is particularly weak or conflicting. Our guide on vitamin and mineral deficiencies in psoriasis covers how a real deficiency is actually identified, rather than assumed.

Do meditation, yoga or acupuncture help?

Mind–body practices may support stress and emotional wellbeing, but they should not be described as direct substitutes for psoriasis treatment.

Patients commonly connect meditation, yoga and breathing exercises with the stress–flare cycle — our guide on stress and psoriasis covers that cycle in more depth. Some say these practices help them respond to stress, sleep more consistently or scratch less.

Reviews have found modest or preliminary benefits from meditation and acupuncture, but the available trials are small and variable.

The most realistic goal here is supportive: reducing distress and helping someone cope with a chronic condition, rather than expecting a direct effect on the skin itself.

Why are patients experimenting without professional guidance?

Patients often feel that complementary approaches are ignored during dermatology appointments.

Many don't expect a clinician to endorse every remedy. What they actually want is help distinguishing:

• What might soothe symptoms
• What has meaningful evidence
• What could interact with treatment
• What is unlikely to justify the cost
• What could cause irritation or harm

Instead, patients often assemble supplement routines through social media, online forums and word of mouth — filling a guidance vacuum, not choosing peer advice over professional advice by preference. This gap matters because natural-remedy use is usually driven by treatment fatigue: repeated topical courses, concern about side effects, difficulty accessing advanced treatment, and a genuine desire to address the "whole person," not just the plaques.

If you're spending money on supplements, it's worth asking your dermatologist directly which ones are actually worth it — and which are money down the drain. Supplements can help, but "natural" doesn't mean harmless, and it doesn't mean "instead of."

Can natural remedies be harmful?

Yes. Natural products can cause irritation, allergic reactions, medicine interactions or excessive nutrient intake.

Important cautions include:

• Essential oils can irritate or sensitise the skin.
• Herbal products may contain variable amounts of active ingredients.
• Supplements can interact with prescription medicines — St John's wort, for example, can interact seriously with immunosuppressant medicines used for psoriasis, so it's worth flagging any herbal supplement to your prescriber, not just the obvious ones.
• Uncontrolled sunlight can cause burns and skin damage.
• Restrictive diets can lead to nutritional gaps.
• Products bought online may not meet the same manufacturing standards as licensed medicines.

Complementary treatments should be discussed before use during pregnancy, before surgery, or alongside systemic psoriasis medicines.

What could patients ask at an appointment?

Patients could prepare questions such as:

• Could this remedy interact with my psoriasis treatment?
• Is there evidence for the dose or product I am considering?
• Could a blood test identify a real deficiency?
• Is this product likely to soothe symptoms or affect the underlying psoriasis?
• Could supervised phototherapy be more appropriate than sun exposure?
• What should I stop using if my skin becomes irritated?
• Am I relying on supplements because my current treatment is not meeting my needs?

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Disclaimer: This content is informational. mama health offers information and support and does not replace a doctor.