Eczema vs. Psoriasis: Natural Homeopathic Relief
Both eczema and psoriasis are more than just skin-deep. Conventional treatments may offer short-term control, but homeopathy can guide the body toward long-term healing—gently, naturally, and holistically. If you or your child struggle with persistent skin issues, consider homeopathy not as an alternative, but as a powerful complement to your wellness journey.
Causes and Triggers
Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis):
Primarily inflammatory in nature, often associated with allergies.
Common in individuals with a family history of asthma, hay fever, or eczema.
Triggered by irritants (soaps, detergents), allergens (dust, pollen, foods), stress, and climate.
Skin barrier dysfunction plays a key role in flare-ups.
Psoriasis:
An autoimmune condition where skin cells multiply too rapidly.
Strong genetic component; often runs in families.
Triggered by infections (e.g., strep throat), stress, cold weather, trauma to the skin, and certain medications.
Involves a hyperactive immune system attacking healthy skin cells.
Symptoms and Appearance
Eczema:
Red, inflamed, dry patches of skin.
Itching is intense and often worse at night.
May ooze, crust, or become infected due to scratching.
Most commonly affects the face, neck, inner elbows, backs of knees, and hands.
More common in infants and young children, though it can persist or reappear in adults.
Psoriasis:
Thick, raised plaques of red skin with silvery-white scales.
Itching and burning sensations, though sometimes less itchy than eczema.
Common on the scalp, elbows, knees, lower back, and nails.
Tends to appear in well-defined patches, often symmetrically.
Can occur at any age but often starts in early adulthood.
Conventional Treatment Approaches
For Eczema:
Topical steroids (hydrocortisone, betamethasone) to reduce inflammation.
Emollients and moisturizers to restore skin barrier function.
Antihistamines for itch relief.
Topical calcineurin inhibitors (e.g., tacrolimus) as steroid-sparing agents.
Antibiotics if secondary infection is present.
Severe cases: phototherapy or systemic immunosuppressants.
For Psoriasis:
Topical treatments: corticosteroids, vitamin D analogs (calcipotriol), coal tar.
Phototherapy: UVB or PUVA.
Systemic treatments: methotrexate, cyclosporine, acitretin.
Biologic drugs: adalimumab, etanercept, secukinumab — target specific immune pathways.
Salicylic acid and coal tar for scale reduction.
Lifestyle Tips to Support Healing
Whether you're managing eczema or psoriasis, healing the skin requires an integrative approach:
Avoid known triggers: fragrances, stress, harsh soaps, processed foods.
Support gut and liver health: these organs play a role in skin detox.
Moisturize regularly with natural oils like coconut or calendula.
Practice stress management (yoga, meditation, breathing exercises).
Work with a qualified homeopath for individualized treatment.
Homeopathic Treatment Approaches
General Principles:
Focus on individualization and treating the root cause.
Remedies are selected based on physical symptoms, emotional state, and modalities (what worsens or improves the condition).
Often used as a long-term constitutional approach but can also address acute flare-ups.
Homeopathic Remedies for Eczema
1. Graphites
Keynote: Thick, sticky, honey-like discharge; dry, rough skin with deep cracks; often behind ears, eyelids, groin, and folds. Often suited to chilly, overweight individuals with sluggishness and indecisiveness.
Sensation: Dryness, cracking, rawness; burning after scratching
Modalities:
Worse: At night, from warmth, during menstruation
Better: With open air, scratching (temporarily), cold applications
2. Mezereum
Keynote: Thick scabs with offensive pus underneath; intolerable itching, especially on the scalp and face; suited for eczema after vaccination or suppressed eruptions.
Sensation: Crawling and burning under the crusts
Modalities:
Worse: At night, from warmth of bed, touch
Better: Cold applications, scratching until bleeding
3. Sulphur
Keynote: Burning eruptions, intensely itchy; dry, dirty skin with frequent relapse; philosophical, egoistic, and messy personality; often used constitutionally.
Sensation: Itching → burning after scratching
Modalities:
Worse: Warmth of bed, bathing, 11 a.m., alcohol, wool
Better: Open air, dry weather, cold applications
4. Rhus toxicodendron
Keynote: Eczema with small fluid-filled vesicles; restless patients who cannot stay still; often linked to damp weather or wet exposure.
Sensation: Burning, tingling, stitching pain
Modalities:
Worse: Cold, damp weather, initial movement, night
Better: Warmth, hot applications, continued motion
5. Calcarea carbonica
Keynote: Scalp and facial eczema in chubby, fair, sweaty-headed children; often associated with delayed milestones and food intolerance.
Sensation: Itching with burning after scratching
Modalities:
Worse: Cold air, milk, dentition, exertion
Better: Dry weather, warm clothes, rest
6. Fagopyrum
Keynote: Violent itching especially while undressing or exposing skin to air; scratching offers no relief; worse in elderly or allergic constitutions.
Sensation: Prickling, intense crawling sensation
Modalities:
Worse: Undressing, heat, touch
Better: Rubbing skin hard, cool air
7. Dolichos pruriens
Keynote: Itching without visible rash, especially in elderly or during menopause; intensely disturbing at night.
Sensation: Formication (insect-crawling), prickly heat
Modalities:
Worse: Night, scratching (leads to burning), heat
Better: Cold applications, undressing
Homeopathic Remedies for Psoriasis
1. Arsenicum album
Keynote: Psoriasis with burning, scaling, and restlessness; patients are anxious, chilly, and perfectionistic; intense fear of disease.
Sensation: Burning, dryness, scaling with pain
Modalities:
Worse: Midnight, cold, wet weather
Better: Warm drinks, warm applications, company
2. Kali arsenicosum
Keynote: Deeply cracked, dry, and thickened skin especially on hands, soles, and scalp; despair about recovery; suppressed eruptions.
Sensation: Splitting pain in fissures, burning
Modalities:
Worse: Cold, open air, during winter
Better: Warmth, rest
3. Petroleum
Keynote: Psoriasis in winter with deep cracks and bleeding, especially on hands and behind ears; dry, thickened skin that feels tight.
Sensation: Cracking, burning, soreness
Modalities:
Worse: Winter, bathing, scratching
Better: Warm clothes, greasy ointments
4. Lycopodium
Keynote: Right-sided or bilateral psoriasis with digestive complaints (bloating, gas, sour belching); premature aging or hair graying; insecure but assertive.
Sensation: Cracking, dryness, itching
Modalities:
Worse: 4–8 p.m., tight clothes, heat
Better: Cool air, uncovering, eating small meals
5. Sepia
Keynote: Inverse psoriasis in skin folds (axilla, groin, under breasts); hormonal link (PMS, menopause); emotionally indifferent, overburdened.
Sensation: Itching with rawness, sometimes oozing
Modalities:
Worse: Dampness, before menses, cold washing
Better: Vigorous exercise, warmth, pressure
6. Naja tripudians
Keynote: Psoriasis with cardiac or emotional symptoms; sensations of constriction or suffocation; sensitive, dutiful individuals.
Sensation: Tightness, crawling, dry scaling
Modalities:
Worse: After emotional outbursts, exertion
Better: Open air, rest
7. Baryta muriatica
Keynote: Guttate psoriasis in shy, underdeveloped children or teenagers; history of swollen tonsils or frequent sore throat.
Sensation: Scaling, tightness, dry eruptions
Modalities:
Worse: Cold, damp, emotional suppression
Better: Dry warmth, solitude
8. Viscum album
Keynote: Psoriasis associated with joint pain, rheumatism, or heart symptoms; suited to weather-sensitive individuals with chilly constitution.
Sensation: Shooting, tearing, scaling pain in skin or joints
Modalities:
Worse: Stormy weather, dampness
Better: Dry heat, gentle movement
Understanding the distinctions between eczema and psoriasis is vital for proper diagnosis and treatment, especially in homeopathy where remedy selection is based not only on skin appearance but also on underlying causes, modalities, and systemic tendencies. While conventional medicine treats both with topical steroids or immunosuppressive drugs, homeopathy tailors its treatment to the individual’s full symptom picture—mind, body, and constitutional makeup included.
