Natural Psoriasis Treatments: A Complete Evidence-Graded Review

Quick answer: Among natural and complementary psoriasis treatments, the strongest clinical trial evidence currently supports topical turmeric/curcumin, indigo naturalis, Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon grape), oral vitamin D supplementation, and probiotic supplementation — each backed by randomized controlled trials measuring actual PASI (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index) score reductions. Traditional Ayurvedic ingredients like Wrightia tinctoria show strong laboratory and animal evidence but currently lack published human clinical trials. This review grades each treatment by the strength of its actual evidence, not by popularity or marketing claims.

Why We Built This Review

Most articles about "natural remedies for psoriasis" cite the same handful of consumer health sites, which in turn cite each other. We wanted something different: a review built directly from primary clinical research — randomized controlled trials (RCTs), systematic reviews, and meta-analyses indexed in PubMed and PMC — rather than secondhand summaries. As a company that sells natural psoriasis skincare, we think this kind of transparency serves our customers better than only telling one side of the story, including where the evidence for our own core ingredients currently stands.

Our Evidence Grading System

To make comparisons meaningful, we graded each treatment using a system similar to standard evidence hierarchies used in medical research:

• Grade A — Human RCT evidence: At least one randomized, placebo-controlled human trial measuring clinical outcomes (PASI, DLQI, or similar validated scores), or a meta-analysis of multiple such trials.
• Grade B — Limited human evidence: Small pilot human trials, case series, or studies without full randomization/blinding.
• Grade C — Preclinical evidence only: Laboratory (cell culture) or animal model studies showing anti-psoriatic mechanisms, but no published human trials yet.
• Grade D — Traditional use only: Long-standing traditional or anecdotal use, with no identified controlled studies of any kind.

Evidence Comparison Table

Treatment	Evidence Grade	Study Design	Key Finding
Topical turmeric/curcumin	A	RCT, n=40 (scalp psoriasis); separate RCT, n=34 (body psoriasis)	Significant reduction in PASI score and improved quality of life vs. placebo (P<.05) after 9 weeks
Indigo naturalis (topical patch)	A	RCT, n=30 per arm, vs. calcipotriol	PASI dropped from 6.30 to 2.13; 90% achieved PASI-50, 43.3% achieved PASI-75 — comparable to the conventional drug comparator
Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon grape)	A	RCT, n=200, 12 weeks	Statistically significant PASI reduction vs. vehicle cream
Oral vitamin D supplementation	A	Network meta-analysis, 21 RCTs, n=1,463	Significant PASI reduction (mean difference −3.29) vs. placebo
Probiotic supplementation	A	Meta-analysis, 7 RCTs	Significant PASI reduction (mean difference −3.09) and reduced CRP inflammation marker
Niosomal (nano-encapsulated) curcumin	B	Pilot RCT, n=5	Downregulated IL-17, IL-23, IL-22, and TNF-α gene expression in skin lesions
Wrightia tinctoria (777 oil / Coco Psora–type formulations)	C	In vitro (HaCaT cells) + in vivo mouse model studies	Reduced IL-8, RANTES, IL-17, IL-23; decreased epidermal thickness in animal models. No published human RCT identified as of this review.
Coconut oil	C	Mechanistic / anti-inflammatory lab studies	Documented anti-inflammatory fatty acid activity; no dedicated human psoriasis RCT identified
Aloe vera	C	Reviewed across multiple systematic reviews	Prior meta-analyses describe evidence as limited and inconsistent across available trials
Tea tree oil	D	Traditional use; antimicrobial lab data only	No controlled psoriasis-specific trials identified

The Strongest Evidence, In Detail

Indigo Naturalis: Comparable to a Conventional Drug in a Head-to-Head Trial

Perhaps the most striking data point in this entire review comes from a 2024 randomized trial comparing an indigo naturalis nanofibrous patch directly against calcipotriol ointment — a standard prescription topical for psoriasis. Over 4 weeks, the indigo naturalis group's PASI score dropped from 6.30 to 2.13, with 90.0% of patients achieving a 50% or greater reduction and 43.3% achieving a 75% or greater reduction. The calcipotriol control group achieved 86.7% and 33.3% respectively — meaning the herbal treatment performed at least as well, with zero reported cases of skin irritation compared to 6.7% in the drug group.

Topical Turmeric: Two Independent RCTs, Consistent Results

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in 2018 gave 40 patients with mild-to-moderate scalp psoriasis either a turmeric tonic or a matched placebo, applied twice daily for 9 weeks. The turmeric group showed statistically significant reductions in PASI score and improved Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores compared to placebo. A separate right-left comparative trial with 34 completing patients found a turmeric gel "much more effective" than the placebo gel by the end of treatment. A newer pilot trial using niosome-encapsulated curcumin (to improve skin penetration) found measurable downregulation of the IL-17/IL-23 inflammatory pathway directly implicated in psoriasis — though this trial only included 5 patients and needs replication at scale.

Vitamin D and Probiotics: Evidence From Oral Supplementation

A 2025 network meta-analysis pooling 21 RCTs and 1,463 patients found that oral vitamin D supplementation produced a statistically significant reduction in PASI scores compared to placebo, ranking among the more effective adjunctive supplements studied (alongside fish oil, selenium, and curcumin, though with varying strength of evidence per supplement). Separately, a meta-analysis of probiotic supplementation across 7 RCTs found a significant PASI reduction and improvement in C-reactive protein, an inflammation marker — though the same analysis found no significant improvement in quality-of-life scores, illustrating that skin-score improvement and lived quality-of-life improvement don't always move together.

An Honest Note on Wrightia Tinctoria and Ayurvedic Oils

Wrightia tinctoria — the traditional Ayurvedic ingredient behind formulations like "777 oil" and used in our own Coco Psora Oil — has a genuinely interesting research profile, but it's important to be precise about what that research does and doesn't show. Laboratory studies on human skin cells (HaCaT keratinocytes) and animal models have found that Wrightia tinctoria extracts reduce inflammatory markers directly implicated in psoriasis (IL-8, RANTES, IL-17, IL-23) and decrease epidermal thickness in mouse models of the disease. That's genuinely promising preclinical pharmacology, and it's more mechanistic evidence than many popular "natural remedy" ingredients can claim.

However, in the course of this research review, we did not identify a published randomized controlled human trial specifically testing Wrightia tinctoria or 777-oil-type formulations against a placebo using validated clinical outcome measures like PASI. Ayurvedic case reports and traditional clinical practice describe positive outcomes, and a broader review of Indian traditional medicine approaches to psoriasis found supportive data across 17 studies using tools like PASI — but methodologically rigorous, published RCT data specific to Wrightia tinctoria itself remains an evidence gap as of this review, not a confirmed clinical result.

We think this distinction matters more than most marketing does. A century of traditional use and encouraging lab data is a legitimate reason to try a gentle, well-tolerated natural product — but it's a different claim than "clinically proven," and we'd rather tell you the difference than blur it.

What This Means If You're Choosing a Natural Psoriasis Product

• If you want the strongest available clinical evidence in a natural or complementary category, topical turmeric/curcumin formulations, indigo naturalis, and Mahonia aquifolium currently have the most robust human trial data.
• If you're using a natural product for gentle, daily, steroid-free maintenance rather than as a clinically-proven active treatment, ingredients like Wrightia tinctoria and coconut oil have solid preclinical rationale and a long safety record, even without large-scale human trials yet.
• Supplementation (vitamin D, probiotics) works differently than topical treatment — it's an adjunct alongside, not a replacement for, your existing skin care routine.
• None of these replace a dermatologist's care for moderate-to-severe psoriasis, where systemic and biologic treatments have a far larger and more rigorous evidence base (numbering in the dozens of RCTs and thousands of patients per drug class).

Methodology Note

This review is based on a search of PubMed, PMC, and ScienceDirect for randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses of natural, herbal, and supplement-based psoriasis treatments, prioritizing studies that measured validated clinical outcomes (PASI, DLQI) rather than only laboratory or self-reported outcomes. It is not a formal, pre-registered systematic review, and newer trials may have been published after this review was compiled. This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment — always consult a dermatologist before starting or stopping any treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is any natural treatment as effective as prescription medication for psoriasis?

For moderate-to-severe psoriasis, prescription systemic and biologic treatments have a much larger and more rigorous evidence base than any natural treatment reviewed here. However, specific natural treatments — notably indigo naturalis in the head-to-head trial above — have shown effectiveness comparable to certain topical prescription drugs for milder cases in individual trials, which is a meaningfully different and more limited claim than broad superiority.

Why do so many natural remedies lack human trials?

Clinical trials are expensive, and traditional or naturally-derived ingredients are harder to patent, which reduces the commercial incentive to fund large trials compared to novel pharmaceutical compounds. This is a funding and incentive gap, not necessarily a reflection of whether an ingredient works.

Should I stop my prescription treatment to try a natural remedy instead?

No — don't stop or change a prescribed treatment without talking to your dermatologist first. Many of the natural options reviewed here were studied as complements to, not replacements for, standard care.

Our Products, Honestly Positioned

Our Coco Psora Oil is built around Wrightia tinctoria and coconut oil — ingredients with real anti-inflammatory laboratory pharmacology and a long history of traditional use, positioned here as a gentle, steroid-free daily option, not as a clinically-proven cure. If you want to explore the ingredients with the strongest current clinical trial evidence from this review — like turmeric — you can also find that reflected in select products across our full range.

Full Source List

• Serafian G, et al. Turmeric tonic as a treatment in scalp psoriasis: A randomized placebo-control clinical trial. Phytotherapy Research, 2018. PubMed 29607625
• Kolahdooz H, et al. Niosomal Curcumin Suppresses IL17/IL23 Immunopathogenic Axis in Skin Lesions of Psoriatic Patients: A Pilot RCT. Life, 2023. PMC10224439
• Efficacy of indigo naturalis nanofibrous patches in chronic plaque psoriasis: RCT. PMC, 2024. PMC12179069
• Herbal medicine for treating psoriasis: A systematic review. ScienceDirect, 2025. ScienceDirect
• Effectiveness and safety of dietary supplements in adjunctive psoriasis treatment: network meta-analysis. PMC, 2025. PMC12738169
• Efficacy and safety of probiotics in adjuvant psoriasis treatment: systematic review and meta-analysis. PMC11426359
• Phytotherapeutic Analysis of Alstonia scholaris and Wrightia tinctoria Extracts: In Vitro and In Vivo Study. Pharmaceuticals, 2025. DOI: 10.3390/ph18030304
• Anti-psoriatic potential of Alstonia scholaris, Wrightia tinctoria, and Solanum xanthocarpum using human HaCaT keratinocytes. ScienceDirect, 2024. ScienceDirect
• Indian Traditional Treatments for Psoriasis: A Critical Appraisal of Available Evidence. Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine, 2022. Springer