Category: Protocols

Eczema

1. Definition

• Eczema (also called atopic dermatitis) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition.
• It causes itchy, red, dry, or scaly patches, sometimes with oozing or crusting.
• It is not contagious but is often recurrent and influenced by genetics, environment, and immune imbalance.

2. Causes & Mechanisms

Eczema is the result of a complex interaction between:

• Genetics: Many people with eczema have mutations in the filaggrin gene, which weakens the skin barrier.
• Skin Barrier Dysfunction: The outer skin doesn’t hold moisture well, allowing irritants, allergens, and microbes to penetrate.
• Immune Dysregulation: The immune system becomes hyper-reactive, producing chronic inflammation in the skin.
• Environmental Triggers: Allergens, irritants (soaps, detergents), climate (cold, dry air), stress, or certain foods can worsen eczema.
• Microbiome Imbalance: Overgrowth of Staphylococcus aureus on the skin worsens inflammation and barrier dysfunction.

3. Symptoms

• Itching (pruritus) → hallmark of eczema.
• Red, inflamed patches (erythema).
• Dryness, scaling, or thickened skin (lichenification in chronic cases).
• Oozing or crusting (in more acute phases).
• Common sites: face, neck, hands, inside elbows, behind knees.

Psoriasis 

1. Definition

• Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune skin condition.
• It causes rapid skin cell turnover, leading to thickened, scaly patches that can be itchy, painful, or inflamed.
• Unlike eczema, which is largely barrier dysfunction + allergic hypersensitivity, psoriasis is more of an immune-driven overproduction process.

2. Causes & Mechanisms

• Autoimmune Reaction: The immune system mistakenly activates T-cells, which trigger skin cells (keratinocytes) to multiply up to 10× faster than normal.
• Genetic Factors: Strong hereditary link; certain gene variants increase risk.
• Immune Pathways: Overactivation of Th1 and Th17 cells, releasing inflammatory cytokines like TNF-α, IL-17, and IL-23.
• Environmental Triggers: Stress, infections (especially strep throat), cold weather, skin injury (Koebner phenomenon), alcohol, smoking, certain medications.

3. Types of Psoriasis

1. Plaque Psoriasis (Psoriasis vulgaris): Most common, with raised red patches covered by silvery-white scales.
2. Guttate Psoriasis: Small, drop-like lesions, often triggered by infections.
3. Inverse Psoriasis: Affects skin folds (armpits, groin, under breasts).
4. Pustular Psoriasis: White pustules surrounded by red skin.
5. Erythrodermic Psoriasis: Severe, widespread redness, scaling, and systemic illness (can be life-threatening).

4. Symptoms

• Raised red patches with thick, silvery scale.
• Itching, burning, or soreness.
• Nail changes (pitting, ridging, separation from nail bed).
• Psoriatic arthritis (joint pain, stiffness, swelling) in up to 30% of patients.

Here are the key aspects highlighting the importance of good vagal tone:

• Enhanced Healing and Recovery
  • It is essential for the body’s ability to repair itself and heal.
  • High vagal tone allows the body to effectively recover and repair after stressful events, promoting self-healing and tissue regeneration.
  • It increases the ability to heal, repair, release, and break out of patterns.
  • The body heals faster and responds quicker to treatment, whether it’s medications, herbs, oils, or physical manipulation.
  • It enables a state of deep rest and repair, which is crucial for healing.
  • It helps the body to recover much quicker from overexertion or old injuries.
  • Good vagal tone addresses situations where the body might be non-responsive to healing, especially in degenerative states.
• Stress Regulation and Emotional Well-being
  • It reduces stress and emotional storms by calming agitation in the body.
  • It helps down-regulate the body’s stress response, activating the parasympathetic system for calm and recovery.
  • High vagal tone facilitates smooth transitions between fight-or-flight and rest-and-digest states, preventing prolonged stress responses.
  • It promotes emotional regulation, allowing individuals to manage difficult emotions and feel more emotionally stable.
  • It reduces emotional reactivity to intense emotions such as fear, anger, and stress.
  • It leads to lower anxiety levels and increased resilience to stress and life’s challenges.
  • It helps the body handle unexpected challenges and reduces being freaked out by uncertainty.
  • Good vagal tone allows one to be in the world without being overly reactive.
• Cognitive Function and Mental Clarity
  • It supports brain health, improving memory, learning, and mental clarity.
  • It reduces brain fog, characterized by mental confusion and lack of focus.
  • High vagal tone enhances cognitive function, including decision-making, problem-solving, and focus.
  • It makes the mind clearer and enables smarter thinking by utilizing other parts of the brain.
  • It reduces repetitive thoughts and allows the mind to quiet down.
  • It improves cognitive flexibility and prevents cognitive overload, especially under stress.
• Physical Health Across Systems
  • Cardiovascular System: It slows the heart rate, improves heart rate variability (HRV), and regulates blood pressure, reducing the risk of hypertension and arrhythmias. It also helps the heart to recover and perform better.
  • Respiratory System: It regulates respiratory rate and depth, promoting slow, deep, and steady breathing. It opens up the bronchioles, improves lung function, and reduces airway inflammation.
  • Digestive System: It supports efficient digestive processes, stimulating peristalsis and enzyme release. It promotes healthy gastric acid production, optimal stomach motility, and regular bowel movements. It also ensures better gut-brain communication, influencing mood and immune function.
  • Immune System & Inflammation: It lowers the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, maintaining a healthy immune balance and reducing the risk of inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. This also contributes to an anti-aging effect.
  • Endocrine System: It balances cortisol levels, improves insulin sensitivity, and supports optimal thyroid and reproductive hormone function. It also contributes to a “good healthy mind”.
  • Musculoskeletal & Fascia: It promotes relaxation and release of tension in fascial tissues, reducing muscle tension, stiffness, and improving flexibility and range of motion. It contributes to good posture and can relax joints.
• Pain Management
  • It regulates pain perception and can significantly reduce chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia and migraines.
  • It helps to “close the gate” to pain signals, enhancing the body’s natural pain relief mechanisms.
  • It calms sensory nerves and can break chronic pain patterns.
  • It can literally shift the nervous system enough to diminish the pain mechanism.
• Other Significant Benefits
  • Promotes better sleep quality.
  • Improves balance and equilibrium.
  • Leads to clear, steady, and calm speech, as well as smooth, coordinated swallowing and a healthy gag reflex.
  • Facilitates coherent and expressive communication and improves social connection.
  • Fosters calmness, peace, and less physical fidgeting.
  • Supports deeper spiritual connection, intuitive wisdom, and receptivity to angelic messages. It helps to create a sacred space and facilitates the flow of energy, even aiding in spiritual manifestation and materialization.
  • It can transform how the brain processes information and how one thinks, enabling a shift from negative karmic patterns.

• Sandalwood has properties that reduce brown spots
• Capillary integrity
• Improves site specific circulation (where applied)
• Components that help reduce hyperpigmentation
• Diminishes the effects of the sun
• Stimulates better liver function
• Helps to purify the liver
• Purifying impurities in the skin
• Can aid in reducing scars and accelerate wound healing
• Reduces inflammation
• Frankincense has been used to reduce brown spots
• Moisturizing

Cause:

Brown spots usually result from an excess of melanin, the skin’s natural pigment, produced by melanocytes.

Triggers:

Sun exposure (UV light):

Stimulates melanocytes to produce more pigment, leading to localized accumulation.
Aging:

With time, the skin’s natural repair and turnover slows, so pigment deposits remain more visible.
Hormones:

Fluctuations (pregnancy, birth control, menopause) can cause melasma, a patterned form of brown spots.
Liver or detox stress:

Historically called “liver spots” because impaired detoxification and oxidative stress can make pigment accumulation worse.
Inflammation or injury (Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation):

Acne, rashes, burns, or trauma can leave lingering darkened areas.
Where:

Most commonly on face, hands, shoulders, chest, and arms — areas exposed to the sun.

Functional/Health Considerations

Brown spots are generally harmless, but they may signal:

Oxidative stress (too many free radicals, not enough antioxidants).
Liver overload (sluggish detox pathways, especially Phase II conjugation).
Adrenal stress and aging processes (linked to pigmentation changes).
Chronic sun exposure and UV damage (accelerated skin aging).
In rare cases, irregular, fast-changing spots may signal skin cancers (melanoma, basal cell, squamous cell) — these need medical evaluation.

• Improves capillary circulation
• Reduces inflammation in the skin and underlying tissue
• Improves vein integrity
• Tissue protectant
• Supports veins and arteries
• Cell regenerating properties
• Anti inflammatory
• Astringent
• Toning