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How to Prepare Psoriasis Oil at Home: Wrightia Tinctoria oil/Vetpalai Thailam

Are you looking for the best oil for psoriasis treatment? If yes, then you can prepare this psoriasis oil at your home.

Dryness, itching, and skin cracking are the common problems faced by a psoriasis patient, and managing them is an arduous task. Application of various creams, ointments, oils, and moisturizers helps in relieving dryness, and itching. Psoriasis is a lifelong condition where you need to use medication, and moisturizers regularly to manage psoriasis effectively.

The cost involved in psoriasis treatment, and tests can become a burden for many. In search of simple, cost-effective management of psoriasis was a quest for many. Among many psoriasis remedies used worldwide, today, we will show how you can prepare a medicated oil in your home for your psoriasis. This medicated oil has been used to treat psoriasis and other skin diseases as traditional medication. There are several Ayurvedic and Siddha formulations available in the market based on this preparation.

How are herbs used as Medicine in Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is the oldest healing system, and it originated and has been practiced in India since the beginning of humankind. Ayurveda uses plants and minerals as medicine to treat diseases. The medicinal properties of the plants have been studied and described in various Ayurvedic texts. 

Ayurveda says that all the substances in the world are made up of five basic elements (ether, air, fire, water, and earth). The five basic elements combine in different proportions and are responsible for carrying out various functions in the body. Depending on the predominance of doshas, their functional qualities are termed doshas. 

Doshas are three in number, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, respectively. When the dosha functions properly, the body will be healthy. Any changes in the functioning of dosha lead to disease. When a person gets a disease, ayurvedic treatments consider using herbs to correct the functioning of the doshas. Knowing herbs’ qualities will help choose the right to use in a specific disease. 

Ayurveda says that there is nothing in the world that cannot be used as a medicine. Everything in the world can be used as medicine if one knows how to use it appropriately. Today let us learn about one such herb called Wrightia Tinctoria, which has been used to treat psoriasis and other skin diseases either solely or with other herbs.

Wrightia Tinctoria – Most used plant in Psoriasis Treatment

Wrightia tinctoria, also known as Sweet Indrajao, Pala Indigo Plant, Dyer’s Oleander, Jaundice curative tree. It is commonly used in south India as a traditional medicine for skin diseases like psoriasis, jaundice, pain, and inflammation. The latex from the plant, especially from leaves, is directly applied to inflammation. 

Wrightia is named after a Scottish physician and botanist, William Wright (1740-1827).

Botanical Name: Wrightia tinctoria R.BR.

Family: Apocynaceae

Used in: Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Folk, Homeopathy

Habit: Tree

Vernacular Names:

1. Sanskrit : asita-kutanja, hayamaraka, hyamaraka, kutaja, kutajah, madhuindrayava, shweta kutaja, strikutaja, svetakutaja, svetakutajah
2. Hindi : bhakar aak, dudhi, gode indrajava, indarjou, kalainderjau, karu, keerni, khanni, kheer, kherni, khirni, kod, kor, mitaindrajau, mitha indarjou, mitha indrajava, mithaindarjou, summa
3. Kannada : alamara, aligili, bepalli, beppaale, beppala mara, beppalam, beppale, dudiro, haale, halagali, hale, hallu novu maddu, hallunove mara, hallunoveu, hallunovu, halugale, halugali, kaadu neeli, kadnili, kaduneeli, kadunili, kaykoli beppaale, kirekodsa, kiri kodasige, kirikodasige, kirrikodasige, kodamurki, kodasige, kodmurki, kodsige, kodumurka, koduraka, kuda, naikuli, paale mara, vepala, vepale, veppale
4. Malayalam :ayyapala, ayyappala, dantappala, dhantappala, eeccha, eecha, icca, ichchha, irampala, irumbalai, irumpala, kambippala, kotakappala, kotakappala-vitta, kutakappala, nilapala, pala, thondapala, thondapalai, tinnampala, tondapale, tontapala
5. Marathi :godaindrajav, gode indrajava, godeindrojav, indrajou, kaalakuda, kaalakura, kaalikudayi, kala-kuda, kala-kura, kalakuda, kalakudi, kalakura, kalo-kudo, mitha indrajava
6. Tamil :erukkalam ver, irum palai, irumbalai, irumpaalai, kumbambalai, nila palai, nilambalai, nilapalai, palai, palainilam, thantha-palai, thanthapalai, tondambalai, tontampalai, vapaalai, veppalai, vet palai, vetpa-larishi, vetpaalai, vetpala-verai, vetpala-virai, vetpalai, vetpalarisi, vilavarici
7. Telugu :aku pala, akupala, amkudu, ankid-kodisha, ankudu, arkudu, chitaamulu, chitankudu, chiteancaloo, chiti-anikudu, chittankudu, chitteancaloo, chittiankudu, chittiyankudu, cittankudu, cittiyankudu, dodda paala chettu, doddi pala, jeddapaala, jeddapala, jeddepaala, kalinga-vittulu, kodisha-vittulu, kolamukhi, paala baranki, paalavareni, paalaveri, paalumili, pala, pala-kordsha, palabaranki, palabarunki, palamuki, palaparki, palavareni, palavari, palavereni, palaveri, palumili, palunili, pullavari, repala, reppala, reppala chettu, tedlapal, tedlapala, tedlopal, tella, tellapala, teppala, thedlapaala
8. Urdu : indarjao shirin, inder jao shirin, inderajao shirin, inderjao sheerin, inderjao shireen, inderjao shirin, inderjawshireen
9. Arabic : indarjua shireen, lansanul-aasafir, lasanul aasafir, lasanul-aasafirul-halo, lisan-ul-asafeer
10. Persian: ahar, ahare-shirin, indarjou, indarjouve-shirin, tukhme-ahar, tukhme-ahare-shirin, zabane-kunjashke-shirin, zabanekunj-ashk, zubane-kunjashke-shirin

Plant description:

Wrightia tinctoria is a medium-sized tree, which can grow up to 18 meters. 

The bark is smooth and yellowish-brown in color about 10 mm thick. It produces a milky-white latex when the bark is cut or damaged. 

Leaves are simple, oppositely arranged, ovate, obtusely acuminate, and are 10–20 cm long and 5 cm wide. Leaves are glabrous and sometimes pubescent beneath. Leaf stalks are very short. 

The flowers appear in India from March to May, peaking from April to June. White flowers appear in corymb-like cymes, 5–15 cm across, at the end of branches. Flowers have five white petals 2–3 cm long, which turn pale yellow as they age. The flowers have oblong petals, which are rounded at the tip and are similar to flowers of frangipani. 

Fruiting is in August, and the fruit is cylindrical, blackish-green speckled with white, long horn-like, and united at the tip. The seeds are brown and flat with a bunch of white hairs. Seed dispersal is by wind, and pollination is by insects. 

Chemical compositions:

Pods, without seeds, contain the cycloartanes, cycloartenone, and cycloeucalenol along with alpha- and beta-amyrin, beta-sitosterol, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, and the terpene, wrightial. The leaves contain beta-amyrin. Stem bark gave beta-amyrin, beta-sitosterol, and lupeol.

The seeds, leaves, and roots have been shown to contain an indigo-yielding glucoside.

The flowers gave 3-O-rhamnoglucoside, which exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan-induced hind paw edema.

Medicinal uses of Wrightia Tinctoria

• The juice of the tender leaves is used efficaciously in jaundice.
• Crushed fresh leaves, then filled in the cavity of a decayed tooth, relieve toothache.
• Ayurveda and Siddha system of medicine is used for psoriasis and other skin diseases.
• Bark and seeds are used to treat flatulence.
• Root bark extract is used orally as an antidote for snakebite. 
• Powder of the bark is used for the treatment of kidney stones.
• The plant is used in making hair oils as it has anti-dandruff and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Wrightia tinctoria is the best medicine for diarrhea and blood pressure.
• It is used to cure piles by mixing ginger with a decoction of the bark of the plant.
• The plant’s bark mixed with cow’s urine and applied on the skin turns very effective. 
• Fresh juice of the bark is mixed with cow milk and used to cure urine problems.
• It is used in the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis and osteoarthritis.
• It is also a good remedy for fever, toothache, constipation, and stomach ache.
• The milk of this plant is used to treat tooth gum problems.

Researches and scientific studies say that wrightia tinctoria has the following properties.

Properties of Wrightia Tincoria According to Ayurveda

Rasa/Taste : Tikta (Bitter) Kashaya(Astringent)

Guna/Qualities: Laghu – Lightness, Rooksha- Dryness

Veerya/Potency: Sheeta – cold potency

Vipaka/Post digestive taste: Katu –pungent

How does Wrightia tinctoria work according to Ayurveda?

Stree Kutaja has Seeta Veerya balances Kapha due to its Tikta-Kashaya Rasas, Laghu-Rooksha Guna & Katu Vipaka. Stree Kutaja acts on psoriasis patches with secretions and severe itching of psoriasis.

How to Prepare a Wrightia Tinctoria Oil for Psoriasis in Home?

First, look out for the Wrightia Tinctoria tree in your neighborhood. Wrightia Tinctoria is commonly grown in almost all parts of India. You can find this tree in forests and villages. Wrightia tinctoria can be easily identifiable in its flowering season. If you find any difficulty identifying the plant, ask the local people with the local name of wrightia tinctoria to help you. 

Once you find the tree, you need to select the tree’s fresh leaves (there has been a practice to collect the leaves without using any iron tools).

In Ayurveda or in making traditional herbal oils, the specified ingredients along with base oil are heated, and the oil is prepared. At the same time, Wrightia Tinctoria Oil is prepared without heating it but by keeping it under the sun for the specified number of days.

Materials required:

1. Fresh leaves of Wrightia Tinctoria – 1kg
2. Virgin Cold pressed coconut Oil – 1liter
3. Glass/Steel Vessel – Big enough to hold both leaves and coconut oil

Method of Preparation

Once the leaves are collected in sufficient quantity, the leaves should be cleaned and washed properly to remove the dirt and any other contamination. Once the leaves get dry, they are squashed with hands and put into the vessel.

Then an equal quantity of coconut oil is added. It would be best if you made sure that the leaves are soaked in oil completely. Once this is done, the vessel is kept under the sun in the daytime.

Due to exposure to sunlight, the oil gradually starts absorbing the medicinal properties present in leaves. In the evening, the vessel is taken out from the open space and kept inside the house or somewhere safe, covering its mouth with a cloth or a lid.

This process has to continue for seven days continuously. Daily the oil has to be stirred well. You can see the colour of oil changing every day, becoming darker and darker turning to purplish brown. Once the seven days of sun exposure are completed, the oil must be filtered and stored in a glass bottle for usage.

How to use Wrightia Tinctoria Oil?

Wrightia Tinctoria Oil is used as an external application. It can be applied all over the body, including the head, twice or thrice daily to get the best results.

This oil is also known as Vetpalai Thailam, Psoriasis Oil

Note:

Wrightia Tinctoria Oil is prepared using virgin cold-pressed coconut oil, but some people use sesame oil instead of coconut oil as a base. The procedure of preperation is the same, and only the oil is different.

The only significant difference is that coconut-based oil gets dried up faster, whereas sesame oil keeps moist for longer. If one has excessive dryness, it is better to choose sesame oil-based Wrightia Tinctoria Oil.

Wrightia Tinctoria Oil is generally prepared in seven days, but few places, the number of days used for preparing this oil can vary from 3 to 14 days.

Mode of Use

Wrightia Tinctoria Oil is used as an external application all over the body, including the scalp.

Side Effects

There are no known side effects. However, if you find any adverse reaction stop the usage and consult your doctor.

Conclusion:

Psoriasis treatment causes a financial burden on a person due to the recurring nature of the disease, and duration of the treatment. Many psoriasis patients do not continue prescribed medications as they can’t afford them. To overcome this challenge, one can prepare Wrightia Tinctoria Oil at home, which can help to manage your psoriasis effectively and prevent dryness, itching, and cracking of the skin. There are several oils available for psoriasis treatment, with Wrightia Tinctoria as a main ingredient in the market. You can use them if you are unable to prepare yourself to manage your psoriasis.

References

1. http://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Wrightia_tinctoria.PDF
2. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sathianarayanan-S/publication/267822780_Immunomodulatory_activity_of_ethanolic_extract_of_wrightia_tinctoria_leaves/links/5a5743fcaca272bb69648fe4/Immunomodulatory-activity-of-ethanolic-extract-of-wrightia-tinctoria-leaves.pdf
3. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317557036_Deciphering_the_Mechanism_of_Action_of_Wrightia_tinctoria_for_Psoriasis_Based_on_Systems_Pharmacology_Approach
4. https://www.longdom.org/open-access/chemical-investigation-of-wrightia-tinctoria-2329-6836-1000296.pdf
5. https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/species/a—l/a/apocynaceae/wrightia/wrightia-tinctoria
6. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236681886_Evaluation_of_Anti-inflammatory_and_Analgesic_Activity_of_Wrightia_Tinctoria_Leaves
7. International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences ISSN- 0975-1491 Vol 6, Issue 7, 2014
8. International Journal of Ayurveda and Pharma Research Review Article PROMISING AYURVEDIC HERBS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF KITIBHA (PSORIASIS)- A REVIEW -IJAPR | January 2018 | Vol 6 | Issue 1
9. http://envis.frlht.org/plantdetails/2239/e5db72ea4bdd02657ec3b71a1dd490bd
10. http://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Wrightia_tinctoria.PDF
11. https://www.longdom.org/open-access/chemical-investigation-of-wrightia-tinctoria-2329-6836-1000296.pdf
12. http://www.phcogrev.com/article/2014/8/15/1041030973-7847125528
13. Khare C. (2007) Wrightia tinctoria R. Br.. In: Khare C. (eds) Indian Medicinal Plants. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-70638-2_1777
14. Jesy EJ and Jose B: Antitumour and antioxidant activity of Wrightia tinctoria (roxb.) R. br. leaf oil. Int J Pharm Sci Res 2017; 8(11): 4899-03.doi: 10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.8(11).4899-03.
15. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332250334_PHYTOCHEMICAL_AND_PHARMACOLOGICAL_STUDIES_ON_WRIGHTIA_TINCTORIA
16. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28604055/

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