AD: Oregon Anti-Plaque Shampoo & Conditioner | Natural Hair And Skincare To Ease Symptoms Of Scalp Psoriasis

Although psoriasis is a condition that many people have heard of it’s one that is often misunderstood, with a real lack of awareness around how severe the condition can become. Lots of people believe it can be cured (it can’t) and people are rarely aware of the complications that can arise, from psoriatic arthritis to a shortened life span. The condition is painful and frustrating for sufferers which is why I wanted to put Oregon’s Anti-Plaque Shampoo and Conditioner to the test, as it claims to ease psoriasis when present on the scalp.

Oregon Skincare

“The Oregon skincare and hair care range includes naturally active products developed specifically to help manage skin and scalps prone to psoriasis. 
Psoriasis is a complex skin condition and the Oregon skincare and hair care range has been developed to help manage it in a natural and balanced manner.

The Oregon skincare and hair care range contains an extract of Oregon grape root and juniper tar which help improve the appearance of psoriasis as well as soothe and nourish skin prone to psoriasis. The whole range is suitable for use on sensitive skins and skin and scalps prone to psoriasis.
Products in the range also include several amino acids and conditioning extracts to help soothe and comfort skin and scalps prone to psoriasis.
The Oregon range is a highly moisturising and is FREE from parabens, perfumes, SLS and MI and does not contain coal tar.”

(Taken from Skin Shop)

My Review

I don’t actually have psoriasis but my partner Paul does, so I decided to use him as a test subject for this review (willingly, of course!). Paul suffers quite badly with scalp psoriasis, though thankfully does not have the condition elsewhere on his skin. On a good day this will result in an excessive amount of flakes (or scales, as they are known with psoriasis) present in his hair, and on a bad day it causes scabs, bleeding, itching, and pain.

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The physical side effects are bad enough, but the scales cause Paul increasing amounts of embarrassment and anxiety around his scalp which means he can struggle when in public, often feeling the need to conceal his hair or avoid getting it cut. The condition worsens significantly when he is stressed or anxious, leading to a vicious cycle that is hard to get out of.

Previously we have tried a few things for his condition – prescribed shampoo, which caused sudden burning pain and harsh redness to his scalp; T-Gel, which made a slight difference (but contains coal tar, which isn’t great); Head and Shoulders, which made no difference at all.

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The first thing we noticed about the Oregon Anti-Plaque Shampoo and Conditioner set was the smell which is certainly unusual – not as pungent as tar-based shampoos, which make you smell like a tarmac road, but certainly not a smell you’d miss. It reminded me of lapsang tea in a way… Smokey and plant-like. Paul got used to it fairly quickly despite its strength (and I’ll admit I actually kind of like it now), and the conditioner has no smell at all.

The results of the shampoo and conditioner were quite interesting – Paul used the products on average every 2-3 days, often leaving the conditioner in (Oregon recommend for up to 30 minutes each time, however this wasn’t always possible). We noticed an improvement within a couple of washes, and each wash after that seemed to improve the quality of Paul’s scalp.

The most noticeable difference is the lack of itchiness – Paul has no itching whatsoever now whereas before it was almost constant, and particularly bad at night (and, of course, aggravated scratching makes scabs and head pain worse). The scabs have mostly cleared and there hasn’t been as much bleeding from the scalp as before. There are definitely fewer scales present, and Paul feels that his skin on his scalp is slightly softer, too.

As a hair care product Paul found that the shampoo and conditioner worked well to keep his hair healthy – nothing stand-out compared to other shampoos and conditioners but there isn’t any dryness or oiliness from it and his hair looks clean and shiny. The price is slightly steeper than other products with each bottle £7.95 or the two together for £14, however we think this is perfectly acceptable considering the amazing effect it has had on his scalp and so would be more than happy to pay this for both the shampoo and conditioner.

Final Thoughts

The results have definitely spoken with this one, and Paul has decided that he is going to keep using both the shampoo and conditioner from Oregon’s haircare range as they have made such a positive difference to his scalp psoriasis symptoms which has ultimately improved his life – less pain, less anxiety, and more confidence.

If you too suffer from psoriasis then I’d urge you to consider trying out this product if nothing else has worked for you – not only is it effective but both the shampoo and conditioner use only natural ingredients, meaning your risk of irritation or other potential side effects is far less likely. There are even more skincare products available from Oregon too, so even if your psoriasis is on other parts of your body you should still be able to find something that works for you.

Purchase Links

If you’d like to buy these products either as a set or individually then you can do so via Oregon’s section on the Skin Shop website.

If you have a hair/skin condition, have you ever tried a shampoo-based treatment? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to like and pin! You can read some of my other health-related product reviews here:

Mistatera CBD Oil
Crohn’s In My Shoes App
Vitamin D Gel Pouches