Topical Kunzea Oil Does Not Benefit Patients with Psoriasis

Researchers found that adding kunzea oil to topical psoriasis treatments with liquor carbonis detergens (LCD) and salicylic acid did not improve the irritating skin condition.

Jackson Thomas, PhD, University of Canberra, Australia, and colleagues conducted a study and published the results in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.

Thomas and team randomized a total of 30 patients (average age of 52.8 years) with mild-to-moderate psoriasis to receive ointment and/or scalp lotion with 20% kunzea oil or receive placebo medication lacking kunzea oil.

They reported that the test and placebo groups both exhibited a significant improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index Scores (PASI) following eight weeks of treatment.

In other words, there appeared to be no tangible difference in outcomes among the patient cohort.

The researchers concluded, “The inclusion of kunzea oil made no difference to the efficacy of topical formulations containing LCD and salicylic acid for the treatment of psoriasis.”