Oregon grape (also called Mahonia aquifolium or Berberis aquifolium) is widely considered one of the best natural remedies for psoriasis, eczema and skin inflammation conditions. It’s also one of the few natural remedies which actually has scientific evidence to support its benefits. (1) As a result, you can find lots of Oregon grape creams for skin.
Many of these Mahonia aquifolium creams are made with parts of the plant which do not contain active substances, or they are extracted in a way which destroys them. Because of this, it is very important that you know what to look for before buying an Oregon grape skin cream.
Below are the best Oregon grape root skin creams and ointments, as well as info as what makes them the best choices.
Quick Picks:
- Best Overall: MJ’s Herbals Organic First Aid Salve – It contains a blend of natural plant extracts with antibacterial qualities and reduce psoriasis scales and sooth skin.
- Runner Up: – Herb Pharm Oregon grape extract – This Oregon grape extract is made from shade-dried root and cold processing to preserve the plant alkaloids
Choosing an Oregon Grape Cream
There are 5 things you will need to look at:
- Part of the plant was used
- Drying Method
- Extraction method
- Percentage of Oregon grape root extract
- Cream vs. ointment
1. Part of the Plant Used
All parts of the Oregon grape plant contain health-promoting compounds. However, when it comes to skin health, the roots are by far the most potent part of the plant.
Berberine is the name of the alkaloid in Mahonia aquifolium which is primarily responsible for reducing psoriasis and skin irritation. This is mostly concentrated in the roots of the plant. There is also some berberine in the stems of Oregon grape, but not nearly as much.
The roots of Mahonia aquifolium also contain other anti-inflammatory alkaloids, including: jatorrhizamine, palmatine, berberine, and magnoflorine. Because of this, it is important that you only choose an Oregon grape cream made from the roots of the plant. (2, 3, 4)
2. Drying Method
The berberine in Oregon grape root is very sensitive to heat. Even a small amount of heat can destroy the alkaloid. Because of this, the roots should be dried in the shade instead of the sun or an oven. One study found that shade-dried samples with cold extraction contained 4.6% berberine compared to just 1.29% for hot-extraction methods.
Unfortunately, not many companies list whether their Oregon grape root was shade-dried or dried in heat. One exception though is Herb Pharm Oregon Grape Root Extract. Their Oregon grape root is shade-dried.
3. Extraction Method
There are several methods of extracting the alkaloids from Oregon grape, including: methanol alcohol, ethanol, glycerin, water and oil. Of these, methanol alcohol produces the best results. Glycerin extracts are also a good choice.
According to one report, methanol extraction produced more than 20mg/mL of berberine. By contrast, ethanol alcohol only produced 2mg/mL. Likewise, lower amounts of berberine are extracted in glycerin. However, because some people’s skin is sensitive to alcohol, glycerin extraction might be preferred. There is also some evidence that the body might absorb berberine from glycerin extraction better. (5, 6)
While it is possible to extract berberine in water (such as by soaking Oregon grape root to make a tea), the results aren’t great. Very little berberine gets into cold water. More berberine is extracted in boiling water, but then you risk destroying the berberine with the heat. Thus, it isn’t recommended to make tea from dry Oregon grape root.
It also isn’t recommended to buy oil extracts of Oregon grape root. The alkaloids don’t dissolve into the oil well. On top of that, oils tend to go rancid quickly. (7, 8, 9, 10)
4. Percentage of Oregon Grape Root Extract
In many of the studies where Oregon grape root successfully treated psoriasis, a cream containing 10% extract was used. When buying Oregon grape creams though, it is highly unlikely that any will contain this much of the plant extract. Few brands even list how much extract is in their creams – you are left to guess based on the order of the ingredients.
The only way to be sure that you are getting a high percentage of Oregon grape root extract is to make your own creams. You can do this by buying Mahonia aquifolium extract and adding it to your favorite base (such as honey, cupuacu or tamanu oil).
It’s also possible to apply Mahonia aquifolium extracts directly to your skin. It’s difficult to spread pure extracts around on your skin though so, unless you are only treating a tiny areas of skin, it’s more cost-effective to mix into a base.fbor
5. Cream vs. Ointment
Studies found that Oregon grape creams and ointments had the same effectiveness. So, it ultimately comes down to a personal choice. In general, ointments are recommended over creams for psoriasis. Because ointments contain more oil, they trap moisture better and stay in place better. However, creams are easier to put on and make less of a mess, so are more convenient to use. (11, 12)
Don’t expect miracles.
While Oregon grape root extract can do wonders to sooth your skin and treat psoriasis, don’t expect miracles. It takes time for the skin to heal. When you stop applying the Oregon grape cream, the psoriasis might just come right back.
Skin health starts from within. To treat psoriasis and other auto-immune diseases, you’ll also need to take natural supplements which reduce inflammation. Some good options are turmeric, fish mint, guayusa, anamu and atractylodes.
Image credits:
“Berberis aquifolium o mahonia aquifolium” by M. Martin Vicente,
“Suntanned Oregon Grape” by pellaea