Radiant | Hanna Sillitoe | 2017
About the Author: Hanna Sillitoe is a blogger turned skincare entrepreneur who has amassed a huge following through sharing her natural psoriasis/eczema/acne healing journey online.
My Comments: Radiant provides an accessible introduction to the world of ‘healing from within’, equipping readers with the necessary tools to reset their diet and lifestyle with a healthy, skin-prioritising regime.
Rating: ★★★★★
*
Skin Food | Dr Thivi Maruthappu | 2023
About the Author: Thivi Maruthappu is a consultant dermatologist and nutritionist.
My Comments: Skin Food covers a number of skin conditions, of which psoriasis is frequently addressed. Nutrition is the focus, a topic discussed in great depth and breadth. However, failing to mention that biologics are immunosuppressive is discouraging and the recipes are somewhat uninspired.
Rating: ★★★½
*
10 Powerful Steps to Clear Psoriasis | Lianne
Campbell | 2019
My Comments: Presentation issues aside (a blog adapted into a physical book results in small, blurry images and hyperlinked text that the reader cannot source), 10 Powerful Steps to Clear Psoriasis largely takes the microbiome into account, offering simple steps to nurture it. Frustration towards topicals/dangerous biologics and the medical industry getting wealthy off those with psoriasis is relatable.
Rating: ★★★½
The Ultimate Psoriasis Book | Geraldine Nathan | 2023
About the Author: There is no information about this author online.
My Comments: Repetitive (Geraldine reminds us 7 times that we should be feeling “shame”), surface-level copy-and-paste that clearly hasn’t been proofread. Undisclosed references (“Some sources” this and “some studies” that) within duplicated paragraphs about the symptoms and emotional effects of psoriasis. Poor layout, poor grammar and poor spelling. This is a cash-grab.
Rating: ½
Skintelligent | Natalia Spierings | 2022
About the Author: Natalia Spierings is a consultant dermatologist.
My Comments: Skintelligent is an enlightening and rightly-cynical look at the skincare industry. It highlights how “Big Skincare” exploits those desperate for clear skin by offering them overpriced products marketed using ‘buzz’ ingredients and positive-sounding studies…funded by the makers. Disappointingly, the only ‘treatments’ recommended for psoriasis warriors are Vaseline and steroid creams.
Rating: ★★★
*
The Psoriasis Cook | Andy Saunderson | 2021
About the Author: Andy Saunderson is a self-proclaimed cookery writer (this book is his only publication). He has experienced a positive impact on his psoriasis through diet alterations.
My Comments: The Psoriasis Cook starts off with a minimal, whistle-stop tour of psoriasis, what to avoid and what to consume more of before listing around 100 rather dull recipes.
Rating: ★★½
The Good Skin Solution | Shann Nix Jones |
2017
My Comments: The Good Skin Solution is another book that addresses multiple skin conditions, psoriasis being one of them. Despite predominantly being an advert for Chuckling Goat, it explains the benefits of good bacteria in layman’s terms and shines a light on the link between our gut microbiome and skin health.
Rating: ★★★★
*
The Keystone Approach | Rebecca Fett | 2018
About the Author: Rebecca Fett is a medical writer with a qualification in molecular biology and biochemistry. She has taken control of her psoriasis (and psoriatic arthritis) through changes to her diet and supplement regime.
My Comments: Psoriasis, autoimmunity and the microbiome are explored in great detail, with a focus on the Mediterranean diet. The Keystone Approach looks like a chunky book, but half of it is dedicated to references (and some recipes, too).
Rating: ★★★★
*
10% Human | Alanna Collen | 2015
About the Author: Alanna Collen is a zoologist turned science/health writer with a PhD in evolutionary biology. An infection led to her discovering the importance of microbes to the human body.
My Comments: A fascinating insight into the microbial world. Psoriasis is not the focus in 10% Human, but it demonstrates the potential microbes have in regulating allergies, autoimmune conditions and beyond.
Rating: ★★★★½
*
Understanding Psoriasis | Dr Andrew Warin | 2005
About the Author: Andrew Warin is a consultant dermatologist.
My Comments: Though a little dated, Understanding Psoriasis works as an introduction to psoriasis by answering the most common questions and providing key definitions. It enabled me to realise I was dealing with seborrheic dermatitis on my face during the 2024 flare up.
Rating: ★★★
*
Good Bacteria for Healthy Skin | Paula Simpson | 2019
About the Author: Paula Simpson is described as a ‘holistic beauty expert’.
My Comments: The gut microbiome is talked about, but the focus of Good Bacteria for Healthy Skin is the skin microbiome. Although psoriasis is mentioned a few times, its main theme is pre/probiotics to improve whatever skin condition the reader may have.
Rating: ★★★½
*
Clean | James Hamblin | 2020
About the Author: James Hamblin is a physician (who rarely ever showers).
My Comments: An interesting history of hygiene forms a narrative that takes a ‘less is more’ approach to personal cleanliness: so as not to disturb the microbial communities living on our skin. I found Clean to be a humorous and informative read, but not one essential to my psoriasis research.
Rating: ★★★
*
Dark Matter | Dr James Kinross | 2023
About the Author: James Kinross is a consultant surgeon and senior lecturer in colorectal surgery. He’s also considered to be a gut microbiome expert.
My Comments: A very technical yet fascinating call to arms: our microbiomes need to be nurtured! Dark Matter widely covers the many factors- past, present and future- influencing our gut health. While it doesn’t specifically reference psoriasis, this is a must-read to empower everybody to look after their ‘inner universe’.
Rating: ★★★★½
*
It may also be useful to know that, for one reason or another, I researched and dismissed the below books:
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