Olive Oil for Psoriasis: What the Research Shows
Olive oil for psoriasis is one of those searches where the internet is far more confident than the research. The honest picture is more interesting than the hype. A small number of human studies have looked at olive oil and psoriasis, mostly as part of the Mediterranean diet, and the most specific one found that people who ate more extra virgin olive oil tended to have milder disease. A 2025 randomised trial then found that a Mediterranean diet, with extra virgin olive oil supplied each week, lowered psoriasis severity scores more than low-fat advice. Neither shows that olive oil on its own treats psoriasis. This guide sets out what those studies measured, where olive oil fits as a scalp-scale softener, where the evidence points the other way, and why your GP or dermatologist stays in charge of treatment.
For our own oil, see our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml). The research below applies to extra virgin olive oil in general, ours included.
The Short Answer
- In a 2015 study of 62 untreated adults with psoriasis (Barrea and colleagues, Journal of Translational Medicine), extra virgin olive oil intake was the Mediterranean-diet item most strongly linked to lower psoriasis severity (PASI) and lower C-reactive protein. It was a cross-sectional study, so it cannot show cause and effect.
- In the 2025 MEDIPSO randomised trial (38 adults with mild to moderate psoriasis, Madrid), a 16-week Mediterranean diet that included a weekly supply of extra virgin olive oil cut PASI by 3.4 points more than low-fat advice; 9 of 19 people reached PASI 75.
- That trial tested a whole diet, delivered by dietitians, alongside participants' usual topical treatment. It does not isolate olive oil.
- Olive oil is one of the oils UK psoriasis services suggest for softening thick scalp scale before prescribed treatment, not as a treatment in itself.
- There is no trial of plain olive oil applied to psoriasis plaques, and a 2013 study found topical olive oil weakened the skin barrier in healthy adult skin.
- Olive oil is a food. It does not replace anything your GP or dermatologist has prescribed.
What Psoriasis Is, and Why Diet Comes Up at All
The NHS describes the main symptom of psoriasis as dry, itchy, sore, flaky patches of skin that form what look like silvery-white scales. It is a long-term condition linked to the immune system, and it is usually managed with prescribed creams, ointments and gels, and for more severe disease, light therapy or medicines. None of that changes because of anything in this article.
Diet comes into the conversation because psoriasis is an inflammatory condition, and because it often travels with excess weight and metabolic problems. The most thorough review of the subject, a 2018 systematic review by the Medical Board of the US National Psoriasis Foundation (Ford and colleagues, JAMA Dermatology), screened the literature and included 55 studies covering 4,534 people with psoriasis. Its strongest recommendation was dietary weight reduction for adults with psoriasis who are overweight or obese. It rated the evidence on individual foods and dietary patterns as low quality, and it was explicit that dietary changes should always be used alongside standard medical therapy.
That is the frame for everything that follows. Olive oil is studied in psoriasis as part of a way of eating, not as a remedy.
What the Human Studies on Olive Oil and Psoriasis Show
We searched Europe PMC for human research on olive oil and psoriasis and found the studies below worth knowing. Most test the Mediterranean diet as a whole; only one analyses olive oil on its own, and it is observational.
| Study | Who and how many | Design | What it found about olive oil |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barrea et al., 2015 | 62 untreated adults with psoriasis and 62 matched controls | Cross-sectional, case-control | Of the 14 Mediterranean-diet questionnaire items, extra virgin olive oil and fish intake independently predicted lower PASI and CRP |
| Phan et al., 2018 (NutriNet-Santé) | 35,735 French adults; 3,557 reported psoriasis | Observational cohort | Better Mediterranean-diet adherence was linked to lower odds of severe psoriasis; olive oil was one part of the score, not analysed alone |
| Perez-Bootello et al., 2025 (MEDIPSO) | 38 adults with mild to moderate psoriasis on stable topical therapy | Randomised trial, 16 weeks | Mediterranean diet with weekly extra virgin olive oil supply cut PASI by 3.4 points more than low-fat advice |
| Bittiner et al., 1988; Gupta et al., 1990 | Adults with stable psoriasis (28 in Bittiner) | Fish oil trials using olive oil capsules as the placebo | No change in the olive oil group (Bittiner); no significant difference between fish oil and olive oil (Gupta) |
| Al-Waili, 2003 | 18 adults with psoriasis | Partially controlled, patient-blinded | A honey, beeswax and olive oil mixture (1:1:1) helped 5 of 8 patients; olive oil was one-third of the mixture |
Barrea 2015: the one study that looks at olive oil itself
Barrea and colleagues (2015, Journal of Translational Medicine) assessed 62 adults with mild to severe psoriasis who were not yet on treatment, alongside 62 age-, sex- and BMI-matched controls, using the 14-item PREDIMED Mediterranean-diet questionnaire. People with psoriasis were less likely to follow the diet closely, and lower adherence went with higher PASI scores. Among all 14 items, extra virgin olive oil consumption and fish consumption were the two with independent predictive value for PASI and CRP. Body fat percentage was also strongly associated with severity.
It is a genuine, specific finding, and it is also a single snapshot of 62 people. It shows an association, not that olive oil lowered anyone's PASI.
MEDIPSO 2025: the first randomised trial
The MEDIPSO trial (Perez-Bootello and colleagues, 2025, JAMA Dermatology) randomised 38 adults with mild to moderate psoriasis, all on stable topical treatment, to a 16-week dietitian-guided Mediterranean diet with weekly provision of extra virgin olive oil, or to standard low-fat advice. PASI fell by 3.4 points in the Mediterranean group and did not change in the control group; 9 of 19 people on the diet reached PASI 75, a 75% reduction, against none in the control group. It was open-label and single-centre, with an assessor who did not know group allocation.
Where the Evidence Points the Other Way
An honest article has to include the findings that cut against the popular story, and there are two.
The olive oil placebo trials
In two older fish oil trials, olive oil capsules were the placebo. In Bittiner and colleagues' 1988 Lancet trial, 28 people with stable chronic psoriasis took 10 capsules a day for 8 weeks; the fish oil group improved in itching, redness and scaling, and no change occurred in the olive oil group. In Gupta and colleagues' 1990 trial, patients used a steroid cream for the first three weeks while taking fish oil or olive oil capsules; most gradually worsened after the steroid stopped, with no significant difference between the two groups. Placebo arms are not designed to test olive oil, and the doses were small, but they give no sign that olive oil capsules alone change psoriasis.
A mouse study and a skin-barrier study
Donato-Trancoso and colleagues (2022, International Immunopharmacology) gave olive oil by mouth to mice with chemically induced psoriasis-like inflammation and found it made skin thickening worse. That is an animal model, not people, but it is a reason not to assume more oil means better skin.
On the skin itself, Danby and colleagues (2013, Pediatric Dermatology) asked 19 adults to apply olive oil to one forearm twice daily; after four weeks it had significantly reduced the integrity of the skin's outer layer and caused mild redness, in people with and without a history of atopic dermatitis. Our guide to olive oil for skin covers that study in full.
Olive Oil on Psoriasis: Softening Scalp Scale
The one place olive oil appears in mainstream UK psoriasis care is the scalp. Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust advises that emollient ointments or oils, such as peanut, olive or coconut oil, can be used to soften thick scale before prescribed treatments, because those treatments work better once the scale is removed. The charity Psoriasis UK's scalp psoriasis page likewise suggests an oil, such as olive or coconut oil, to soften the scalp and make scaling easier to lift.
The Guy's and St Thomas' method, in brief:
- Massage the oil into the scalp section by section, keeping it off the hair as far as you can.
- Cover with a towel, shower cap or cling film and leave for an hour, or overnight.
- Wash with normal or tar shampoo, then gently lift softened scale while the scalp is damp.
- Use a plastic fine-tooth comb flat against the scalp in small circles; do not pick or scrape.
- Shampoo again to remove the oil, and dry on a cool setting.
This is scale softening, not treatment. Peanut oil is on the same list, so it is the oil's softening effect that matters, not anything unique to olive oil. If you are already using a prescribed scalp product, ask your GP, pharmacist or dermatology nurse how the oil fits around it. Our olive oil for hair guide covers what olive oil does and does not do for hair more generally.
Using Olive Oil Sensibly if You Have Psoriasis
If you want to act on the dietary evidence, the practical step is the one MEDIPSO tested: use extra virgin olive oil as your main fat within a Mediterranean-style pattern of vegetables, pulses, whole grains, nuts and fish, rather than adding oil on top of an unchanged diet. Olive oil is calorie-dense, and weight reduction is the dietary change with the strongest backing in psoriasis, so the swap matters more than the amount.
Extra virgin olive oil is the grade the trials used. It keeps the polyphenols, such as oleocanthal and hydroxytyrosol, that refined oils lose; our guides to olive oil polyphenols and olive oil and inflammation explain what those compounds have and have not been shown to do. For a fuller walkthrough of grades, harvest dates and packaging, see our guide to choosing a quality olive oil.
"If the diet helped, why not just say olive oil helps?"
Because MEDIPSO changed many things at once: food, dietitian support, and probably weight. The olive oil supplied each week was one part of that package. Barrea's olive-oil-specific finding is observational. Until a trial tests olive oil on its own, "part of a diet that helped" is the honest wording.
"Lots of people say olive oil cleared their plaques."
Psoriasis naturally waxes and wanes, which makes personal experience hard to read. The widely shared reports of an olive oil supplement clearing plaques trace back to an individual case and a small unpublished trial, not a peer-reviewed study.
Why Sidr & Stone
This article's argument is that olive oil earns a place in a psoriasis-friendly kitchen as a good food, not as a remedy. Sidr & Stone's Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml) is sold on exactly those terms.
- Single-estate — Sidr & Stone's olive oil comes from our own family-owned farm near Marrakech, Morocco, and we control every step from tree to bottle, with no blending across origins.
- Rain-fed — our trees are not irrigated; they take what the season gives.
- Organically grown — no synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides are used (not yet certified; certification is in progress).
- Single harvest — a small, limited batch, picked when the fruit is ready; the current batch's details are on the product page.
- Cold-pressed within hours of harvest — mechanical extraction only, with no solvents, no refining and no deodorising.
- Unfiltered extra virgin — extra virgin is the grade supplied in the MEDIPSO trial; ours is minimally processed, so it may show natural sediment, which is normal.
- 100% natural — a single ingredient, olive oil, with nothing added.
- Dark glass with a gold label — protective packaging against light.
- 10% of profits to charity — a brand-wide commitment.
- Fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
We will not tell you our oil helps psoriasis — no olive oil can honestly promise that. What we will say is that it is single-estate Moroccan, rain-fed, organically grown and cold-pressed within hours of harvest, and that it belongs in your kitchen, alongside the treatment your GP or dermatologist has agreed with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is olive oil good for psoriasis?
Extra virgin olive oil has been linked to milder psoriasis in one observational study, and a Mediterranean diet that included it lowered severity scores in a 2025 randomised trial. Neither shows olive oil alone treats psoriasis; it is a food, used alongside prescribed treatment.
Can I put olive oil on psoriasis plaques?
No trial has tested plain olive oil on body plaques, and a 2013 study found it weakened the skin barrier in healthy adult skin. Your GP or pharmacist can recommend an emollient designed for psoriasis.
How do I use olive oil to remove scalp psoriasis scale?
UK guidance from Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust is to massage the oil into the scalp, cover it for an hour or overnight, shampoo, then gently lift softened scale with a fine-tooth comb. Never pick or scrape.
Is extra virgin olive oil better than regular olive oil for psoriasis?
The MEDIPSO trial and the Barrea study both concerned extra virgin olive oil, which keeps the polyphenols that refined oils lose. There is no direct comparison of grades in psoriasis.
Is Sidr & Stone olive oil a psoriasis treatment?
No. It is a cold-pressed, single-estate extra virgin olive oil sold as a food. Treatment decisions belong to your GP or dermatologist.
Does the Mediterranean diet help psoriasis?
In the MEDIPSO trial, a 16-week dietitian-guided Mediterranean diet reduced PASI by 3.4 points more than low-fat advice in 38 adults with mild to moderate psoriasis. It is one small trial; larger studies are needed, and diet works alongside treatment, not instead of it.
Where can I buy Sidr & Stone olive oil?
Our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml) is available to pre-order from the product page as a limited single-harvest batch, with fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
Is olive oil a medicine?
No. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine. It has a long traditional history — including being honoured in the Prophetic Sunnah — and a substantial body of modern research, particularly around polyphenols, cardiovascular health, and the Mediterranean diet pattern. It can be a worthwhile part of a healthy routine, but it does not cure diseases and is not a substitute for medical care. Be cautious of any olive oil marketed with specific disease-cure claims.
Final Thoughts
The research on olive oil and psoriasis is thinner than its reputation, but it is not empty. One observational study tied extra virgin olive oil intake to milder disease, and one small randomised trial found that a Mediterranean diet built around it lowered severity scores alongside usual treatment. Against that sit placebo arms that showed no effect, a mouse study that showed harm, and a skin-barrier study that argues against slathering it on plaques.
The sensible reading is modest: make extra virgin olive oil your main cooking fat within a Mediterranean-style diet, use it to soften scalp scale if your care team agrees, and keep your prescribed treatment exactly as it is. If you are also curious about black seed oil, our separate article on black seed oil for psoriasis applies the same standard to that research.
Our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml) — single-estate, rain-fed and cold-pressed within hours of harvest — is available to pre-order now as a limited single-harvest batch, with fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
Our extra virgin olive oil is grown organically on our own single-estate farm on the plains outside Marrakech: we control every step from tree to bottle, and no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers are used. It is not yet certified organic — certification is in progress, and we will publish it as soon as it comes through.
References
- Barrea L, Balato N, Di Somma C, Macchia PE, Napolitano M, Savanelli MC, Esposito K, Colao A, Savastano S. Nutrition and psoriasis: is there any association between the severity of the disease and adherence to the Mediterranean diet? J Transl Med. 2015;13:18. doi:10.1186/s12967-014-0372-1. PMID: 25622660.
- Perez-Bootello J, Berna-Rico E, Abbad-Jaime de Aragon C, Goni L, Vazquez-Ruiz Z, Neria F, Cova-Martin R, Naharro-Rodriguez J, Ballester-Martinez A, Pindado-Ortega C, Monge D, Blauvelt A, Jaen P, Mehta N, Gelfand JM, Martinez-Gonzalez MA, Gonzalez-Cantero Á. Mediterranean Diet and Patients With Psoriasis: The MEDIPSO Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Dermatol. 2025;161(12):1215-1223. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2025.3410. PMID: 40991259.
- Phan C, Touvier M, Kesse-Guyot E, Adjibade M, Hercberg S, Wolkenstein P, Chosidow O, Ezzedine K, Sbidian E. Association Between Mediterranean Anti-inflammatory Dietary Profile and Severity of Psoriasis: Results From the NutriNet-Santé Cohort. JAMA Dermatol. 2018;154(9):1017-1024. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2018.2127. PMID: 30046840.
- Ford AR, Siegel M, Bagel J, Cordoro KM, Garg A, Gottlieb A, Green LJ, Gudjonsson JE, Koo J, Lebwohl M, Liao W, Mandelin AM, Markenson JA, Mehta N, Merola JF, Prussick R, Ryan C, Schwartzman S, Siegel EL, Van Voorhees AS, Wu JJ, Armstrong AW. Dietary Recommendations for Adults With Psoriasis or Psoriatic Arthritis From the Medical Board of the National Psoriasis Foundation: A Systematic Review. JAMA Dermatol. 2018;154(8):934-950. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2018.1412. PMID: 29926091.
- Bittiner SB, Tucker WF, Cartwright I, Bleehen SS. A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial of fish oil in psoriasis. Lancet. 1988;1(8582):378-380. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(88)91181-6. PMID: 2893189.
- Gupta AK, Ellis CN, Goldfarb MT, Hamilton TA, Voorhees JJ. The role of fish oil in psoriasis. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effect of fish oil and topical corticosteroid therapy in psoriasis. Int J Dermatol. 1990;29(8):591-595. doi:10.1111/j.1365-4362.1990.tb03477.x. PMID: 2242951.
- Al-Waili NS. Topical application of natural honey, beeswax and olive oil mixture for atopic dermatitis or psoriasis: partially controlled, single-blinded study. Complement Ther Med. 2003;11(4):226-234. doi:10.1016/s0965-2299(03)00120-1. PMID: 15022655.
- Donato-Trancoso A, Correa Atella G, Romana-Souza B. Dietary olive oil intake aggravates psoriatic skin inflammation in mice via Nrf2 activation and polyunsaturated fatty acid imbalance. Int Immunopharmacol. 2022;108:108851. doi:10.1016/j.intimp.2022.108851. PMID: 35588658.
- Danby SG, AlEnezi T, Sultan A, Lavender T, Chittock J, Brown K, Cork MJ. Effect of olive and sunflower seed oil on the adult skin barrier: implications for neonatal skin care. Pediatr Dermatol. 2013;30(1):42-50. doi:10.1111/j.1525-1470.2012.01865.x. PMID: 22995032.
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. Treating scalp psoriasis. Accessed 2 October 2026. https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/health-information/treating-scalp-psoriasis
- Psoriasis UK. Scalp psoriasis. Accessed 2 October 2026. https://psoriasisuk.org.uk/information-and-support/page.aspx?ID=804
- NHS. Psoriasis. Accessed 2 October 2026. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/psoriasis/
Disclaimer: This article summarises published research and UK clinical guidance on olive oil and psoriasis at the time of writing; research findings and guidance may change, and readers should check current sources. It is general information, not personal medical advice, and does not replace advice from your GP, dermatologist or pharmacist — never stop or change a prescribed psoriasis treatment without speaking to them first. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine, and is not a substitute for medical treatment of any condition. For any health concern, consult a qualified medical professional.