| You’ve probably seen the photos of tourists — or celebrities like Beyoncé and Justin Bieber — floating in the otherworldly waters of Iceland’s Blue Lagoon. For years, guests have flocked to the geothermal seawater spa for some R&R, making it the Nordic country’s most popular tourist attraction. I was lucky enough to stay at the Retreat Hotel at the Blue Lagoon with my family in June, and I soon learned that the warm, salty blue waters could be a salve for much more than stress and sore muscles. It’s the cornerstone of a natural treatment program for psoriasis, a common skin condition, that’s even recognized by Icelandic health authorities. Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that causes patches of itchy, scaly skin. Treatment depends on the type of psoriasis a patient has, but may involve topical creams, light therapy or sometimes injectable drugs like AbbVie’s Humira or Eli Lilly’s Taltz. (Psoriasis drugs are often some of the best-selling medications for pharmaceutical companies). In Iceland, however, doctors can write a prescription for patients to visit Blue Lagoon’s spa — and the company that operates it will even foot the bill for treatment. The Blue Lagoon says it has offered psoriasis treatment since 1994 and there’s even a medical clinic on site, according to its website. The treatment program involves regular soaks in the mineral-rich geothermal pools, UV light therapy and skin-care products developed specifically for psoriasis patients. Its healing properties were discovered a few decades ago, when, as the story goes, an employee from a nearby power plant began rubbing white, silica-rich mud from the lagoon onto his psoriasis plaques while soaking in the geothermal water. His psoriasis began to clear up and word spread. Eventually, researchers decided to see for themselves whether there was any truth to the claims. One of the first studies was published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology in 1994. Twenty-seven people with psoriasis were enrolled in the study, which lasted three weeks and required bathing in the lagoon for an hour three times a day. The patients were advised to rub the silica mud on themselves and shower afterwards. On average, patients saw a significant reduction in their psoriasis symptoms, but researchers noted that it might not be enough as a single treatment. Some of the patients also saw symptoms return shortly after the study was over. Some doctors in the US, however, are more reluctant to back the waters. “I personally wouldn’t recommend that as treatment because it’s not part of my guidelines,” says Esther Kim, an assistant professor of dermatology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Kim notes that the Blue Lagoon’s treatment regimen incorporates UV light therapy, which is an established treatment for psoriasis. “I would not know enough about the actual baths to say it can improve symptoms,” she said. — Madison Muller | 
