Psoriasis Flare Ups and Why You Need Three Sprays
Willard Sheppy Dipl. OM, LAc, BS
Willard Sheppy is a licensed acupuncturist (LAc) and Founder of Valley Health Clinic specializing in using Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat acute injuries and chronic conditions, and to improve sports performance and rehabilitation.
Table of Contents
Hi, I’m Dr. Meli with Shu Hong Botanicals, and I keep getting the question: why did we make Shu Hong?
The short answer is that it was born of my husband, Dr. Jesse. He and I are both acupuncturists and herbalists, and he also deals with psoriasis — and unfortunately, he gets it on his face. Everything in this system came out of trying to figure out what would actually work for him. So let me walk you through it: why one formula was never going to be enough, what the three sprays are, how we use them, and what we’ve seen.
Quick answer
Shu Hong Red Relief is three sprays for three phases of a skin condition: Balanced is our daily toner, Flare Control is for when your skin is in an active flare, and Fire Control is for the deeper “fire toxin” phase — the burning, nerve-level irritation. We made it for psoriasis, which is not one phase and not one pattern, and we’ve had wonderful success with eczema, rosacea and acne as well. Use them as a system, in order, not as one product per condition.
Why did we make Shu Hong?
And I will tell you, when he goes to see patients, he will sometimes say, “I feel like a monster.” This is a really difficult thing for him to have to deal with.
He’s really good about controlling it with diet, and he just refuses to use Doxy to suppress his immune system the rest of his life. So knowing what we do about Chinese medicine, we really became passionate — and he in particular — about trying to figure out what will work.
What was the alternative?
The Western medical solution was to put him on doxycycline and suppress his immune system for the rest of his life. He wasn’t willing to do that. He tried it for a couple of weeks and said that was as long as he was willing to go. That’s really where this came from: we were trying to figure out a way to help him maintain without having to be on an immune-suppressing Western drug for the rest of his life.
"When he goes to see patients, he will sometimes say, 'I feel like a monster.'"
— Dr. Meli, Shu Hong Botanicals
There are multiple patterns in psoriasis
We had heard all kinds of the formulas that are traditionally used in Chinese medicine. A lot of the problem with those formulas is that they are truly made for one phase — and psoriasis is not one phase.
In Chinese medicine we also have patterns, and patterns are something that there’s not just one of in psoriasis. Each individual may have more patterns than another. So it’s not even just the same pattern in each and every individual. So really, that’s where this was born of. We actually created the three.
Patterns, not one pattern
Jesse recognized that there are multiple patterns in psoriasis ,it’s not a single-phase condition. It’s pattern-based, just like Chinese medicine. Different stages need different treatment. Even with his diet maintained and his herbs taken consistently and the pattern treated correctly, there’s still a component of psoriasis — the germicidal, fungal and stress-response aspects — that is really difficult to control. So the system was born out of that need.
Why we created the three
We have Shu Hong Balanced, which is our more daily. Then we have Shu Hong Flare, which is really just like it sounds like, it’s when your skin is in that active flare and you’re looking to calm things down. And this is our Fire spray. Fire really was developed for more that fire toxin. Flare is really the damp-heat phase, and fire toxin is also more the neuro-inflammatory aspect.
What are the three sprays?
We use these as a system of care. They are not just one product for each condition. Think of them as depths: Balanced stays at the surface and rebuilds the barrier, Flare Control works on the surface and mid-layer where the damp-heat lives, and Fire Control goes deepest, to the channels and the nerves. The alcohol content rises across the three — Balanced is our lowest, Fire Control our highest — and that’s what lets each one reach the layer it’s meant for.
Balanced is our daily toner
I also really am enjoying, myself, using our Balanced. I use that for a daily skin toner now. I don’t particularly have any skin issues, but I do have an oily T-zone and a little bit of dryness on the rest of my facial skin areas, on the outside perimeter. So I’ve started using Balanced as a daily toner, even as a replacement for some of my more high-end cosmetic creams.
That’s because of the Yin Er, which is our Tremella mushroom. We call that actually nature’s hyaluronic acid. I’m really able to replace the moisture barrier in my skin, and I don’t really find the need to use another cosmetic cream. It’s been very hydrating — even though I have had other patients who have used it with a topical toner or other cosmetic creams that they’re using.
- What it does — restores moisture and barrier integrity, reduces visible redness, supports circulation; gentle enough for daily use on the whole body
- Yin Er (Tremella) — very light, fluffy, and very moisturizing; it's fragile, so we add it at the end rather than cook it with the other herbs. Its job is to replace the moisture barrier and seal the other herbs into the skin
- Also in it — Huang Qi (Astragalus), Mai Men Dong (Ophiopogon), Ku Shen, Bai Shao, Jin Yin Hua, Gan Cao, Pu Gong Ying
- Strength — 25% alcohol; our lowest, for daily use
Flare Control is for active flares
So Flare has been really interesting, because it’s been wonderful for a variety of conditions. While we created it for psoriasis flare, it’s actually been wonderful for eczema, acne — deep cystic acne even — and particularly wonderful for rosacea.
One of the wonderful things we’ve actually realized is not only have we had good success with psoriasis, but we’re actually having some wonderful success with other conditions as well. Flare is one of those products that really has a wonderful effect for psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, acne, deep cystic acne, and some really interesting other dermatitis-type conditions that we’ve found success with.
- Pattern — damp-heat. Flare treats the wet, oozing, surface-level pathology
- How we use it — on the affected areas during an active flare, let it dry, then follow with Balanced to replace the moisture barrier. It's more drying by design, so it's targeted, not a daily all-over product
- Herbs — Ku Shen, Bai Xian Pi, She Chuang Zi, Di Fu Zi, Huang Bai, Jin Yin Hua, Lian Qiao, Pu Gong Ying, Jing Jie, Fang Feng
Fire Control is for the deepest phase
Fire Control is for fire toxin — what we’d call neuroinflammation in Western terms. Fire toxin in TCM means the problem has penetrated to the level of the channels and nerves. It has our highest alcohol content, our deepest penetration, and no expiration date, because the alcohol concentration keeps it fully stable.
So while we’ve been having some really good success with this for our skin conditions, we’ve also had some unique success with things like neuropathy and restless legs, Bell’s palsy, and also shingles.
- Pattern — fire toxin. Fire treats the deep, burning, nerve-level pathology; Flare and Fire are addressing fundamentally different layers
- Herbs — Ku Shen, Lian Qiao, Huang Qin, Chuan Xiong, Gou Teng
- Not for eczema on its own — it will be too drying
- Shelf life — no expiration date
Shu Hong Red Relief
Three sprays, three phases
Balanced is where nearly everyone starts. Flare Control and Fire Control are there for when your skin tells you it needs more. Available at Valley Health Market.
How to use them
For psoriasis, you start with Fire and Flare together. Apply Fire first — it’s our deepest-penetrating formula — let it dry, then spray Flare Control. As things settle down and the skin starts to transition, you shift to leading with Flare Control, letting it dry, and then finishing with Balanced to replenish the moisture barrier. Once the skin is stabilized, Balanced becomes your maintenance product — keeping the skin healthy and preventing future eruptions.
- Daily — Balanced. I wash my face, close my eyes, and spray it all over. I also spray the décolletage — the neck and chest
- Active flare — Flare Control on the affected areas, let it dry, then Balanced
- Psoriasis, acute — Fire Control first, let it dry completely, then Flare Control
- Psoriasis, calming down — Flare Control first, let it dry, then Balanced
- Psoriasis, stable — Balanced only
- Broken or open skin — Flare Control first, let it dry, then anything else. That's the only time you might feel any sensation
Eczema is not psoriasis
For eczema, I would not use Fire Control — it will be too drying. I stick with Flare Control on affected areas, let it dry, then follow with Balanced. Balanced is really important for eczema patients because we need to replace the moisture barrier. Eczema is more of an immune, atopic response — the histamine and allergy connection — whereas psoriasis is autoimmune. That distinction changes how you approach treatment.
The scalp, and Evil Bone Water
I’ve found Fire Control is incredibly safe for the hair. For patients with severely itchy scalp — particularly from neurological causes like cervical compression — I part the scalp and spray Fire directly in, then work it in like a serum. I’ve had a couple of patients where it’s so severe they say it’s driving them insane. Fire has been very successful there.
Evil Bone Water can absolutely be added to this protocol. For neuropathy — that stinging, burning pain where Evil Bone Water helps a little but doesn’t quite meet the mark — combining it with Fire Control produces an incredible response. The two together are notably more effective than either alone.
What have we seen?
So we’ve been having pretty fantastic results, not just with my husband’s skin. Once we saw how well it was working for Dr. Jesse — he really is able to wake up when he has a flare situation and get it under control. Within about ten, fifteen minutes, he’s seeing the skin starting to calm down. That redness is calming, the pain, the itching is calming. And really within an hour or so, he’s got his skin back, and it’s starting to really calm down to the point where he feels confident again and can go about his day.
Beyond psoriasis
But it’s pretty wonderful, because we’ve also realized that some of these products are good for things outside of psoriasis. We’ve had wonderful success with rosacea, some really good stories with eczema, and deep cystic acne and acne in general.
We’ve had some really idiopathic dermatology conditions where a derm has said, “Here’s a steroid cream. We don’t really know what’s going on.” And people have just been kind of using that to help keep something under control that hasn’t gone away, maybe for six months to a year — where we’ve started using these products, and that situation has disappeared in a week, in all ten of those cases that we’ve had. So pretty successful results.
"Within an hour or so, he's got his skin back … to the point where he feels confident again and can go about his day."
— Dr. Meli, Shu Hong Botanicals
What's in it, and is it safe?
I went and did extensive research — including Korean skincare, which is huge right now — and looked across different countries and price points. What I found is that most skincare products, even $100-plus premium products, contain very minimal active ingredients, a huge amount of filler, and a large number of chemical preservatives. Shu Hong Botanicals has the highest herbal concentration of any product I found on the market.
Beyond that, we are not using any chemical preservatives. We use Lucidol, Propanediol and Geogard, which are all Cosmos-certified and plant-derived. Lucidol, for example, is fermented radish — it preserves the product and is actually beneficial for the skin. I’ve tested all three products on every area of the body, and they’re all safe. No stinging, no burning.
- External use only. Avoid the eyes and open wounds.
- Broken or open skin — Flare Control first, let it dry completely, then follow with anything else.
- Fire Control and eczema — I would not. It's too drying.
- Getting worse, spreading, or weeping heavily — get it looked at by a practitioner. These sprays support the skin; they aren't a diagnosis.
- Pregnant or nursing — check with your practitioner before adding any topical herbal.
The Shu Hong system is a cosmetic, skin-supportive topical product line intended to support healthy skin function and comfort. It is not a drug and does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Clinical cases and observations shared here are for educational purposes only. Individual results vary. Consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical skin concerns.
References
Shu Hong Botanicals / Brock Integrative Health. Shu Hong Product Guide; Practitioner Guide; Biofilms, Chronic Skin Disease, and the Shu Hong System (practitioner white paper). On file. Product pages: brockintegrativehealth.com/collections/shu-hong.
Wolosik K, Gasiewska G, et al. Tremella fuciformis Extract Evokes Similar Effect as Hyaluronic Acid on Wound Healing but Through Different Mechanisms. Molecules. 2026. doi:10.3390/molecules31132354. Link →
Gonzalez T, Biagini Myers JM, et al. Staphylococcal Biofilms in Atopic Dermatitis. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2017. doi:10.1007/s11882-017-0750-x. Link →
Jiang MY, Jiang Y. Treating steroid-dependent psoriasis from the blood-heat syndrome perspective: a case report. Medicine (Baltimore). 2025. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000045926. Link →
FAQ's
Which spray should I start with?
Balanced. It’s our daily toner and the one I use myself every day — wash your face, spray it on, done. Flare Control and Fire Control are for when your skin is in an active flare or the deeper, burning phase.
Can I use Fire Control for eczema?
I would not — it will be too drying. For eczema I stick with Flare Control on the affected areas, let it dry, then follow with Balanced, because with eczema we need to replace the moisture barrier.
What order do I use them in for psoriasis?
Start with Fire and Flare together: Fire first, let it dry, then Flare Control. As the skin settles, lead with Flare Control and finish with Balanced. Once it’s stable, Balanced becomes your maintenance product.
Why three products instead of one?
Because psoriasis is not one phase, and in Chinese medicine it’s not one pattern either — each person may have more patterns than another. The traditional formulas were made for one phase. We made three so you can treat the phase you’re actually in.
Will it sting?
I’ve tested all three on every area of the body — no stinging, no burning. The only time you might feel any sensation is if the skin is broken or open; in that case apply Flare Control first, let it dry, then follow with anything else.
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