Photo by Axel Sigurðsson

Icelanders who suffer from psoriasis can now receive the healing properties of the Blue Lagoon without cost.

RÚV reports that the scheme is a part of joint efforts by Icelandic Health Insurance and Bláa Lónið hf., the Blue Lagoon’s operating company.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Welfare, this treatment will be completely cost-free, with the Blue Lagoon picking up most of the tab. All that is required is a referral from a doctor, which a prospective patient then presents to staff at the Blue Lagoon.

The skin care properties of the minerals in the Blue Lagoon’s water have been known for some time now, but visits can sometimes prove expensive for those seeking treatment.

This new policy is not just good news for psoriasis patients, either. Minister of Health Kristján Þór Júlíusson believes the measure will save the government some 25 million ISK, which will be used instead to fund other types of eczema and psoriasis treatment.