Regardless of which type of psoriasis you’re diagnosed with, your skin care routine is a big part of successful symptom management. Not sure where to start? This guide to psoriasis skin care can set you up for success.

Before you start your psoriasis skin care journey, it’s helpful to understand why skin care is important for managing this condition.

Psoriasis skin can be intensely itchy and painful. Not only can the build-up of cells on your skin’s surface disrupt its natural barrier and cause dryness that contributes to itching, but underlying inflammation in psoriasis can stimulate the nerves in your skin, creating itching or pain.

Anything you put on your skin that promotes drying or irritation can make your symptoms worse.

On top of that, skin barrier disruption can cause your skin to become hypersensitive. Your skin barrier, also known as your epidermal barrier, is the outmost layer of your skin that serves as a protective layer between your internal systems and the external environment.

When this barrier becomes compromised, irritants usually unable to enter your body can now penetrate the skin. This can cause an immune reaction. An immune reaction compounds existing inflammation from psoriasis, making your symptoms flare, or worsen.

By practicing psoriasis-friendly skin care, you may be able to reduce inflammation, pain, and itching caused by common products and practices.

When choosing skin care products and a routine, it’s important to be aware of potential triggers, which may cause psoriasis symptoms to flare up, or worsen. Triggers can be different for everyone, but there are some common triggers to watch out for.

Routines

Potential skin care activity triggers to avoid include:

  • long, hot showers (10-minutes or less, warm showers are OK)
  • vigorous scrubbing
  • shaving with dull blades or excessive pressure
  • frequent hair removal, including shaving, waxing, and tweezing

Sometimes just cleaning your skin too often, even with a gentle cleanser, can be irritating, too.

Ingredients

Avoiding certain ingredients in your skin care products is also important. In general, any product that “strips” away moisture from your skin or contains harsh chemicals can be irritating.

Knowing ahead of time which products may trigger your symptoms may take some trial and error. Read product reviews and labels before trying a new product.

If you experience symptoms after using a product, look closely at the ingredients. It can be helpful to track products you use and any symptoms you experience so that you can start to identity ingredients you may want to avoid.

Ingredients in skin care products to watch out for with psoriasis include:

Remember, everyone’s skin is different. Many ingredients can potentially aggravate psoriasis skin depending on the formulation and frequency of use. Certain essential oils, for example, may have therapeutic benefits for psoriasis, but applying too much or too often or using a less-than-pure formulation could make psoriasis worse.

Salicylic acid is another example of an ingredient that can be overused. Your dermatologist may recommend a salicylic acid product to help remove scale in psoriasis. Using multiple products with salicylic acid, however, or using them too often can be very drying to your skin and may make your symptoms worse. Ask your dermatologist for guidance on how frequently to use these products.

Your dermatologist can review the ingredients in any products you’d like to try and offer guidance on how frequently each product should be used.

Moisturizers

Moisturizing throughout the day and at key times, like just after showering, may help soothe your skin and maintain its moisture levels. Be mindful of the ingredients, however. Some additives or fragrances may lead to flareups.

For ideas on products to try, check out Healthline’s 8 Best Facial Moisturizers for Psoriasis list.

Sunscreen

Sunscreen is a dual-purpose product in your psoriasis skin care kit. It can moisturize your skin and protect it from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.

When choosing a sunscreen, look for a broadspectrum mineral sunscreen of 30SPF or higher. Avoid sunscreens with fragrance, additives, and chemicals.

Urea creams and lotions

In psoriasis, urea products may help support your skin’s moisture balance while helping to loosen dead skin cells on plaques. This is because urea has both moisturizing and exfoliating properties.

Body wash

When choosing a body wash, again look for something without fragrance or other additives. A consumer usage study from 2019 found people with psoriasis reported significant skin improvements while using ceramide/keratolytic-containing creams and cleaners.

Shampoos

As many as 80% of people with psoriasis experience scalp psoriasis. Since many shampoos focus on your hair quality and not your scalp health, this can make finding a good shampoo challenging.

Your doctor may prescribe a medicated shampoo or other topical product for scalp psoriasis, but over-the-counter (OTC) coal tar products may help, too.

Coal tar can slow rapid growth of skin cells and may reduce inflammation, itching, and scaling in psoriasis. Products containing 0.5% to 5% of coal tar are considered the most effective for this skin condition.

When planning your skin care routine, consider following these steps to maximize your results:

Morning routine

  1. Wash with a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser.
  2. To maximize absorption into the skin, apply any products prescribed by your dermatologist to freshly cleansed skin.
  3. Wait for medications to dry or absorb and then apply a moisturizing cream or lotion generously to your face and body.
  4. After your moisturizer has fully absorbed into your skin, apply your sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher. Avoid putting sunscreen on actively inflamed skin.
  5. Once your sunscreen has absorbed, you can apply makeup gently with your fingers or a soft makeup tool. Less is more. Avoid heavy layers of makeup or lengthy application techniques.

Evening routine

  1. Wash with a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser.
  2. Apply any medications or prescription products.
  3. After psoriasis treatments have absorbed or dried, apply a moisturizing cream or lotion generously to your face and body.

Showering routine

Showering can be a part of your morning or evening routine. Whenever you decide to take on this task, keep these skin care tips in mind:

  • Limit showers to less than 10 minutes.
  • Keep water warm, not hot.
  • Use a gentle, moisturizing soap or body wash.
  • Wash skin with your hands to avoid irritation from wash cloths, loofahs, or scrubbies.
  • Shampoo with your gentle product of choice or medicated shampoo from your dermatologist.
  • Rinse all products off completely.
  • If shaving in the shower, wait until the end of your shower when hair is most supple and use a moisturizing lotion or cream instead of plain soap.

Psoriasis is a chronic condition, but proactive skin care can help you manage symptoms. By focusing on moisturizing, and gentle products and activities, you can limit irritation that could lead to flares of inflammation, itching, and pain.

Don’t forget: psoriasis means something different for everyone. While this psoriasis skin care guide is a good place to start, your dermatologist can help you customize a routine that’s right for you.