The Best Products for Treating Eczema and Psoriasis
As our skin gets drier during the cool months, those with eczema or psoriasis may start to notice their condition getting worse or it being more difficult to keep it under control. I have mild eczema that mostly flares up in the cold and when I’ve consumed highly acidic foods, wine, or have been in contact with harsh cleaning products. I’ve had a prescription for hydrocortisone cream in the past, but I only use that as a last resort. Thankfully, I’ve found a few affordable products that have really helped ease the itchiness and have minimized the minor flare-ups that I have.
Before I get into these products, I want to highlight some foods and that actually make eczema and psoriasis worse. Foods like citrus, plums, tomatoes, dairy that comes from a cow, some red meat, wine, and sugar are just a few that exacerbate the conditions. An ingredient in a lot of skincare to avoid is lanolin. While it comes from sheep's wool, it can severely flare up eczema. Heavy fragrances, essential oils, retinoids, strong cleaning products like Bleach, Clorox and Lysol (wear gloves if you need to use them!), propylene glycol, and ethanol are some others to avoid when picking out your skincare. They're all irritants that cause inflammation, which is what we are trying to avoid with eczema and psoriasis.
Back to recommendations: I only have four, and that’s because these are the four that I’ve found to be most helpful and swear by.
This oil is full of Vitamins E and A, and Omegas 3, 6 and 9! This makes it especially great for dry skin, but its healing properties are soothing for eczema and psoriasis-prone skin. It has an extremely strong, earthy smell, so I only recommend using this at nighttime and only on affected areas if you are sensitive to smell. I like to apply this right before bed, topped off with CeraVe Moisturizing Psoriasis Cream, or their regular moisturizing cream.
CeraVe Eczema Relief Creamy Body Oil
This creamy oil contains colloidal oatmeal to help relieve itchiness, hyaluronic acid to help retain moisture, and tons of ceramides to help restore and protect the skin barrier. This is a MUST have! CeraVe has the best body care in my opinion because the ingredients focus on restoring the skin barrier.
CeraVe Psoriasis Moisturizing Cream
This cream is great for psoriasis and mild cases of eczema. It contains 2% salicylic acid to relieve itchiness and irritation, lactic acid to gently exfoliate, niacinamide to calm, and loads of ceramides to restore the skin barrier!
Skinfix Eczema+ Targeted Body Balm
This is the priciest one, but Skinfix creates a great body balm that contains colloidal oatmeal, sweet almond oil and zinc oxide. All of these work together to relieve irritation and maintain hydration... and RESTORE THE SKIN BARRIER!
Disclaimer: This is not medical advice. For diagnosis and treatment of mild and/or severe cases, please see your dermatologist.