Psoriasis can be tough to manage at the best of times. Flares can cause you to be limited to the products you can use on your face, body, hair and even your clothes have to be carefully picked to ensure nothing causes further irritation or redness.
One of the major downsides of facial psoriasis is that it’s harder to hide. You can use makeup but unlucky for me even the slightest touch of makeup on my psoriasis and I am a bigger, even
Since my facial psoriasis is flaring currently, I thought I would share my tips for keeping flares under control and not causing additional irritation.
Always remove your makeup
This might be a simple one but, I have to admit that at the beginning of my facial psoriasis journey I was so bad for not removing my makeup! I would fall asleep with my makeup on and wake up to irritated, red skin with makeup clinging to my psoriasis, which would only come off after a good scrub with a makeup wipe – ouch! This process left my skin even more irritated and sore – at times it would even cause bleeding due to excessive scrubbing!
I quickly learnt that makeup (if I could manage to wear it and not scratch it all off) must be removed before going to sleep to lessen the irritation and redness through the night and into the next morning. I also decided to swap my nightly routine of using facial wipes, which could sometimes cause irritation due to ingredients, for re-usable makeup cloths!
My favourite makeup removing cloth is the Magnitone Wipeout! Cleansing Cloth. This great product is a micro-fibre cleansing cloth the removes makeup with just warm water! It’s perfect if you have irritated skin, especially if like me you get psoriasis around the eye area.
If the Magnitone cloths are a little out of your price range I have seen some great budget friendly alternatives in Boots and Primark!
Get a skincare routine
You may think that just because you have facial psoriasis you can’t have a morning and evening skincare routine. You are wrong! I firmly believe that having a morning and evening skincare routine is important, as you need to keep your psoriasis patches as well as the rest of your skin cleansed, fresh and hydrated.
When you have completed your skincare routine, make sure to pat dry your skin. By patting dry your skin you will retain more moisture which is going to help you seal in more product when using your moisturiser.
Stay hydrated
It is important to keep your skin hydrated at all times,
I like to ensure I keep my psoriasis patches hydrated with a heavy-duty moisturiser in the morning and at night to help my skin feel softer and look smoother. When looking for a heavy-duty moisturiser, I find it best to find one that is paraben free, hypoallergenic plus fragrance and alcohol-free. I also like to use moisturisers that help with irritation and redness too.
It’s not just moisturiser I look to in my skincare routine for hydration. I also like to use a hydrating cleanser for my skin. I find a good milk cleanser is great for dry skin, especially my psoriasis. This type of cleanser can leave moisturising agents on the skin which helps to improve the skin’s dryness.
As well as hydrating your skin on the outside, it is important to stay hydrated on the inside too! It is so important to get your daily recommendation of water. Water has many benefits including helping with toxins in the body, keeping skin clear and most importantly keeping your skin hydrated from the inside out!
See your doctor
If you are trying everything you can and your flare isn’t going away, then it may be time to visit your doctor. Seeing your Doctor or Dermatologist is the best thing to do if a flare isn’t getting any better. They will be able to assess your skin and prescribe medication as required for your psoraisis.
Hopefully, these tips will help you manage your facial psoriasis on a daily basis, allowing you to feel better and more confident in your skin.
Do you have any top tips for managing facial psoriasis?