Having psoriasis on your face isn’t very common, but it does happen. I personally have been dealing with it for the past two years and still experience flare-ups here and there. It mostly affects my eyelids, the area around my nose and mouth, the sides of my face, and on the cheeks under my eyes. Before I was officially diagnosed with psoriasis, I didn’t really know how to properly treat it so I kept trying to remove the flakes on my eyelids by using a wet washcloth and then moisturizing the area. It would sting a bit and get red and irritated. I would try to soothe it with some eye cream, but later in the day, my eyelids would get flaky again because my body was regenerating skin cells too fast. This meant I couldn’t really wear eye makeup the whole time, which made me sad because I love using my pretty eyeshadow palettes.
It took me some time to figure it out, but I finally came up with a routine that worked for me and now I’m excited to share it with you. These products have drastically improved the health and texture of my skin. I use them alongside my topical prescription medications for the most effectiveness.
1. Mario Badescu rosewater spray
First, is this rosewater face mist by Mario Badescu. It’s super popular and a best-seller for a reason. After I wash my face and pat it dry, I will spray this all over my face until it feels evenly hydrated. The rosewater and aloe immediately soothe my skin and feel refreshing. There are lots of rosewater face mists out there, so I don’t believe you have to specifically use this brand, but this is just what is easy for me to find and has consistently worked. Just make sure to check the ingredients for no witch hazel or alcohol because it will sting when you spray it and dry out your skin even more. I was using another spray that I loved before I had psoriasis but realized the witch hazel was irritating me whenever it flared up.
2. Pure aloe vera gel spray
As a healing boost, I found this aloe vera spray filled with pure aloe vera has calmed down my skin and keep it hydrated. Aloe vera is always good to have on hand if you live in a sunny place like Long Beach just in case you get a little burned. This is a fun fact, but sunlight can actually help reduce your psoriasis because of the vitamin D. Of course, you have to watch your time out in the sun and wear SPF if you’ll be out for more than 20 minutes. Like the other spray, make sure there is no alcohol at all in the gel because it will feel like your face is on fire if you put it directly onto your psoriasis. A lot of aloe vera gel bottles they sell at CVS or Target won’t be 100% pure, so double-check the ingredients just to make sure. Also, I like to avoid the gels that are artificially dyed green just because I think it’s an unnecessary ingredient and you never know if it might irritate your skin. With this product, I do two sprays into the palm of my left hand, then disperse it onto my other hand and pat it into my inflamed areas (which is usually all over my face). I actually found this spray at my local Sprouts market, so it’s always good to keep an eye out for skincare products wherever you are shopping. You never know where you may find the next best thing to save your skin!
3. Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream
Next, is this hydrating moisturizer. I have combination skin that leans more oily in the spring/summer and dry in the winter, so I was using the Tatcha water cream for most of the year, but once it got a little chilly and dry in the fall/winter my psoriasis started flaring up more often and consistently. Even though I love the lightweight Tatcha moisturizer, the oil-free water cream wasn’t cutting it, so I had to change it up and find a more hydrating but gentle moisturizer. Some moisturizers have active ingredients (like acids), which is fine to use when you’re not having a flare-up, but I wouldn’t recommend continuing using them in your moisturizer if you are. After some testing at Sephora (when it was open pre-pandemic), I decided on this Fresh rose deep hydration cream. I could feel that it was not too heavy for me but still really locked in moisture, lessening the chance my skin would get flaky and irritated throughout the day.
4. Eye cream and undereye mask
Eye cream is not only important for those with psoriasis but everyone over the age of 24, I would say. Your eyes are the first thing to start aging and using an eye cream will postpone any fine lines or crow’s feet that might start to pop up. I also have dark circles, so that’s why I like this eye cream by Ole Henriksen and have been buying it over and over. When I get psoriasis on my eyelids, they get flaky and red. So I use this day and night along with my Protopic prescription ointment and it keeps the area hydrated. As an emergency booster when I need some quick relief, I found that these undereye masks from Sephora have helped a lot too. The cucumber one is my favorite since it is the most soothing and relaxing. A perk is that it does tighten up the area underneath your eye so you’ll look more alive!
5. Chemical exfoliator or cleanser
I only do this step once a week, but when you’re experiencing a flare-up of psoriasis on your face, you will notice that your skin texture is kind of rough and flaky in places. To combat that, I will use this exfoliating peel gel on dry skin after cleansing my face. The name sounds a little intimidating or that it might be harsh, but it’s actually very gentle. When you use it, the layer of dead skin cells will be removed and your skin will be much smoother afterward. You won’t want to use this too often because over-exfoliating your skin isn’t good for it either, so I would keep it to one or two times a week. I prefer using a chemical exfoliator over a physical one (like a scrub) because those can actually be harsher and not as effective on sensitive inflamed skin.
All of these products really helped improve the condition of my skin and lessen the severity of my flare-ups. If you try these, I hope these will work just as well for you too. Keeping a consistent skincare routine is very important to managing psoriasis along with getting enough sleep. I’m actually experiencing a small psoriasis flare-up now because I haven’t been getting good quality sleep lately.
Being in this pandemic is just stressful. And I know it’s so hard to do little things for yourself right now with everything on your mind, but doing it does make you feel better. Taking care of yourself is work, but in the end, it’s rewarding because you will be able to see the results over time. Whenever I have those bad skin days and I just feel unattractive, I remember to not let my skin control me and that I’m doing the best I can.
Even if your skin is not great right now, you still are.
It takes time to heal, so listen to your body and do what feels right. Over time you will develop a natural relationship with your skin and begin to understand what it’s trying to tell you. So many factors affect the skin, but by knowing your body you can start to make changes that will positively impact its overall appearance and health.
