How To Treat Eczema & Psoriasis At The Same Time

Many skin conditions are often confused with one another and eczema and psoriasis are no exception.

It’s not known exactly why eczema develops, but it can lead to dry, itchy and irritated skin anywhere on your body. Psoriasis occurs when your skin replaces itself every 3 to 7 days, rather than every 3 to 4 weeks. This leads to areas where skin cells build up into patches, and these patches are psoriasis.

While they are entirely different conditions, they both cause a range of similar, and often debilitating symptoms, like excess dryness, itching, soreness and even broken skin.

We know that treating a skin condition can take up a considerable amount of your time. Fortunately, there are some treatments that work for both eczema and psoriasis, which can help reduce the interruption that looking after your skin causes in your day- to-day life.

Here are 5 of the best ways to treat eczema and psoriasis at the same time.

"The most common form of eczema, atopic eczema, affects 1 in 5 children and 1 in 10 adults in the UK 1. Psoriasis affects around 1 in 50 people."

Keep your skin well moisturised

You almost certainly know this already, but it’s impossible to overstate the importance of keeping your skin moisturised. Dry skin is itchy, irritating and even painful, and the drier it gets, the more likely it is to become damaged. This can cause more pain and put you at risk of infections if open sores develop. Applying emollients (medical moisturisers) on a regular basis can help keep your skin more hydrated and supple.

Creams vs Ointments: What’s the difference?

Choosing the right product for your skin is essential for successful moisturising. So how do you know which is the best moisturiser for treating eczema and psoriasis?

Ointments contain more oil than creams do, which makes them the best choice for extremely dry, cracked and sore skin. However, they can be quite greasy, which makes them better for nighttime application, and if you’re using bandages as part of your treatment. However, they shouldn’t be used on eczema that’s weeping.

Betnovate Cream & OintmentBetnovate Cream and Betnovate Ointment are prescription-only corticosteroid treatments used to alleviate symptoms of eczema, psoriasis, and other skin conditions. They help reduce inflammation, irritation, and redness. Typically, a short treatment course of 7 to 10 days is effective for clearing flare-ups.

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Creams are thick and moisturising too, but they are much less greasy and are absorbed more quickly and easily, making them ideal for daytime use.

Eumovate Cream & OintmentEumovate eczema and dermatitis cream is a moderate-strength steroid treatment for inflamed skin and itching caused by eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, and insect bites. It can also be used to help prevent eczema flare-ups.

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What about lotions? Lotions are another option for moisturising, but they contain much more water than either ointments or creams. Not only are they thinner and easier to spread, but it also means they will be less nourishing for your skin, and probably won’t keep it hydrated and supple for anywhere near as long.

Elocon Scalp LotionThis powerful topical corticosteroid, which contains mometasone furoate, is applied to the scalp to decrease redness and itchiness.

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For more on emollients, see our helpful guide.

Be smart with your skincare

When you live with a skin condition, choosing new skincare products can feel like a minefield. Will a new product cause your eczema to flare up? It’s not always easy to know. However, there are some factors which generally increase the risk of making your skin condition worse. For example, products that contain lots of chemicals are more likely to cause irritation or allergic reaction. Our recommendation is that you choose brands and products that focus on unperfumed and hypoallergenic ranges designed specifically for sensitive skin. We like:

CeraVe Moisturising CreamCeraVe Moisturising Cream has a rich formula that protects the skin's natural barrier using three essential ceramides and MVE technology for both immediate and long-lasting hydration.

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And once you’ve found something that works and that doesn’t trigger a skin-based meltdown, stick with it!

Monitor how medications interact with your skin

If you’re taking any other medications, it’s a good idea to check whether or not they could have an effect on your skin condition. For example, beta-blockers, which are routinely taken to lower blood pressure, have been shown to make psoriasis worse in some patients. The same can be said for some mental health medicines, including alprazolam and diazepam.

There are usually alternative drugs available, so if you think that the one you’ve been prescribed could be making your skin worse, be sure to speak to your doctor about your concerns.

Maintain a healthy, active lifestyle

There are countless reasons to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle, and improving your eczema and psoriasis is just one. Many people with eczema have allergies, and this can extend to the food they eat too. Nevertheless, there are some diets which are reported to be particularly good for optimising the health and condition of your skin – such as anti-inflammatory diets, which limit dairy, whole grains, red meat, flour and sugar, but emphasize eating veggies and fish.

Getting regular exercise is good for you too. This is because regular exercise actually decreases your body’s hormonal and immune responses to stress, lowering your stress levels and minimising the risk of a skin flare up that’s caused by tensions running high.

Relaxation techniques and stress management are excellent tools for keeping eczema and psoriasis under control.

When to consider topical corticosteroids

Most skin conditions come and go over time, with flare ups often caused by issues such as stress, lack of sleep and a poor diet. If your skin is particularly dry and sore, and your regular treatments aren’t providing enough relief, it may be time to ramp up your treatment and ask your doctor about corticosteroids, which can be used to treat both eczema and psoriasis.

You may have had corticosteroids before, or at least heard about them. They are anti- inflammatory, which means that the active ingredients they contain will help to slow the accumulation of dead skin cells, improving the appearance of your skin, and the symptoms associated with your skin condition.

There are different types of corticosteroids in varying strengths. Some can be bought over the counter, and some are only available on prescription. This is because they are very potent and must be used sparingly. And for skin conditions, these steroids are usually topical and applied in a very thin layer over the affected skin, once or twice each day for a very short period of time.

Always follow the advice and instructions of your healthcare provider.

Other medications that could help your skin

Sometimes, severe eczema or psoriasis can become so dry and inflamed that the skin breaks, causing open sores. If this happens, you are at greater risk of infection. This is where bacteria get into the skin and causes other symptoms such as redness and areas of pus. Infections can also cause you to feel and become quite unwell.

If your skin becomes infected, you may be given topical antibiotics. More severe infections may require additional treatment, such as oral antibiotics.

We know that living with eczema and/or psoriasis can be challenging, but with the right care, it’s possible to minimise your symptoms and get on with living your life to the full.

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Sources

1. https://eczema.org/information...
2. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/...
3. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/...
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p...
5. https://www.webmd.com/skin-pro...