8 Best Body Washes for Psoriasis: Soothe & Hydrate Sensitive Skin

The products you put on your skin, like body wash, play an important role in psoriasis management. Some body washes contain ingredients that aren’t well suited for people with sensitive skin, such as parabens, dyes, or fragrances. But the good news is that there are plenty of products formulated with a healthy skin barrier in mind. Zest dermatologists recommend these gentle body washes that help retain moisture, lower inflammation, and reduce itch.

What to Look for in a Body Wash for Psoriasis

Product labels can be confusing if you don’t know what to look for. Your body wash should only contain ingredients that support hydration and are unlikely to cause itching or irritation. 

Deanna Moore, NP-C, Zest care provider, recommends the following body wash ingredients for psoriasis:

• Colloidal Oatmeal: Eases dryness, itchiness, and scaling due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
• Coal Tar: Slows the overproduction of skin cells that lead to plaques and reduces inflammation.
• Pine Tar: Contains anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and antipruritic (anti-itch) properties, helping ease many psoriasis symptoms.
• Dead Sea Salt: Removes dead skin cells via anti-inflammatory and gentle exfoliating properties. 
• Salicylic Acid: Reduces skin flakes and scales, working as a gentle exfoliating and peeling agent.
• Glycolic acid: Gently exfoliates and helps to reduce scales and plaques.
• Shea Butter: Hydrates and repairs the skin barrier due to its fatty acids and anti-inflammatory compounds. 
• Keratolytics: Loosens and removes scales. Active ingredients with keratolytics that are well-suited for psoriasis include lactic acid or urea.
• Ceramides: Help lock in moisture and restore your skin barrier.

On the other hand, be sure to avoid these irritating ingredients:

• Alcohol: A common soap ingredient that dries out the skin. It may be listed as ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol. 
• Fragrances: Chemical fragrances tend to contain alcohol and irritate sensitive skin.
• Dyes: Like fragrances, chemical-based dyes can be too harsh and triggering for those with psoriasis.
• Parabens: This group of preservatives are often added to skincare but can further inflame the skin.
• Sulfates: These strong detergent substances strip away your body’s natural oils and water, which can cause itching, redness, and dryness.
• Microbeads or grit: “These types of physical exfoliants are going to disrupt the skin barrier,” says Moore, as scrubbing psoriasis plaques causes trauma to the skin and can make it worse or trigger new plaques. 

Be wary of any product that says it will completely cure your psoriasis. While skincare products play a key role, psoriasis is a chronic condition that often requires a combination of treatments and lifestyle changes beyond one single product. 

Want personalized online psoriasis treatment that works? Zest is here for you.

Best Body Washes for Psoriasis

These are the top body washes recommended by our care team at Zest. These products contain gentle, barrier-boosting ingredients that will help keep your skin healthy. 

Each of these products is free of fragrances, dyes, and parabens. And because of their gentle ingredients, these body washes are also safe to use on your face. 

Best Overall Body Wash for Psoriasis

CeraVe Psoriasis Cleanser: This psoriasis-specific cleanser contains skin-relieving salicylic acid, mildly exfoliating lactic acid, barrier-boosting ceramides, moisturizing glycerin and urea, and soothing niacinamide. All together, these ingredients work together to remove psoriasis scales, gently cleanse, and help your skin retain moisture.

Vanicream Cleansing Bar: Enriched with Vanicream Skin Cream, this gentle bar contains simple ingredients that work together to leave your skin feeling soothed and moisturized. It’s designed for those with sensitive skin in mind and is free of any potentially irritating chemicals. 

Best Moisturizing Body Wash

Cetaphil’s Moisturizing Relief Body Wash: If you’re experiencing a bout of particularly dry skin, this body wash is a creamy blend of glycerin and shea butter that provides long-lasting moisture.

CeraVe Hydrating Cleansing Bar: With ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and 5% CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, this bar soap provides simultaneous cleansing and moisture.

Best Natural Formula

Kenkoderm Psoriasis Dead Sea Mud Soap With Argan Oil & Shea Butter: This unique natural blend of Dead Sea mud (which has been shown to reduce signs of inflammation), argan oil, shea butter, and vitamin E relieve itching and redness, remove scales, and moisturize the skin.

‍The Grandpa Soap Co’s Pine Tar Bar Soap: With cleansing, deodorizing, and moisturizing properties, pine tar oil is proven to relieve symptoms of psoriasis. This bar soap is also touted as a 3in1 product and can be used for your face and hair in addition to your body.

Best for Severe Flare-Ups

Vanicream Gentle Body Wash: This product contains very few ingredients, so it’s unlikely to aggravate your skin. It gently cleanses without stripping away your skin’s natural moisture, which is especially important during a flare.

‍CeraVe Body Wash With Salicylic Acid: “Salicylic acid is helpful for a flare because it smooths out your skin without causing irritation, so it can help reduce plaques and overall discomfort,” says Moore. This body wash also features hyaluronic acid, a moisture-booster, ceramides, and niacinamide. 

How to Use Body Wash for Psoriasis

Beyond choosing the right body wash, make sure the rest of your shower routine is skin-safe, too. Key to this is maintaining your skin’s moisture, relieving irritation, and avoiding harsh products or fabrics.

Tips for Showering Without Irritating Psoriasis

Here’s how to cleanse your skin without irritating it:

1. Don’t use a loofah to apply body wash, or any other abrasive material that causes friction against your skin. Opt for bar soap or use your hands to apply liquid soap.
2. Turn down the water temperature, keeping it comfortably warm but not scalding hot to the point that it dehydrates your skin.
3. Shorten your shower, keeping at about 5 minutes.
4. Don’t take more than one shower daily—this will help your skin retain its natural oils and moisture.
5. Blot skin dry, rather than rubbing the towel against your skin and disrupting the skin barrier. Leave your skin slightly damp to boost moisture.
6. Moisturize within a few minutes of getting out of the shower, when your skin is most supple.

“If you’re using products or doing anything that destroys the skin barrier, it’s going to force your prescriptions or any other treatments to work even harder,” says Moore. “Anything you can do at home to maintain your skin barrier and hydrate your skin is only going to amplify your treatment.”

Additional Skincare for Psoriasis Management

Critical to psoriasis management is keeping your skin moisturized. Moore recommends moisturizing twice a day, including right after you get out of the shower. 

Psoriasis-friendly moisturizers to pair with your body wash include:

1. Vanicream Moisturizing Cream: Delivers lasting hydration without grease. Rapidly absorbing, residue-free, and free from dyes, fragrances, parabens, and other chemicals.
2. MG217 2% Coal Tar Psoriasis Ointment: Combats dryness, itchiness, and restores your skin’s natural balance. 
3. CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion: Prevents moisture loss with a ceramides-rich, lightweight formula.  

FAQs About Psoriasis and Body Wash

What should I wash with if I have psoriasis?

Gentle, fragrance free body wash or bar soap. If using liquid soap, apply with your hands versus a loofah or washcloth.

What is the best soap for psoriasis?

Depending on whether you’re in the midst of a flare, looking for extra hydration, or prefer a natural formula, there are a variety of high-quality soap options for psoriasis. Top brands include CeraVe, Cetaphil, and Vanicream.

Ready for personalized psoriasis treatment that works for you? Learn more about how Zest can help.