Psoriasis moisturizers

Non-medicated moisturizers. Maintaining adequate skin moisture helps to control the scaling associated with psoriasis. Emollients restore skin pliability, reduce skin shedding, reduce pruritus, and help prevent painful cracking and bleeding.2 Non-medicated moisturizers may be liberally applied several times daily to help prevent skin dryness. Fragrance-free products should be selected when available. 

RCTs it is therefore possible to gain information about the efficacy of moisturizers as monotherapy. The effect of the cream base varies. In a stable, dry, and scaly dermatosis such as psoriasis, active treatment with calcipotriol reduces disease severity as assessed by PASI scores by 56%, whereas the use of the cream base reduces it 35%.1 Dry skin is also a key diagnostic element in atopic dermatitis and moisturizers are therefore extensively used in this disease. Looking at the placebo-arm in RCTs of topical treatment of atopic dermatitis the placebo effect appears to be in the range of 20%.2 6 The disease is however also more dynamic, and it waxes and wanes more frequently than psoriasis, which may explain the difference seen between the two disseases. 

Chapter 13 Effects of Moisturizer in Psoriasis 135 Joachim W. Fluhr, Maria Breternitz, and Enzo Berardesca... 

Jojoba (Simmondsia chincnsis) This is not actually an oil but a liquid wax. It is good for cosmetic use with moisturizing properties and ideal for dry skin and conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It is similar chemically to sebum and able to dissolve it. The oil keeps well owing to a stable molecular structure and analysis shows both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, with eicosenoic (71%), oleic (14%), stearic (10%) and palmitic (1.5%). The presence of a compound called myristic acid is thought to confer anti-inflammatory properties. 

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