Collection: Creams for skin prone to psoriasis - 100% Natural

Natural Psoriasis Cream, Without the Irritants

Psoriasis-prone skin needs rich, generous moisture, and it's often sensitive too, so the preservatives, emulsifiers and synthetic fragrances found in many conventional creams can make things worse. Our 100% natural creams and balms are water-free, so we can leave all of those out. Most are 98–99% organic, made by hand in Wells, Somerset, and all are free from steroids. This is the home of the Lyonsleaf approach to psoriasis: a simple routine built around softening, calming and protecting your skin.

Skincare is only part of the picture. For triggers, diet, gut health, stress and psoriatic arthritis, see our Natural Psoriasis Treatment page.

The Lyonsleaf Approach to Psoriasis

Psoriasis responds well to rich, generous moisturising rather than a light touch, and to passive softening rather than scrubbing. Psoriasis-prone skin can form new plaques where it's injured, including from scratching or vigorous exfoliation (the Koebner response), so let soaking and rich emollients soften scale rather than removing it mechanically.

• Cleanse gently. The Oil Cleansing Method using Unfragranced Beauty Balm and lukewarm water. No scrubbing, ever, and pat skin dry rather than rubbing.
• Moisturise generously, not sparingly. Pure Baby Balm is unfragranced and a good everyday choice, especially if your skin reacts to fragrance. Natural Body Butter is a richer option for large areas, but it's fragranced with essential oils, so patch test first. Applying straight after a bath, while skin is still slightly damp, helps lock moisture in.
• Soften thick, scaly plaques. Our Marshmallow Oil is particularly good at softening scale. Reapply as often as you need to.
• Calm red, itchy plaques. Calendula and Marshmallow Balm combines softening marshmallow root with calendula, a traditional herb for soothing skin. It's unfragranced, and a good everyday choice for most plaques.
• Stubborn or weepy patches. Zinc and Calendula Cream is the most soothing product we make, but zinc oxide is also drying. Because psoriasis plaques usually need more moisture, not less, apply a richer balm first and the zinc cream over the top: the "sandwich technique" explained in Using Zinc and Calendula Cream with Dry Skin. If skin is broken or weeping, read Using Unpreserved Skincare on Broken Skin first.
• Scalp plaques. Marshmallow Oil or Calendula and Marshmallow Balm both work well for softening scalp plaques. Massage into the affected areas, leave for a while, then shampoo out if you need to, or leave them in if you can. If a patch is weepy or particularly inflamed, Zinc and Calendula Cream used the same way is the better choice. Some of our customers, us included, have found it very effective on the scalp, and it doesn't tend to leave hair looking greasy if it's carefully applied.
• Soak before you moisturise. A warm (not hot) bath with Dead Sea salt is a gentle, low-risk way to soften scale, and Dead Sea treatments have a real research history in psoriasis. Our Natural Psoriasis Treatment page explains what the evidence does and doesn't show.

Psoriasis on the face? Treat it gently, and see our Natural Skincare Routine for Dry & Sensitive Skin for a full morning and evening routine.

Why Water-Free Skincare Suits Psoriasis-Prone Skin

Most creams are emulsions of oil and water, and anything containing water needs preservatives to stop microbes growing, plus emulsifiers to hold it together. Both can irritate sensitive skin, and emulsifiers can weaken the skin barrier. Because our products contain no water, they need neither. They're also richer than most creams, which suits psoriasis-prone skin that needs generous, long-lasting moisture. See our Skin Irritants page for the ingredients worth avoiding.

Not Sure Where to Start?

The Calendula Skin Rescue Sample Set lets you try all three of our calendula products and see which suits your skin. Our Baby Skin Care and Eczema Sample Set is completely fragrance-free and suits more sensitive skin of any age. Individual sample tins are also available on nearly all our product pages. Sample sets are posted as a large letter, so postage is inexpensive, and the tins make handy travel pots.

Patch Testing and When to See a Doctor

Always patch test, see our Patch Testing and Potential Reactions page for how. Our products are cosmetics, not medicines, and they work best alongside, not instead of, your GP or dermatologist's advice. See a doctor if your psoriasis is spreading, infected, very painful, or comes with joint pain or swelling. For what else can help, from diet and gut health to managing stress, see our Natural Psoriasis Treatment page.