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For years, Ive hadpsoriasison my bodytypicallymy knees and elbows.
Image courtesy of Claire Gillespie
It was usually easy enough to apply a topical treatment, cover it up, and forget about it.
And a quick utility of tinted moisturizer followed by my trusty concealer stick just didnt cut it any more.
I dont have all the answers and there are still days when my skin is really unpredictable.
Properly prep the surface of your skin.
Psoriasis creates an uneven skin texture, so creating a solid base for makeup is crucial.
Dr. Ramachandran recommends starting witha good moisturizerto treat dryness and gently soften scales.
The next steponce your moisturizer has had enough time to absorb, Dr. Ramachandran saysdepends on your personal preferences.
Instead, I put my treatments on before I go to bed.
Pick your formulation carefully.
On the other hand, powders tend to be tricky to apply.
In general, it may be helpful to avoid applying powders directly to psoriatic lesions, Dr. Ramachandran advises.
Their scaly nature makes it difficult to apply powder-based products directly.
Pay attention to the pigment ratio in your products.
The phrase pigment ratio meant nothing to me before I got psoriasis on my face.
One or two thin coats should be pigmented enough to conceal your psoriasis.
Ive had great results withVichy Dermablend 3D Correction Oil-Free Foundation, $29, which Depriestre also recommends highly.
It works amazingly with psoriasis, she says.
It covers the most vibrant red or pigmented skin colorations but also resurfaces skin affected by psoriasis.
It also contains anti-inflammatory ingredients, and makes skin looks smoother.
She suggestsDermacoloras another brand with a great pigment-to-thickness ratio.
Blend the edges towards the rest of your face.
Then blend some more.
The idea is to conceal problem areas without creating a mask.
Be prepared for some trial and error.
Most of the time, these fall short and I end up frustrated.
Now and again, something just works.
Its not magic (theres no cure for psoriasis, unfortunately), but its good enough.
Skin that tends to react loves regularity.
Once youve found something that works, stick to it, Depriestre says.
And I do have days when it doesn’t bother me to go fresh-faced.
