The Top 5 Things To Look for in a Psoriasis Shampoo

For a psoriasis shampoo to be labeled and sold as a psoriasis shampoo it must meet very specific FDA regulations. There are only a few active ingredients recognized by the FDA as a treatment for scalp psoriasis. By carefully reading the label you should be able to identify the better shampoos pretty easily. Here are the top 5 things to look for in a psoriasis shampoo.

1) Psoriasis Shampoo Active Ingredients

The top two active ingredients found in a psoriasis shampoo are Coal Tar and Salicylic Acid. Both have been scientifically tested and are recognized for their ability to treat the symptoms of scalp psoriasis. The only way to determine which ingredient is right for your scalp is by trial and error. You should start with the salicylic acid shampoo first because many people dislike the smell of coal tar. However, if salicylic acid does not work for you than a psoriasis shampoo that contains coal tar may be your only option. Be sure to read the label and carefully check the percentage of the active ingredient that is contained in the shampoo. The FDA provides a percent range that is legal to use in an over-the-counter psoriasis shampoo. The higher the percentage the stronger the psoriasis shampoo.

2) Inactive Ingredients in a Psoriasis Shampoo

Most shampoos are really designed for your hair. However, a psoriasis shampoo is formulated to treat your scalp condition. Most psoriasis shampoos will have directions that say leave on the head for one to three minutes. This is so the shampoo has time to work on your scalp. If you simply lather it in and wash it out right away the active ingredients in the psoriasis shampoo won’t have enough time to work. Because a psoriasis shampoo is kept on the hair for a longer period of time it is important to look for ingredients that will benefit your hair and not dry it out. Better psoriasis shampoos will have conditioning ingredients such as polyquaternium or biotin. They may also use various herbal extracts that specifically benefit the hair. Even aloe can be found in many psoriasis shampoos that are on the market today. A quality psoriasis shampoo with these types of inactive ingredients will be well worth the extra money.

3) Is the Psoriasis Shampoo Color Safe

For most women and some men this will be a big concern. You can spend a lot of money to have your hair colored so you don’t want to strip the color out using a cheap psoriasis shampoo. Most shampoos that are color safe will say so on the bottle. There are many ingredients that can stop the shampoo from stripping the color out of your hair so if this is a concern for you, be sure to find a psoriasis shampoo that specifically says color safe.

4) Fragrance of the Psoriasis Shampoo

Many purists will say never use a psoriasis shampoo that contains an ingredient that is listed as a fragrance. However, having a fragrance in a psoriasis shampoo is often necessary to mask the smell. A coal tar psoriasis shampoo has a very strong odor and if the odor is not covered by a fragrance your hair will be left with a really bad scent. There are some natural essential oils that can be used instead of synthetic fragrances. However, these oils can often due more harm then good if your skin reacts to the oil. A synthetic fragrance is often concentrated and a very small amount is needed to mask the smell of a coal tar psoriasis shampoo.

5) The Price of a Psoriasis Shampoo

In a drug store or online you can find psoriasis shampoos ranging in price from $5 up to $40. Most of the quality shampoos will fall in the $15-$20 range. These psoriasis shampoos often contain the highest amount of the active ingredient and have quality inactive ingredients. If you are just starting your search for a psoriasis shampoo it would be best to target one that is in this price range.

As you can see there is a lot to think about when you buy a psoriasis shampoo. Finding the right one may take a few tries. The bad thing about scalp psoriasis is that your body will most likely become immune to the benefits of a shampoo over time. Think of them like antibiotics. If you use them too often without changing things up your body gets used to it and eventually no longer responds. For some people this may mean changing your psoriasis shampoo from time to time so you get the best treatment. By carefully reading the label you should always be able to find the right psoriasis shampoo.