From bathing in mineral water to washing with sulfur soaps or shampoos, there are a variety of ways people have used sulfur to treat their skin. Many over-the-counter products contain sulfur as an active ingredient. If you’re living with psoriasis, you may have wondered about using products with sulfur to manage your psoriasis symptoms.

Read on to learn how sulfur affects the skin and whether it’s a safe and effective way to manage psoriasis symptoms.

What Is Sulfur?

Sulfur is an element with antifungal, antibiotic, and keratolytic (helps remove excess skin) properties. It’s been used to treat many skin conditions, including dandruff.

Chemical reactions in your body produce hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide helps regulate many processes that can affect your skin, such as inflammation. Differences in your body’s hydrogen sulfide levels could be linked to skin diseases like melanoma and psoriasis.

How Has Sulfur Been Used for Skin Conditions?

Sulfur-based skin treatments have been used for centuries. Folk medicine is a traditional healing system that includes practices and remedies passed down through generations. But their safety and effectiveness haven’t been scientifically proven. Bathing in thermal mineral waters has been used in some forms of folk medicine to treat skin diseases such as psoriasis.

Modern studies have examined this as well. For example, a small clinical trial evaluated the effect of treating psoriatic plaques with sulfurous water. The researchers reported a significant improvement in skin elasticity.

In a 2014 study of skin cells, sulfurous thermal water seemed to help the skin with its antioxidant response. The study used cells from the skin to test how sulfurous water could reduce the effects of ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure. Results suggested that the thermal water might have helped the skin cells’ DNA protect the skin against UV irradiation. Keep in mind that this study wasn’t performed specifically on people with psoriasis.

Studies like these may show positive effects of sulfur on the skin. But they don’t indicate whether the sulfur content of mineral water is what led to the positive skin effects. A 2018 study suggested that the anti-inflammatory effects of mineral water could be due to its silica content, rather than sulfur content.

It’s uncertain whether sulfur directly affects the skin. But it’s still used in dermatology products for the treatment of psoriasis. These products, like sulfur-based soaps, shampoos, and creams, are thought to reduce inflammation and scaling on the skin. Although sulfur may not work for everyone, it’s still a popular choice for those seeking natural or alternative treatments for psoriasis.

What Is Sulfur Good For?

Hydrogen sulfide is a molecule that helps to regulate several skin functions. It helps regulate the the width of blood vessels just under the skin’s surface, the number of cells, cell death, and inflammation.

Because sulfur has these properties, it’s sometimes used as an active ingredient in skin care products. Sulfacetamide is an antibiotic treatment. It’s used to treat a variety of skin conditions, such as acne and rosacea. Sometimes, sulfur is used in combination with coal tar and salicylic acid to treat scalp psoriasis. Scalp psoriasis may also be treated with selenium sulfide shampoos.

How To Use Sulfur Products

Sulfur products you might look for include soap, shampoos, or powders. Some people mix and match different products to make their own sulfur-based treatment.

One MyPsoriasisTeam member shared their experience with sulfur shampoo benefits. “Today is without any pain, just the scalp psoriasis. … My dermatologist prescribed shampoo. We’ll see if it is better than my Sulfur 8 (hair product) plus one-half teaspoon of sulfur.”

Another member wrote, “I have some remedies that work quite well for me: take Sulfur 8, found in grocery stores, and add a teaspoon of pure sulfur to it. Wrap it with Saran wrap for 20 minutes. Rinse very well to get the sulfur completely off your body, especially if it is in your scalp.”

Sulfur Soap

According to Mayo Clinic, you should use warm water to lather sulfur soap. Then rinse it off thoroughly before lathering your skin again. The second time you lather, rub in the soap gently before wiping off excess product with a towel or tissue. This time, don’t rinse the soap out with water. Wash your hands before and after using the product.

“I am trying sulfur soap at the moment,” one MyPsoriasisTeam member said. “It seems to be helping.”

Sulfur Shampoos

Shampoos that contain sulfur include:

• Selsun
• Selsun Blue
• Exsel
• Head & Shoulders Intensive Treatment

The main goal of sulfur shampoos is to reduce the flaking and itchiness on your scalp. Because of sulfur’s antifungal properties, these shampoos can also be used to treat fungal infections. Many of these shampoos are also marketed for seborrheic dermatitis, a subtype of eczema, caused by a yeast (Malassezia) that affects the scalp.

Talk to your doctor about the proper dosing and treatment regimen for prescription-strength sulfur shampoo, which may contain higher concentrations of sulfur.

Potential Risks

As with any change to your skin care routine, keep in mind the potential risks of adding sulfur to your treatment plan. Some things you shouldn’t use at the same time as topical sulfur products are:

• Harsh soaps
• Products that dry out your skin
• Skin care products with alcohol
• Topical acne products and peeling agents
• Other topical medicinal products

Potential side effects of sulfur treatments include:

• Discolored hair
• Excessive oiliness or dryness of your scalp
• Hair loss

Look out for scalp or skin irritation after using sulfur products. It could indicate an allergic reaction. Keep in mind that sulfur may damage jewelry, so it’s best to remove it before using sulfur-based therapies. Also, some users report a rotten egg smell when using topical sulfur products. This may be off-putting to some people.

Talk to your doctor if you’re worried about having an adverse reaction to your skin care products or medications. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, your doctor should also be aware of this before prescribing sulfur products. Your dermatologist can explain when not to use sulfur soap or other products. They’ll also explain whether these products can be used along with medications they’ve prescribed to treat psoriasis.

Talk With Others Who Understand

By joining MyPsoriasisTeam, the social network and online support group for those living with psoriasis, you gain a support group of more than 134,000 members.

Have you tried sulfur products to treat your psoriasis symptoms? Have they been an effective treatment for you? Share your tips and experiences in a comment below or on MyPsoriasisTeam.