Basic therapy plays an important role in the management of psoriasis, regardless of disease severity or the therapeutic concept used. It helps reduce symptoms such as pruritus and scaling, decreases exacerbations, and may therefore prolong the remission period after successful antipsoriatic treatment. Accordingly, adequate basic therapy can also have a positive effect on patients' severely impaired quality of life. Unfortunately, the importance of basic therapy in psoriasis is still underestimated. Based on clinical trial data, the present review highlights the efficacy and potential of basic therapy, and focuses on new data and developments in this field.