Antimalarial drugs--chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine and quinacrine, initially devised for the treatment of malaria, have been used in the therapy of diverse skin diseases, including lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, porphyria cutanea tarda, and sarcoidosis. The mechanism of action of these drugs involves stabilization of lysosomal enzymes, inhibition of antigen-presenting cells and T lymphocyte stimulation, blocking of the pro-inflammatory cytokine cascade and endosomal toll-like receptor signaling. The understanding of potential mechanisms of action of antimalarials may extend their use to new areas in dermatology. This work describes the pharmacologic properties of antimalarial drugs and indications for their use in clinical practice. Moreover, the most important limitations of therapy with antimalarials and their adverse side effects are discussed.