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I’ve had eczema since I was a kid, which means my skin has never not been dry, scaly, and red. I’m always itchy too; right now, I can pinpoint about three different places on my body that I’d love to scratch.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for eczema. Steroids do help, but when you’ve used them for as long as I have (I’m going on almost three decades), they can wreak havoc on your skin, adding extra wrinkles and discoloration and thinning out the top layers. Plus, topical-steroid withdrawal is a thing — trust me, I would know. A few years ago, I battled burning red blotches all over my face, and let me tell you, it’s something nobody should ever experience.
Thankfully, I’ve found the best eczema body lotions that, with diligent use, help prevent my eczema from getting to the point where I actually need steroids. They keep my skin smooth, moisturized, and free of that pesky itch.
So, you’re looking for the best eczema creams?
➼ FAQs
➼ Our top picks
➼ More tried-and-true options
➼ Our experts
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Our top picks:
The Holy Grail
Ingredients: Water, glycerin, zinc oxide, propylene glycol
Size: 1. fl oz
Oh my God, this product. For a year, I had a stubborn patch of eczema on my cheek that refused to go away, no matter what creams I put on it. Steroids would make it disappear, but only temporarily, because days after I stopped the steroid the spot would come back even angrier. I begrudgingly resigned myself to the cycle of steroids and suffering. But after just one day of using the Avène Cicalfate Restorative Skin Cream, the redness, dryness, and overall irritation in the area was significantly reduced. After a few days, the spot was gone.
The Miracle Worker
Ingredients: Ceramides and glycerin
It’s been said that eczema is the “itch that rashes” — first you itch, then you scratch, and the next thing you know, you’ve got a red, weepy rash. This CeraVe lotion is the only product that has ever stopped my itching cold. I just slather a generous layer on the itchy spot and truly, within seconds, I no longer want to claw at my flesh. It is hands down the best product I could recommend to you for eczema. Buy this ASAP.
The Good Ol’ Reliable
Ingredients: Petrolatum, glycerin
I’ve been using this cream since before online shopping was a thing. My eczema used to be so bad that my mom went to every length to find the best lotions, which meant purchasing Vanicream via a pamphlet. How that worked exactly, I don’t know. What I do know is that I rely on this cream anytime I feel as if my skin is about to act up. It’s moisturizing enough without feeling too heavy, and it always prevents unwanted flare-ups. The brand’s face cleanser might be all over TikTok, but I’m here to tell you that the Moisturizing Skin Cream deserves the hype too.
The Best One for On-the-go
Ingredients: Petrolatum
Meet the cousin of Vaseline and CeraVe but in a stick form. Of course you can purchase any of the options above in a travel-size container but trust me when I say none are as convenient as this balm stick from Aquaphor. As a self-proclaimed Aquaphor girlie, this is my most used product. I have one in my carry-on and in my gym bag and I use it religiously on my face and body. 10/10.
The Go-To
Ingredients: Ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin
This body lotion is my go-to. It’s light but heavy, and it dries down in a way that makes me feel moisturized but not greasy. I like this one just as much as I like Dove DermaSeries — they’re interchangeable for me. You can’t go wrong with either. I’ve also seen people use the cream version of this product on their face, though I’ve yet to try that myself. It’s also a favorite of board-certified dermatologist Dr. David Kim. He recommends to lather it on before bed, and you’ll wake up with baby-soft skin.
The K-Beauty Cream
Another favorite from Dr. Kim thanks to its creamy texture that just melts into your skin.
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More tried-and-true options:
The Really Thick and Goopy One
Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, ceramide-3, and licorice root extract
If you like a thicker, heavier moisturizer, try this Eucerin product. It’s sticky, so you’ll definitely feel it on your skin when you finish applying it, but you will also get really great results. I especially like lathering it on my legs at night and waking up feeling like a Nair ad.
The Vaseline-Adjacent One
Ingredients: Ceramides, petrolatum
I used this way before “slugging” was a thing. I love lathering it all over my face and body whenever I have major flare-ups. And it really does help. Even though it has the same petroleum-jelly-like consistency as Vaseline, it’s not as greasy, and it won’t just sit on top of your eczema; it will actually absorb into your skin, soothing the redness and slowing down the itchy feeling.
The Best Two-in-One
Ingredients: Shea butter, glycerin, niacinamide, prebiotic water
I’ve never been a fan of two-in-one products, but when I was suffering from topical-steroid withdrawal, this body and face cream from La Roche-Posay was the only product (alongside the CeraVe healing ointment) that didn’t make my face burn. Since recovering, I only use it as a body lotion, because something about a 13.5 oz bottle just gives me body lotions vibe and not face cream vibes.
The Best of Both Worlds
Ingredients: Glycerin
Dove’s DermaSeries line is seriously incredible. I lather it all over my body at night after I shower, and I never feel gross and sticky when I put my pajamas on afterward. It’s light enough that it absorbs into my skin quickly, but heavy enough that it restores my moisture barrier better than any over-the-counter product I’ve ever used. With regular application, my skin remains smooth and supple.
The Very Popular One
Ingredients: Glycerin, petrolatum,
Full disclosure: This lotion is not for me. I think the consistency is too watery, and even when it absorbed into my skin, I never felt like it was actually doing anything. But tons of people love it, including a friend who swears if she goes more than three days without using it, all her eczema symptoms come back. It’s also worth noting that it has an average of 4.1 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
The Oatmeal One
Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, ceramides
Behold, the only lotion I use whenever I visit my parents. My mom usually has Vanicream for whenever I’m back, but on my most recent trips, they were out of stock, so she bought me this one from Aveeno instead and my skin really loves it. Granted, my eczema has in recent years been fairly calm with only the occasional flare-up here and there on my arms or the back of my legs, so I can’t speak much on how it feels when the skin is very irritated, but for your usual dry skin and atopic dermatitis, the colloidal oatmeal and ceramide in the formula really hydrates the skin and is the right thickness to be worn without worrying of being sticky and staining your clothes.
The One With the Questionable Name
Ingredients: Camphor 0.5 percent, menthol 0.5 percent, glyceryl petrolatum
Here’s a Duolingo lesson for you: Sarna in Spanish means “scabies” (a.k.a. the skin disease that pets can get). So imagine my face when my dermatologist recommended a lotion with that name. As a teenager who was extremely self-conscious about how my skin condition appeared to others, I spiraled. However, despite the very triggering and questionable name, the lotion did in fact (and still does) work, especially whenever I had a bigger flare-up around my neck, arms, or legs. It sometimes would tingle, but nothing too extreme, and my flare-ups would visibly reduce overnight.
The One That Works for Your Face and Body
Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, ceramides
Have you ever loved a moisturizer so much that you just want to lather your whole body with it? That’s what happens with First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream. Plus, the giant tub means you’ll always have enough product for every dry patch on your body.
The One That’s Like Butter
Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, madecassoside, green tea:
And not in a gross way. I promise! It’s the exact opposite, actually. Topicals hydrating mask really leaves your skin incredibly soft thanks to its formulation with colloidal oatmeal. I only wish the tube was larger!
The One That Reduces Redness
Ingredients: High-potency colloidal Oatmeal, Patented B-L3™ complex with barrier lipids, ceramides:
When you have a mild dermatitis flare-up where the skin on your body or face is red, this cream from Skinfix can help alleviate it. I use mine to calm the area first and then layer it with whichever I have on hand from the options above, preferably the CeraVe or Vanicream ones.
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FAQs
How do creams and lotions help to treat eczema?
The goal is to restore the skin barrier and keep your skin protected and hydrated. That’s why Dr. David Kim shares that creams are better than lotion for eczema since they do just that.
What ingredients you should look out for?
Dr. Kim recommends you look for ceramides and fatty acids. “For barrier repair, it’s best to find products with simple ingredients, and no other actives,” he explains.
How often you should apply lotion?
It depends on how dry and sensitive your skin is. However, Dr. Kim’s rule of thumb is to apply your cream or lotion both in morning and at night.
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Our experts:
- Bianca Nieves, senior shopping editor at the Cut and former shopping editor at Teen Vogue
- Alexia LaFata, senior SEO manager at Vox Media
- Dr. David Kim, board-certified fellowship-trained cosmetic dermatologist at Idriss Dermatology in NYC.
