On a superb day, your pores and skin is perhaps calm and glowy—however for those who’re coping with an eczema flare-up, you is perhaps scuffling with itchy, purple, dry patches that simply received’t stop. Additionally known as atopic dermatitis, eczema is a persistent pores and skin situation wherein your pores and skin barrier can’t preserve sufficient moisture to dam allergens or environmental stressors.

“[Eczema] additionally includes irritation, as our pores and skin performs an enormous function when it comes to our immune system,” Ivy Lee-Keltner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and the medical director of Direct Dermatology in California, tells SELF. This irritation might result in “itchy pores and skin that may be dry and flaky,” she says. “Lighter pores and skin tones may be purple and irritated, and darker pores and skin tones may be grayish purple or seem like a darker brown discoloration.”

When your pores and skin is wired, it’s a good suggestion to succeed in for mild, hydrating merchandise—that’s the place the very best eczema lotions are available. “Choosing the proper moisturizer may also help stop flare-ups and deal with eczema,” Shari Lipner, MD, PhD, an affiliate professor of scientific dermatology at Weill Cornell Medication, tells SELF. Store our favorites beneath, together with professional suggestions, editor-favorites, and some SELF Wholesome Magnificence Award winners.

Our prime picks

1. Greatest General: Vanicream Moisturizing Cream
2. Greatest Price range: Vaseline Intensive Care Physique Lotion
3. Greatest In a single day Therapy: CeraVe Therapeutic Ointment
4. Greatest Gel: Eucerin Eczema Aid Hydrogel
5. Greatest for On-The-Go: Aquaphor Therapeutic Balm Stick
6. Greatest for Itchiness: Exederm Flare Management Cream

What must you search for in an eczema cream?

Store the very best eczema lotions

Crimson, itchy, tough pores and skin is about to be a factor of your previous.

Greatest General: Vanicream Moisturizing Cream

Execs

• Quick ingredient listing
• Not greasy
• Good to your face and physique

Cons

• Some Amazon reviewers say it’s too thick

Vanicream is a superhero for delicate pores and skin as a result of it leaves out a bunch of doubtless irritating components, like perfume, dyes, parabens, and lanolin. So, what’s in it? Nourishing petrolatum and different mild components that “deeply hydrate with out feeling greasy,” Dr. Gohara says. It additionally is available in a big jar with a pump—no want to stay your fingers inside.

Greatest Price range: Vaseline Intensive Care Physique Lotion

Execs

• Price range-friendly
• Helps with flakiness

Cons

• Some Amazon reviewers say it feels sticky

This lotion accommodates petrolatum, an expert-favored ingredient for shielding the pores and skin barrier. “The sunshine method is simple to unfold throughout massive floor areas and received’t depart the pores and skin feeling heavy or greasy,” Joshua Zeichner, MD, board-certified dermatologist and director of beauty and scientific analysis in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York Metropolis, tells SELF. If you happen to use it frequently, Dr. Gohara says it also needs to assist clean over flaky areas.

Greatest In a single day Therapy: CeraVe Therapeutic Ointment

Execs

• Multi-purpose method
• Good for in a single day therapies
• Helps heal cracked pores and skin

Cons

There are such a lot of causes to maintain this CeraVe ointment in your medication cupboard: It will probably hydrate chapped lips, stop chafing, and—you guessed it—alleviate eczema. Utilizing hyaluronic acid and ceramides, “it supplies long-lasting hydration and repairs the pores and skin barrier,” Dr. Gohara says. “It’s nice for individuals with extreme dryness or those that choose an ointment over a cream for in a single day use.”

Greatest Gel: Eucerin Eczema Aid Hydrogel

Execs

• Very light-weight
• Cooling impact
• Absorbs rapidly

Cons

• May not be moisturizing sufficient for some

If you need one thing tremendous light-weight, this gel jogs my memory of rubbing aloe on a recent sunburn—its skinny method feels refreshingly cool. And it doesn’t skimp on the important thing components our specialists advocate for eczema, like ceramides and glycerin. It additionally accommodates licorice root extract, which has additionally been confirmed to assist deal with eczema.

Greatest for On-The-Go: Aquaphor Therapeutic Balm Stick

Execs

• Very straightforward to use
• Nice for on-the-go
• Price range-friendly

Cons

• Is likely to be too greasy for some

If you happen to’re not eager on slathering on an ultra-thick lotion, you want this SELF Wholesome Magnificence Award-winner. It transforms the Aquaphor ointment you recognize and love right into a stick that may simply glide throughout dry patches.

“I’m a lifelong Aquaphor groupie, significantly as a result of I get terrible eczema on the backs of my arms within the winter. The balm stick is a game-changer; it’s mess-free and it couldn’t be simpler to use after each hand wash,” one tester mentioned. “I cannot go anyplace with out this through the winter months.”

Greatest for Itchiness: Exederm Flare Management Cream

Execs

• Good for infrequent, delicate flare-ups
• Relives itchiness
• Price range-friendly

Cons

• Can’t be used long-term

Overwhelmed by sophisticated ingredient lists? This cream solely accommodates hydrocortisone, which Dr. Weinstein Velez calls “tried and true” for soothing itchy pores and skin. “This one persistently heals my flare ups and stops the itching and discomfort whereas additionally drying down comfortably,” one SELF tester says. “It’s completed the job higher than some other cream or lotion I’ve tried.”

One caveat: Hydrocortisone is nice for addressing flare-ups, however shouldn’t be used each day for lengthy durations of time, as it might ultimately trigger the pores and skin to skinny, Dr. Weinstein Velez says.

Extra nice eczema lotions

Nonetheless haven’t discovered a cream you want? Dermatologists and SELF testers additionally stand by the choices beneath for hydrating and soothing eczema-prone pores and skin.

Cetaphil Eczema Restoraderm Flare-Up Aid Cream

Execs

• Lasts on pores and skin, for all-day aid
• Thick, creamy texture
• Relieves itchiness

Cons

• Too thick to make use of in your face

On this cream, ceramides, glycerin, and shea butter get to work to revive your pores and skin’s moisture barrier. Plus, colloidal oatmeal will soothe itchy areas earlier than you’re tempted to scratch. “You’re going to really feel the impact for a very long time,” Dr. Weinstein Velez says, including that she reaches for it usually. “It’ll final you all through the day.” It’s on the thicker facet, so she likes it extra as a physique cream than a face moisturizer.

Avène XeraCalm A.D Lipid-Replenishing Cream

Execs

• Light-weight
• Works rapidly
• Soothes redness and itching

Cons

This Avène cream is wealthy in postbiotics that Dr. Gohara says can soothe redness, itching, and irritation. You often have to play the lengthy sport in terms of skincare, however Dr. Gohara says you possibly can anticipate to see calmer pores and skin in a single week (the dream!). “It’s nice for individuals with extraordinarily delicate pores and skin or those that choose a light-weight, soothing cream,” she provides.

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5

Execs

• Nice for face and physique
• Improves pores and skin texture
• Soothes itchiness

Cons

• Some might discover it too heavy

You probably have delicate eczema, you would possibly like this multi-purpose balm that may soften tough patches in your face or physique. Its ingredient lineup contains panthenol and madecassoside (a spinoff from the centella asitica plant), which collectively hydrate and restore the pores and skin, Dr. Gohara says.

The outcomes? “Aid from itching and noticeable enchancment in pores and skin texture,” she explains.

Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream

Execs

• Wealthy, creamy consistency
• Incorporates peptides to assist pores and skin construction
• Extra sanitary packaging in comparison with different jarred lotions

Cons

This face cream is all about enhancing your pores and skin barrier. Its star gamers embrace peptides and lipids—two issues eczema-prone pores and skin is poor in, Dr. Weinstein Velez says. Plus, peptides may also help construct collagen, a protein that maintains your pores and skin’s construction and elasticity. Dr. Weinstein Velez says this moisturizer “sinks proper in” and instantly hydrates for long-lasting aid.

Tatcha Indigo Calming Cream

Execs

• Calms redness
• Layers effectively with different skincare

Cons

It’s a splurge, however this Wholesome Magnificence Award–profitable cream is price skipping just a few lattes for. “Any time I felt like my face was wanting dry and purple, I’d slather these things on and get up with pores and skin that felt hydrated and balanced,” one tester mentioned. It has colloidal oatmeal to assuage irritation, glycerin to hydrate, and plenty of oils to nourish. Bonus: “It additionally performed good with numerous serums, layered effectively with different lotions, and didn’t get all bizarre beneath my sunscreen.”

Gladskin Eczemact Eczema Cream

Execs

• Helps stability pores and skin microbiome
• Works rapidly

Cons

Gladskin has an entire line devoted to eczema aid—Dr. Weinstein Velez beforehand beneficial the physique wash to SELF—and this cream is perhaps what your pores and skin wants to sit back out. It makes use of a proprietary protein that helps rebalance your pores and skin’s microbiome, together with colloidal oatmeal and petrolatum to calm and nourish tough patches. “You’ll be able to really feel this thick lotion working as quickly as you apply it,” one Wholesome Magnificence Award tester mentioned. “It’s tremendous hydrating and is available in a travel-friendly dimension, so you possibly can carry it with you to make use of at any time when your pores and skin feels irritated.”

Sarna Delicate Anti-Itch Lotion

Execs

• Numbs pores and skin to alleviate itchiness
• Price range-friendly

Cons

• Some Amazon reviewers had points with the pump

If the itchiness out of your eczema is driving you loopy, Sarna’s lotion has an ingredient that may make an enormous distinction. As a substitute of typical skin-soothers, like colloidal oatmeal, it makes use of pramoxine hydrochloride, which Dr. Weinstein Velez says will numb your pores and skin so that you don’t really feel as tempted to scatch. It additionally packs moisturizing components like jojoba seed oil and squalane into its light-weight method.

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