The Best Creams for Eczema in 2024

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Reviewed by Dr. Diana Rangaves, PharmD

Cover your skin with a smooth, buttery cream that alleviates and soothes even the worst eczema symptoms. We know how hard it can be to deal with eczema. From cracking to bleeding to spots so dry and itchy you want to peel your skin off, eczema is an aggravating condition requiring all the love and TLC you can throw at it.

We’re not here to tell you to invest in an outdoor bathtub, fill it with Vaseline and slip on into that jelly gelatinous goop—although, tbh, we don’t hate that idea. No, no, fine creature. We’re here to help you get results with actual products that don’t feel like you’re smearing yourself in plastic butter—sorry Vaseline, we love you sometimes.

If you’re dealing with eczema, know you’re not alone. It’s estimated that more than 31 million Americans are dealing with some form of eczema. With so many products, it’s no surprise that you’re unsure what the best products are to treat eczema. Here’s a brief overview of what creams can help you treat your eczema today.

What type of creams treat eczema?

While you’re shopping, you’ll notice there are many moisturizers to treat eczema. The best creams and skincare products for eczema are:

• Free from preservatives or stabilizers.
• Formulated for sensitive skin.
• Hypoallergenic and also free from fragrance and dye.
• Contain mineral oil or petroleum jelly.
• Use ceramides and lipids to support your skin’s natural barrier.

The best creams for eczema in 2024 contain skin-safe soothing and healing ingredients that work with your skin to heal from the inside out.

1. Blu Atlas Body Lotion

Alleviate your eczema symptoms with Blu Atlas Body Lotion; it’s the best cream for eczema in 2024. Its nourishing ingredients penetrate the skin’s barrier to support healing and restoration.

If your eczema gives you itchy, dry, cracking, inflamed skin, you need a calming cream to soothe and cool down irritation. The Blu Atlas Body Lotion is a vegan product free from synthetic fragrances, parabens, sulfates, and phthalates. That means it’s free from those all too common harsh irritants found in 21st-century self-care products.

Blu Atlas is a brand perfect for severe skin conditions because they know you can’t take your health for granted. By formulating safe, effective products with a medical advisory board, they produce skin-safe body lotions for even the most sensitive skin.

With naturally-derived ingredients vetted by science, the soothing blend helps repair your skin quickly. Shea butter, jojoba oil, seaweed extract, and squalane help treat and soothe eczema. They deliver extreme nourishment with rich vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.

If you’re ready to have healthier skin today, snag a bottle of Blu Atlas Body Lotion because it’s the best cream for eczema in 2024.

2. CeraVe Eczema Relief Creamy Oil

As one of the top-rated eczema creams, CeraVe’s Eczema Relief Creamy Oil is one of the best products for harsh skin conditions and unwanted symptoms. Most dermatologists recommend this skin-safe formula because of its soothing, moisturizing ingredients.

The creamy oil is a lightweight liquid that lacks the thick occlusive feeling of many of the popular products for eczema—like petroleum jelly. CeraVe harnesses light hydrators and moisturizers to keep the skin hydrated without irritating it.

Ceramides repair the skin barrier, and hyaluronic acid attracts extreme moisture to the skin, relieving itching and dryness. Colloidal oatmeal soothes the skin and alleviates common eczema irritants. When treating eczema, it’s crucial to have the right ingredients to soothe frustrated skin.

This simple cream has all the hallmarks of an excellent eczema product. It’s allergy-tested, fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, and accepted by the National Eczema Association.

Use it all over the body to relieve aggravated skin and alleviate your symptoms today.

3. Vanicream Moisturizing Cream 

Want the thickest, baddest boy on the block? While Vanicream’s Moisturizing Cream isn’t good ‘ole Vaseline, it’s thick and potent enough to hydrate your skin 24/7.

Let’s get to the good stuff. Moisturizing Cream is gentle on inflamed, busted-up-looking skin. Non-comedogenic and free from lanolin, formaldehyde, parabens, sulfates, fragrance, and dye, the tub also earned the seal of acceptance from the National Eczema Association. Making it a safe choice for those dealing with eczema.

Unlike Vaseline, which leaves crazy grease streaks on your skin, this thick emollient hydrates the skin without causing oversaturation. The cream takes a few minutes to absorb, though. So after you hop out of the shower and apply it, wait a few minutes before getting dressed.

Vanicream Moisturizing Cream is one of the best creams for eczema in 2024.

4. Cetaphil Restoraderm Flare-Up Relief Cream

Keeping the skin hydrated and locking in moisture is essential when treating eczema. But flare-ups can occur anytime, and your skin needs more potent, heavy-duty formulas.

Soaking into the skin and providing hydrating benefits, your flare-ups don’t stand a chance against this thick moisturizer. Formulated for eczema symptoms like roughness, scaling, itchiness, irritation, and dryness, it soothes and relieves symptoms.

Accepted by the National Eczema Association and used by skincare experts, it’s the best choice when treating flare-ups. 2% colloidal oatmeal is a naturally healing emollient that repairs the skin barrier while soothing the skin. Intense hydrators, shea butter, and sunflower seed oil keep the skin optimally moisturized.

If you’re ready to throw in the towel and give up on products for eczema-prone skin, we recommend you reconsider. New formulas like Restoraderm Flare-Up Relief Cream offer the best eczema-soothing repair and relief.

5. Aveeno Eczema Therapy Daily Moisturizing Cream

Slide into a smooth pool full of Avenno’s Eczema Therapy Daily Moisturizing Cream to let go of all your eczema problems. If you have a mild form of eczema, your skin will love this smooth, soothing product.

Colloidal oatmeal and ceramides penetrate the skin to relieve symptoms like dryness and itchiness. Ceramides strengthen your skin’s barrier, and colloidal oatmeal soothes stressed-out skin. Oat kernel oils and extracts reduce inflammation and irritation to the skin.

Colloidal oatmeal is one of the most popular ingredients to treat and heal eczema-prone skin. While some prefer oatmeal baths to reduce triggers and provide calmer skin, this eczema treatment is quick, easy, and provides relief.

Use it all over the body, wherever you experience mild eczema. Eczema Therapy Daily is one of the best creams for eczema in 2024.

6. Sarna Eczema Relief Whipped Foam

While this sounds like an oxymoron, some folks with eczema also deal with oily skin and need lightweight oils and moisturizers to keep the skin balanced.

Most eczema creams contain thick emollients and are occlusive which wouldn’t work well for oily or acne-prone skin. And let’s clear one thing up. You can have eczema and oily skin; it is possible.

This unique anti-itch foam helps folks alleviate one of the most frustrating eczema symptoms – itchiness. 1% hydrocortisone dominates itchy patches, so you can live itch-free. The lightweight, soothing lotion is also fragrance-free.

Application is a breeze with the fast-absorbing formula. Allow it a few extra minutes to dry—just in case. There’s no need to worry about grease steak or thick, saturated areas of skin because it evenly absorbs into the skin without leaving residue.

 

7. DermaDoctor Calm Cool Corrected Eczema Repair Balm

Grab a tub of this balm and start soothing your skin today with a clinical-strength formula made to treat eczema’s most irritating symptoms.

Full of ultra-nourishing ingredients, the balm can handle any type of eczema-prone skin. From flare-ups to dry, cracked hands, the cream will soothe and moisturize even the driest of skins.

Eczema-friendly ingredients make the salve a super potent hydrating treatment. Two eczema superheroes, colloidal oatmeal, and ceramides, team up with botanicals like borage seed oils and black currant to repair your skin from within.

While we love this calming salve, we’re not crazy about the price tag. Unfortunately, one of the downfalls of having eczema is that you’ll likely have it for the rest of your life, which means products for treating it must be affordable and fit within your price range.

That said, if you can afford this salve, we definitely recommend it. Glide it all over the skin to cool inflamed areas and rehydrate your whole body from head to toe. It’s one of the best creams for eczema in 2024.

 

8. Honest Eczema Soothing Balm

The perfect soothing balm for little fingers and toes, Honest Eczema Soothing Balm, works well on even the most delicate skin.

Some over-the-counter eczema balms and medications aren’t suitable for little ones. That’s why kid-safe formulas like Honest exist. It’s all too common for toddlers to experience inflammation, dryness, and other eczema symptoms. The balm soothes children’s skin with gentle ingredients without irritating or aggravating.

Shea butter and colloidal oatmeal work hard to strengthen the skin while ensuring moisture stays locked in. It’s also hypoallergenic and fragrance-free, so you don’t have to worry about common irritants.

Each container is small, but contains a rich pastry-like balm that feels like you’re rubbing buttery soft cake all over the skin. And who doesn’t love cake?

Honest Eczema Soothing Balm is the best cream for eczema in 2024 for kids.

 

9. La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Moisturizing Cream

Allow your skin the luxury of prebiotics to support and strengthen its natural barrier. Creating a stronger skin barrier can help alleviate and prevent some eczema symptoms.

Moisturizing ingredients like shea butter, niacinamide, and glycerin tame itchy, dry, and inflamed skin while keeping it hydrated. Each dollop of cream offers up to 48 hours of rich, soothing hydration for your stressed-out skin.

Accepted by the National Eczema Association, for its effectiveness in eczema-prone skin. The formula is also free from parabens, steroids, and fragrances, making it a top choice for seriously aggravated skin.

While it works best as a body lotion, the cream also works double duty as a face moisturizer. It’s safe for use all over your body and is one of the best creams for eczema in 2024.

 

10. Aquaphor Healing Ointment

Put your trust in a skincare classic, Healing Ointment from Aquaphor. It’s a thick, sticky occlusive that penetrates rough, scaling, dry skin and reduces irritation that comes along with eczema.

Instead of using lightweight oils that may be ineffective, swipe this petroleum-based jelly all over your thirsty skin. Quench that eczema skin thirst with petroleum which helps lock in moisture and keeps it close to the skin.

Free from preservatives and fragrances and formulated for sensitive skin, it’s a top choice for those looking for an eczema cream during your grocery store run.

Healing Ointment is a simple skin-fix solution that improves dry, cracked skin.

11. Curel Itch Defense Calming Body Lotion

Suffering from super itchy skin? Itch Defense Calming Body Lotion is the perfect solution for folks with seriously itchy skin. What makes this lotion even better? It comes at an affordable price point.

Approved by the National Eczema Association and fragrance-free, it’s a gentle formula that will improve your skin and eczema symptoms. When your skin gets itchy, quickly spread this smooth lotion over your skin to restore and replenish much-needed moisture.

Itch Defense Calming Body Lotion is one of the best creams for eczema in 2024.

 

12. GladSkin Eczema Cream

Save money with a dual-purpose moisturizer that works on your face and body. Eczema Cream from GladSkin removes impurities and harmful bacteria while balancing the skin’s microbiome.

It also includes classic moisturizing ingredients like colloidal oatmeal, petrolatum, and glycerin. The addition of a special protein helps reduce the itchiness that those with eczema often deal with.

Eczema Cream is the best addition to your travel bag because it works as your fave moisturizer and body lotion at the same time. It’s the best eczema cream in 2024 for guys and gals looking for a multipurpose skincare product.

 

13. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration

Give your skin the opportunity to soak in intense hydration. First Aid Beauty’s lovely thick cream is the perfect overnight treatment to restore and repair your skin. One tub will set you back a fair amount, but the skin-soothing benefits are hard to argue with. It’s got colloidal oatmeal which is one of the top eczema-soothing ingredients.

Get naked. Apply this beauty from your head to your toes and let your skin soak in all its glory. Allow the cream a few minutes to dry before stepping into your jammies. Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration is one of the best creams for eczema in 2024.

 

14. Lizzie’s All-Natural Products Eczema Oil

Ready to lube up your limbs with oil like you’re getting a quick oil change from the Jiffy Lube down the street? While this body oil isn’t a cream, it delivers many of the same ingredients and even better results for some folks’ eczema.

Transforming everyday plant oils into eczema’s new BFF, it’s a blend of safe, hyper-nourishing ingredients. Coconut and safflower oil alleviate itchy, dry, scaling, and inflamed skin. The blend also contains antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, making it easier to take care of eczema. They hydrate the skin while boosting and strengthening the skin’s natural barrier.

Eczema Oil is a treat for your skin and one of the best products for eczema in 2024.

Buyer’s guide to the best creams for eczema

Take control of your skin again with the best creams for serious skin conditions like eczema. Instead of letting eczema rule the roost, you can take charge with the right cream, lotion, or serum.

What is eczema?

Eczema is a condition that causes the skin to become inflamed, dry, and itchy anywhere on the body. Often all three happen at the same time, which, quite frankly, is the worst. Many people with the skin condition experience eczema flare-ups throughout the year, and it can be affected by changes in the weather, diet, and more.

While eczema sounds like a scary skin condition, it’s not contagious and can be managed with help from your doctor or dermatologist.

What causes eczema?

Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, has many causes. Factors like genetics and your environment may be the cause, and sometimes other common factors like soaps, detergents, fabric softeners, dust mites, formaldehyde, smoke, makeup, stress, or dry weather may cause eczema to worsen.

If you suspect your environment causes your eczema, speak with your doctor about making changes to your lifestyle or the current products you use. Certain food allergies can also worsen eczema.

How to choose a cream for eczema

When choosing a safe, effective product for your skin, there are some key features to look for. Consider what ingredients work best for your skin type and which to avoid, and follow our tips to take better care of your skin.

Look for safe, effective ingredients

Heal and restore eczema symptoms like itchiness, dryness, cracks, and inflammation using natural, organic ingredients. Unless you’re allergic to certain plants, these are the most likely ingredients to repair your skin.

Some of the best ingredients for eczema are natural plants with calming but intense moisture, like mango seed butter, coconut oil, oatmeal, sunflower oil, witch hazel, tea tree oil, shea butter, and aloe vera.

Emollients, humectants, and occlusives

You’ll hear the terms emollients, humectants, and occlusives thrown around, especially when referencing products that help treat severely dry skin and skin conditions like eczema.

Occlusives lock in moisture next to the skin to prevent loss of hydration, while humectants attract moisture, and emollients add in moisturizing oils to keep the skin soft and supple.

Emollients and occlusives are the best options for eczema. They help restore the skin’s natural barrier while ensuring moisture stays trapped.

Avoid harsh ingredients

Harmful chemicals like “filler” ingredients cause eczema symptoms to worsen. They irritate the skin and cause problems like redness, itchiness, inflammation, and bumps.

An easy way to avoid harsh ingredients is by looking for vegan, natural, or organic formulas and brands. They are typically safe for your skin and help improve eczema.

Some common ingredients to avoid include parabens, sulfates, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, formaldehyde, mineral oil, and artificial dyes.

Many popular grocery and drug store products contain these harsh “filler” chemicals. Research new eczema products before bringing them home and ensure they’re free from the worst skin offenders.

Top tips and tricks to treat eczema (and tips to maximize your eczema products)

Get tips from skincare experts and dermatologists so you can improve your skin asap.

What’s the best time to apply eczema cream?

Lock in extreme moisture and hydration by following a simple routine. Shower and cleanse your body thoroughly, then hop out and dry off. When clean and dry, apply your favorite eczema cream(s) all over your body. Focus on areas that feel especially irritated, like those with cracks or extreme dryness. Be sure to layer an occlusive hydrating product on top to trap moisture next to the skin.

Follow a nightly skincare routine

You have to be following a skincare routine. We’re talking full rub down and cover your body in the thickest occlusive in your bathroom cabinet type of evening routine. Arm yourself with your best lotion and use your cream during your evening skincare routine. Ensure it covers all your eczema spots and patches.

No itching or scratching

Ya know what makes eczema worse? Itching and scratching. So keep those pretty little hands to yourself and do your best to avoid scratching your skin. But let’s get real; this can be really hard when your eczema is causing dry, itchy patches and spots. When your skin is feeling extra itchy, apply a thick occlusive to see if extra hydration can help beat the itch. Pro-tip: Wear gloves to bed if you find itching or scratching your skin while sleeping. Don’t have gloves? Use a clean pair of short socks. Apply a thick moisturizer before putting on your gloves or budget sock-gloves.

Beware of water

If you have eczema, you likely know that water is not your BFF. It’s a quick moisture-stealing fiend that dries out your skin and makes it feel inhabitable.

So what’s a girl or guy to do?! We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but most dermatologists recommend staying out of water when possible, because when you have eczema, water is not your friend. This especially goes for swimming pools with harsh cleaning chemicals.

Avoid heat

Hot steamy showers and baths are not good for folks with severe skin conditions. Hot water is a thief and will steal moisture from your skin and cause eczema symptoms to be worse. Nobody wants that. Stick to lukewarm showers.

This also goes for fun stuff like saunas. Saunas are ridiculously hot and steal moisture from your skin, so those with eczema or severely dry skin are better off avoiding them.

Examine your diet and lifestyle

While this doesn’t always apply, some folks can improve their skin by altering their diet or lifestyle. Do you eat a lot of processed food items? Or other “unhealthy” food items that may stress out and irritate your body? Food can irritate your skin, and you should also check for any allergies as these exacerbate eczema.

Frequently asked questions

Will my cream for eczema expire?

Sadly, all skincare products expire. Eczema creams should have a stamped expiration date on the side or bottom of the box, tub, or bottle. If you don’t see an expiration date, check for signs that it has gone bad. Check for a change in odor, color, texture, consistency, or effectiveness. If you notice any of these indicators, it’s best to throw it away and get a new eczema cream. Expired products often become a breeding ground for bacteria or fungi that can harm your skin.

When will my eczema go away?

Eczema is a lifelong skin condition for most people. While some may experience it as a baby and potentially grow out of it, most will have eczema their whole lives. That’s why speaking with skin care professionals and doctors is essential to treat your symptoms and find triggers. Some triggers are easy to treat, like those caused by household goods.

When should I talk to my doctor about my eczema?

Keep your dermatologist in the loop on skin conditions like eczema, rosacea, or psoriasis. While some folks find great treatments and over-the-counter products that work well for their skin, others need prescription medication to help manage eczema symptoms.

What’s the best cream for eczema in 2024?

Blu Atlas Body Lotion is the best cream for eczema in 2024. Turn your whole body into an eczema-free zone with safe-for-skin hydrating and soothing ingredients. Body Lotion is an uber nutrient-dense product that envelops the skin in moisture and vitamins. Be sure to grab the fragrance-free option, as the Coconut Apricot and Classic scents may stress out your skin.