When eczema symptoms flare up, it can be difficult to find a solution for your dry, itchy skin. The symptoms of eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, can come and go, making it challenging to predict when they’ll appear. Eczema might affect certain areas more than others, and the discomfort can range from mild to intense. Fortunately, there are many products that can help manage eczema symptoms. Some of these are available over the counter (OTC), while others are only available with a prescription from a doctor.

Eucerin is a brand that makes several OTC eczema products. If you’re struggling to control your eczema, these may be good options for you. Talk to your dermatology provider before making any changes to your skin care routine.

If you decide to try Eucerin products, here’s what you need to know before using them.

What Products Does Eucerin Have for Eczema?

Eucerin currently sells four skin care products specifically designed to help eczema. All are fragrance-free and don’t contain dyes or other irritants. They are also steroid-free and are for external use only.

The first product is Eucerin Eczema Relief Body Cream. This is a body lotion/cream designed for daily skin care use and can be applied every day, or as often as your doctor recommends. You can use Eucerin Eczema Relief Body Cream on eczema or eczema-prone skin for daily moisturizing.

Eucerin Eczema Relief Hand Cream is specifically designed to be used as a moisturizing cream when you have eczema on your hands. You can use it as needed, and rub it into wet skin to help counteract eczema flares triggered by dampness.

Eucerin Eczema Relief Cream & Body Wash can be used to both cleanse your skin and fight eczema symptoms. You can use Eucerin Eczema Relief Cream & Body Wash as you would use any other body soap, as well as rub it into your skin when it’s wet.

Eucerin also has an Eczema Relief Flare Up Treatment, which is designed to be used when your eczema symptoms are worse. While you can apply it as needed, you may want to use the body cream mentioned above if you’re looking for a product to use every day.

Active Ingredients in Eucerin Products and How They Work for Eczema

All of the Eucerin products for eczema list colloidal oatmeal as their active ingredient. They also contain ceramides (usually ceramide-3, but not always). Ceramides are fat molecules that help keep moisture in the skin. The hand cream label notes that this product has shea butter in it as well. Colloidal oatmeal, ceramides, and shea butter can be effective ingredients when it comes to fighting eczema symptoms.

Colloidal Oatmeal

Colloidal oatmeal forms a protective layer that helps shield your skin from things in the environment that can cause allergies and irritation. Some examples of these triggers are pollen from plants, pet dander, dust mites, perfume, and harsh cleaning chemicals. A research study cited in the journal Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology found that colloidal oatmeal may help relieve symptoms in people with contact dermatitis on their hands.

Another study from the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology found that colloidal oatmeal had the same effects on atopic dermatitis and helped the skin barrier to work properly and protect the skin. Colloidal oatmeal may also help soothe the skin, add and trap moisture, and prevent or limit inflammation in the skin. All of these properties make colloidal oatmeal a useful ingredient for people living with eczema.

Ceramides

One of the main issues that leads to eczema is when the skin’s barrier doesn’t work properly, so it doesn’t do an effective job of keeping out environmental irritants (as mentioned above) and locking in moisture.

People who have eczema often have changes in the fats inside their skin cells, which are called lipids. These changes in lipids can lead to problems with how the skin cells work. Additionally, there are also problems with how fats are processed in the sebaceous glands, which make oils for the skin. These issues with fats can cause eczema to develop. Researchers have noticed that people with eczema have lower levels of ceramides compared to those without eczema.

Applying ceramides to the skin can help control eczema symptoms by making the skin’s barrier stronger. Ceramides are included but not listed as active ingredients on any of the Eucerin products mentioned, so there may not be enough ceramides in the products to have a significant effect on eczema symptoms.

Shea Butter

Another way to help improve the functioning of the skin barrier in people with eczema is to cover affected areas in thick layers of creams. Some creams can help act as a barrier when the skin isn’t protecting itself well and help keep moisture in and bacteria out.

Shea butter works as a skin barrier and contains an acid already found in the skin called linoleic acid. The linoleic acid in shea butter helps keep the skin strong and protected. Although more research is needed to determine how effective shea butter is and how much it helps eczema, it seems to work better than some other, similar products.

Note that because shea butter is not a main ingredient in any of the Eucerin products mentioned, we don’t know if there’s enough in the hand cream for it to be effective for eczema. The main eczema benefits from these products are likely due to the main ingredients like colloidal oatmeal.

Do Eucerin Products Work for Eczema?

Several members of MyEczemaTeam have used Eucerin products with promising results. Keep in mind that some of the products they’ve discussed may have been renamed or discontinued, and product lines can change at any time.

One member said, “I’m using Eucerin for very dry skin. It’s better than ever today. I’m barely itching.” Another added, “I use Eucerin Eczema Relief Cream. It takes away the itch fast and is long-lasting.”

Some members combine Eucerin with other products: “If my skin is pierced, I put triple antibiotic ointment on it and Eucerin Intensive Repair Lotion, and it heals.”

One MyEczemaTeam member found that Eucerin products helped make their eczema much more manageable. They said, “I ordered Eucerin Eczema Relief on Amazon. I’ve been using it for one week now, and I’m happy to report that it’s almost all cleared up.”

A few research studies have found that Eucerin can effectively help manage eczema in some people. One study showed that Eucerin Eczema Relief Body Cream used twice a day for 14 days helped improve hydration of the skin and functioning of the skin barrier and reduced itching in people with atopic dermatitis. However, not everyone with eczema may experience such positive results.

Are There Any Risks of Using Eucerin Products for Eczema?

The main risk of using any product on your skin is that it can cause a skin reaction called contact dermatitis. Many different factors can cause contact dermatitis, and you can get it even if you don’t have eczema.

Some doctors classify contact dermatitis as a type of eczema, while others don’t mention eczema in their discussion of contact dermatitis. Either way, people who have been diagnosed with eczema seem to be at a greater risk of developing contact dermatitis. This means that you may want to use caution when it comes to any skin product, including those produced by Eucerin.

Next Steps for Using Eucerin Products for Eczema

Talk to your dermatology team if you’re thinking about trying Eucerin products for eczema. They will be able to give you medical advice based on the specifics of how eczema affects you. If they don’t think that Eucerin products are right for you, your dermatologist can recommend or prescribe something else that should help.

Your health care provider may recommend a patch test before you decide whether or not to use a Eucerin product. Buy your product at your local pharmacy or online, then select a small patch of skin that’s not currently affected by eczema. Try the product on your skin, then wait several hours. If you don’t react to it, there’s a good chance it’s safe for you to use.

Talk With Others Who Understand

MyEczemaTeam is the social network for people with eczema and their loved ones. On MyEczemaTeam, more than 48,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with eczema.

Are you considering Eucerin eczema products? If you’ve tried them, how have they worked for your eczema symptoms? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.