Eczema is a pesky and persistent inflammatory skin condition that is common for many infants.
Also known as atopic dermatitis, it usually appears within the first five years of a child’s life.
“Eczema in babies typically presents as inflamed patches of skin that may be red, dry, itchy, and rough to the touch,” says Dr José Costa – a senior consultant allergy paediatrician at The Children’s Allergy Clinic. “It can appear on any part of the body, but it’s most commonly seen on the face, particularly the cheeks and scalp, as well as the creases of the arms, legs and neck.”
According to Great Ormond Street Hospital, one in five children is affected by eczema; a figure that demonstrates just how widespread the condition is.
Frustratingly, the exact cause of baby eczema is unclear. It can be genetic or triggered by extremes in temperature, irritants like detergents and allergens like dust mites.
If your child has symptoms, a GP or a dermatologist may diagnose the condition after a clinical examination. “There is currently no cure for eczema, but it can be managed and treated with strategies and skin care that control the symptoms and reduce flare-ups,” explains Dr Laguda, a consultant paediatric dermatologist at The Portland Hospital. Plus, many babies who suffer from it, may see a significant improvement or outgrow it altogether as they get older.”
Dr Costa and Dr Laguda share their insights and tips to help you manage your baby’s eczema.
Are eczema creams safe to use on babies?
“Moisturisers can be applied from birth – just avoid creams with potential allergens like oats, almond or coconut – these should only be used after your child has safely eaten these foods without presenting any allergy symptoms,” says Dr Costa.
To minimise the risk of further irritation, babies should swerve the following: “Fragrances, dyes, alcohol and harsh preservatives can exacerbate irritation and dryness,” warns Dr Laguda. Products containing lanolin and propylene glycol can also be sensitising for some infants.”
If in doubt, perform a patch test on the crease of your little one’s elbow and leave for 24 hours before use.
Which ingredients should I look for in a baby eczema cream?
When selecting an eczema cream for your baby, look for hypoallergenic formulas with ingredients that provide intensive moisturisation and barrier protection. “Ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin and colloidal oatmeal help to restore the skin barrier, retain moisture and soothe irritation,” advises Dr Laguda.
How often should a baby eczema cream be applied?
The National Eczema Society recommends using creams liberally and frequently (every three to four hours) to effectively repair the skin barrier and stop it from drying out. They also suggest continued use, even when the eczema has improved, to help prevent flare-ups.
Dr Laguda says: “Apply creams to all dry areas, at least twice daily, and more frequently if the skin is particularly dry or inflamed. The best time to use the cream is immediately after a bath, as this helps to lock in moisture.” Be sure to apply the product gently, in the direction of hair growth, giving it a moment to fully absorb before dressing your baby.
Best baby eczema creams at a glance
- Best for natural ingredients: Weleda White Mallow Body Lotion - £8.55, Amazon
- Best for calming: Childs Farm Baby OatDerma Moisturiser - £6, Boots
- Best for long lasting value: Cetraben Natural Oatmeal Cream - £14.99, Superdrug
- Best for mild eczema: Organic Babies Softening Baby Lotion - £9.33, Amazon
- Best for soothing small patches: Skin Genius Cream Come True - £16.50, Superdrug
- Best for the face: Mustela Hydra Bebe Facial Cream - £8, Boots
- Best for persistent eczema: Emotopic Eczema Cream - £8, Amazon
- Best for night time relief: Aveeno Baby Dermexa Good Night Emollient Balm - £9, Amazon
- Best for dry skin: La Roche-Posay Baby Lipikar Moisturising Balm Ap+M - £25, Boots
- Best for soothing redness: E45 Dermatological Eczema Repair Emollient Cream - 19.99, Superdrug
- Best for multi-purpose: REN Evercalm Body Balm - £35, John Lewis
The good news is that there are plenty of products to soothe and calm your baby’s sensitive skin. Shop now
Weleda White Mallow Body Lotion
Best for: Natural ingredients
Famed for its line of natural products, Weleda sought the expertise of midwives to create what they call their “gentlest formula to date”.
Developed specifically with baby eczema in mind, the fragrance and synthetic preservative-free lotion contains organic white mallow extract, which envelops the skin in a protective layer of non-greasy moisture.
Dermatologically proven to be skin-friendly on hyper-sensitive skin, it also features calming pansy extract that eases itching and leaves a pleasant cooling sensation on the skin. Vitamin E-rich organic coconut and sweet almond oils help repair the skin, keeping it smooth and protected against cracking.
It’s useful to heal the skin in between flare-ups and is light enough to be used on the face too.
Buy now £8.55, Amazon
Childs Farm Baby OatDerma Moisturiser
Best for: Calming
Childs Farm is known for its trusted, kid-friendly formulas. This super-gentle, fragrance-free cream, that took two years to develop, harnesses the power of oats.
Oats are hailed for their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and skin-soothing properties. This fragrance-free moisturiser is loaded with a double oat blend. Colloidal oatmeal is abundant in antioxidant-rich avenanthramides, which are clinically proven to soothe irritation and redness. Meanwhile, oat oil helps infant skin absorb and retain moisture thanks to its skin-identical fatty acids and ceramides.
It works quickly to alleviate the discomfort associated with eczema. We were impressed with the consistency of the lotion – it’s silky, easily absorbed and leaves a non-greasy protective barrier.
Buy now £6.00, Boots
Cetraben Natural Oatmeal Cream
Best for: Long lasting value
Endorsed by the British Skin Foundation, this cream is filled with natural oatmeal to soothe irritable skin. Not only does it provide long-lasting hydration, it also helps maintain the skin barrier, making it ideal for managing eczema, along with the itching and irritation that comes with it.
It’s gentle enough to use on the face and body and its quick-drying formula sinks in fast, making it perfect for applying on wiggly babies (once you are sure they are not allergic).
The super-sized 475g dispenser will last for several months and there’s plenty to go around the whole family. Just avoid using it on cracked, inflamed or bleeding skin.
Buy now £12.24, Amazon
Organic Babies Softening Baby Lotion
Best for: Mild eczema
This eczema-friendly, fragrance-free, organic baby lotion is filled with calming goodness. Soothing aloe vera reduces irritation and itching, while calendula - known for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties soothes and repairs the skin barrier, helping to prevent further flare-ups.
For parents of babies with sensitive skin, the fragrance-free formula offers peace of mind. Without any added fragrances, there's less risk of irritation, making it a safe choice for even the most delicate skin types. It’s also certified organic, dermatologically tested and cruelty free.
Buy now £9.33, Amazon
Skin Genius Cream Come True
Best for: Soothing small patches
This gentle cream is packed with essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals that have been selected to reduce inflammation on eczema-prone skin.
Ideal for delicate baby skin, it includes shea butter, known for its high concentration of vitamins and essential fatty acids that lock in moisture. Starflower is rich in gamma-linolenic acid that nourishes and comforts the skin. The cooling chickweed brings fast relief to itching and the inclusion of hemp oil, further ramps up the cream's moisturising powers. Plus it absorbs easily, so you don’t have to rub over delicate areas.
The small 100ml tube is perfect for throwing into the changing bag for soothing skin irritation on the go.
Buy now £16.50, Superdrug
Mustela Hydra Bebe Facial Cream
Best for: The face
Just landed in Boots, the French family behind this brand has been formulating skin care since 1950.
Its Bebe Facial Cream is perfect for newborns, using nourishing beeswax alongside Mustela’s star ingredient – avocado perseose, which is made from the entire cold-pressed fruit (flesh, stone, and skin). The combination of sugars which supports the fruit’s development and maturation achieves a similar function for baby skin – strengthening and protecting its delicate barrier function.
The cold cream formula is on the thicker side, so it’s great for infants with drier skin and treating scaly areas on the cheeks, scalp and behind the ears.
It is dermatologically tested and so safe you can apply it on babies who have come out of neonatal intensive care units (NICU).
Buy now £8.00, Boots
Pharmaceris Emotopic Eczema Cream
Best for: Persistent eczema
Safe to use on your baby’s face and body, this hypoallergenic formula is ideal for soothing the itching, burning, roughness and scaling that is common on eczema sufferers.
Eczema-prone skin needs as much hydration as it can get. This healing cream is enriched with prebiotics to protect the skin’s microbiome, babassu, hemp seed and canola oils to support water loss, as well as ceramides to replenish moisture and reduce any discomfort caused by dryness.
The light texture absorbs into the skin quickly, and when used regularly, the makers claim that it can extend the time between eczema flare-ups.
Buy now £8.00, Amazon
Aveeno Baby Dermexa Good Night Emollient Balm
Best for: Relieving itching
Approved by paediatricians and dermatologists, this gentle, unscented balm is clinically-proven to help restore the skin barrier in just one week.
Ideal for babies aged three months and over, it comes infused with ceramides, which help to restore the skin’s outer layer along with a high concentration of oat extract, oat oil and prebiotic oatmeal. These ingredients not only soothe dry patches and sore flare ups, but also help to ease itching sensations, allowing your little one to sleep comfortably.
Itchiness is a distressing symptom of eczema, so be sure to keep your baby’s nails short to avoid infection. This balm comes in a 75ml squeezy tube dispenser, which is nifty enough to fit into your handbag.
Buy now £9.00, Amazon
La Roche-Posay Baby Lipikar Moisturising Balm Ap+M
Best for: Dry skin
A go-to brand for many parents and often recommended by doctors, this multi-tasking balm has been through rigorous dermatological testing to ensure it is suitable for use on even the most sensitive skin - including newborn babies.
Packed with niacinamide, glycerin, shea butter and thermal spring water, the deeply moisturising formula quickly soothes irritation, speeds up natural healing, whilst providing long-lasting hydration. The hypoallergenic blend feels more like a rich cream than a balm, making it ideal for pre-bedtime baby massage on delicate skin.
Buy now £25.00, Boots
E45 Dermatological Eczema Repair Emollient Cream
Best for: Soothing redness
Designed to address the redness and itching that comes with atopic eczema, this fast-acting cream can be used on the face and body of babies aged three months and over. The added aloe leaf extract soothes, zinc oxide has anti-inflammatory properties to relieve itching and redness, while glycerin softens rough patches of eczema.
Its creamy formula blends easily and leaves a long-lasting protective layer of moisture on the skin - this helps to keep out irritants and prevents further flare-ups.
It’s fragrance-free and dermatologically tested, but if your baby has hypersensitive skin, the brand recommends a patch test first.
Buy now £19.99, Superdrug
REN Evercalm Body Balm
Best for: Multi-purpose
Jam-packed with sunflower, apricot kernel and sweet almond oils that are rich in omega 3,6 and 9, this balm-to-oil formula is designed to repair the skin barrier and support its microbiome. Although marketed at adults, it’s safe to use on all ages and is perfect for sensitive, dry and eczema prone skin.
You only need a pea-sized amount, which needs to be warmed into the palms of the hands where it melts into an oil that can be massaged into your baby’s skin.
It’s a good option for baby massage, soothing smaller dry patches or maintaining a healthy skin barrier once eczema has soothed. It’s probably not ideal for infants with sore skin, as it does not glide on as easily as a lotion or cream.
We love its versatility – it’s perfect for soothing cracked skin and can come in handy for new mums suffering from sore nipples after breastfeeding.
Buy now £35.00, John Lewis
Verdict
Peace of mind and confidence are so important when it comes to your baby’s delicate skin. Weleda White Mallow Body Lotion is not only accredited by the National Eczema Association, but is endorsed by midwives too.
It consistently receives rave reviews for its eczema-soothing, calming, and skin-protective properties. Formulated with natural ingredients, dermatologically tested, and fragrance-free, it provides gentle care for your baby’s sensitive skin without any eczema-exacerbating nasties. Our winner.
