National Eczema Week: The expert-recommended guide to treatment and the products that can help

From shampoo to moisturisers, these products can offer relief and comfort from flare-ups

The skin condition affects one in 10 adults and one in five children, but it's not impossible to treat (iStock/The Independent)

Founded by the National Eczema Society, and running between 12 and 18 September, is National Eczema Week. 

It aims to better understand the day-to-day and longer-term impacts of living with the condition in both adults and children.  

This year the theme is “unmasking eczema” and focuses on a survey created in collaboration with pharmaceutical company, LEO Pharma, which spoke to adults and children about managing the condition and its effect on people’s lives.

Of the 1,000 surveyed, 89 per cent of adult respondents said that having eczema had significantly reduced their quality of life, while 28 per cent reported it had a negative impact on their career.  

Dr Bibi Ghalaie, cosmetic physician and medical director at cosmetic clinic, British Aesthetics, explains exactly what the condition is: “Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a chronic, itchy skin condition that can occur at any age. It usually occurs in people who have a tendency towards ‘atopy’ or allergies, this means they might develop any or all of three conditions that are closely linked to each other including eczema, asthma and hayfever.”

According to Dr Ghalaie, eczema is caused when the skin barrier is disrupted, meaning it may not produceproduct as many fats and oils and is unable to retain water. “The skin then becomes more susceptible to irritants including soap and other contact irritants, but also the skin is more sensitive to the weather or changes in temperature.”

Typically, eczema presents as flare-ups of inflamed, red, dry, itchy patches of skin that can sometimes blister or become weepy. However in between flare-ups, she explains that the skin can sometimes appear normal, but in cases of chronic eczema, skin can be dry, thickened and often scaly in texture.

It’s more common than you think too. Dr Emma Wedgeworth, consultant dermatologist and British Skin Foundation spokesperson told The Independent that it’s estimated that on in five children have eczema and up to one in 10 adults.

“Eczema is more common in urban areas and in certain countries such as the UK, Australia and the US and less common in other countries such as Japan and Iran,” she says.  

How to treat it

As the severity of eczema can vary person to person, a case-by-case approach is often the most beneficial, as age, skin type, medical history and personal circumstances all play a role.

However, Dr Wedgeworth explains that there are some basic principles that apply.

"Rich moisturisers containing ingredients such as mineral oils, shea butter, glycerin and ceramides are all helpful. A weaker skin barrier is a key part of why eczema develops and by moisturising regularly, this helps to replenish the skin's natural lipids and moisturising factors.”

She advises avoiding highly fragranced products and steering clear of harsh detergents and cleansers on the skin, which can upset the natural acidic pH of the skin and damage the skin barrier.

“If changing your skincare isn't enough, then seek help from your pharmacist or doctor. While moisturisers and skincare can help restore the skin barrier, the red itchy patches of eczema may need anti-inflammatory creams such as steroids to treat them.  Used correctly, steroid creams can very effectively and safely treat eczema." 

There are some easily available products that our IndyBest reviewers would recommend using, who all have eczema, that could be helpful for you too. We’ve rounded them up here with products that can help babies, children and adults.

You can trust our independent round-ups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.

Children and babies

Eczema flare-ups can be incredibly distressing for both kids and parents, with uncomfortable, itchy lesions often resulting in sore, broken skin that may weep or even bleed, and in some cases, become infected. This can then affect your child’s sleep and mood.

In our guide to the best eczema treatment for children and babies, this Aveeno dermexa emollient cream (Boots, £10.50) took the number spot for being super hydrating while also being gentle enough to use even through flare ups.

Soothing and comforting, we found this cream offered immediate comfort (The Independent)

Our reviewer commented: “It’s light and easily absorbed while also restoring calm to your child’s raw skin and giving immediate comfort. If your child has a particularly bad patch of eczema, smother them in this stuff for instant relief.”

The formula is rich in avenanthramides – an antioxidant found in oats – that will reduce inflammation long after you’ve applied it.

Amid a pandemic, hand-washing has never been more important and it’s a way to introduce small children about taking care of their own hygiene.

However frequent hand-washing can exacerbate eczema and dry skin conditions and be painful to use on sensitive skin.

This Little B alcohol-free hand cleansing gel (Bramley, £12) impressed us as there wasn’t even the smallest wail from our little reviewers, while being gorgeously fragranced with peppermint essential oils that remind us of after-dinner peppermint creams.

This is a great way to encourage hand-washing without irritating flare-ups of eczema (Bramely)

We loved the mix of aloe vera, antibacterial tea tree and lavender essential oils that can be used by children from six months old and comes in a pump dispenser which means there’s little waste or spillages.

A tricky place to treat that can see eczema flare-ups is the scalp and it can be very uncomfortable as most of the skin is obscured by hair. 

We found that the Childs Farm sensitive scalp shampoo (Childs Farm, £5) will stop even the itchiest of scalps from flaring up and causing irritation after washing.

This also helped to de-tangle knotty strands too (Childs Farm)

It contains naturally-derived cleansing agents and is infused with aloe vera to calm your child’s scalp.

Not only is this reasonably priced, dermatologist and paediatrician approved (making it eczema friendly) but it’s also packed with natural ingredients that left our child’s hair tangle-free, super soft, and shiny too, plus it smells great.

It received a big thumbs up from our mini tester who also liked the bright and fun animated packaging.

It can be used on newborns too, which makes it a great choice for treating cradle cap without any rubbing, combing, or even picking.

Adults

Pay close attention to your skincare routine if you have eczema on your face, as it making it more susceptible to allergens, and therefore needs to be continuously hydrated to help protect the skin’s disrupted barrier.

In our guide to the best moisturisers for eczema, we found the La Roche-Posay toleriane ultra fluid sensitive skin (lookfantastic, £18.50) to be ideal as a facial cream that was lightweight enough to wear well with makeup.

Many moisturiser for eczema-prone skin can be rich and heavy, but found this sat nicely under makeup (lookfantastic)

The French pharmacy brand is budget-friendly, effective and caters specifically for sensitive skin.

It didn’t leave skin feeling oily or looking sweaty and is suitable if you’re prone to redness, itchiness or burning, and our reviewer found was well worth the investment.

For an easy and safe body moisturiser, we loved this Epaderm cream (Boots, £12.50) that’s easy on the skin and the purse strings.

This rich emollient is an affordable, but effective, option (The Independent )

It’s a versatile product that acts as a 2-in-1 moisturiser and cleanser that’s often prescribed by doctors in the UK, but is available in most pharmacies, large supermarkets and online.

Our tester thought Epaderm worked really well as a daily moisturiser, as it can be applied onto broken skin without causing further damage, but also keeps your skin soft and hydrated in between flare-ups, and is suitable to use on your face.

The E45 cream (Boots, £2.35) is another option that’s easily accessible and slightly more-travel-friendly.

Easily available, E45 is a budget-friendly skincare brand worth stocking up on

It’s been clinically proven to treat dry and itching skin, and the non-greasy emollient is fast-absorbing so you won’t be left with a sticky pyjama sleeve.

Our tester claimed that every eczema suffer should keep E45 in stock, while another claimed that used sparingly, the cream can be used your face as an occasional moisturiser.