The Best Eczema Cleansers

Cleansers and body washes play an import role in treating eczema and atopic dermatitis because they have a big effect on the skin barrier. Eczema cleansers should protect and repair the skin barrier with fatty acids and soothing and calming the skin with anti-inflammatory ingredients.

The best facial cleansers for eczema are Creamy Cleansers that deposit lipids (fatty acids) on the skin. These lipids are what give the cleansers the creamy texture.

Here are some of our favorite creamy cleansers that are safe for eczema prone atopic skin:

Lipids are the skin’s natural fats and are made of fatty acids.

Fatty acids help to maintain the strength of the skin barrier

Fatty acids lock in moisture while locking out allergens, irritants and bacteria

Unsaturated fatty acids have skin soothing abilities while saturated fatty acids are hydrating

I have eczema which is why I am so interested in skin barrier research and finding the best skin care products for atopic dermatitis .To keep my eczema under control, I use the Zerafite Creamy Cleanser to prevent eczema flares.

Eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, is a skin disease caused by an injured skin barrier, causing the skin to become red, itchy and inflamed. In eczema, the skin barrier is impaired and does not hold on to moisture and water properly, usually as the result of genetics or environmental issues such as using the wrong body wash or face wash. The detergents in soaps and cleansers can strip important fatty acids from the skin leading to dehydration and inflammation of the skin.

Once inflammation gets started, it turns on many different inflammatory pathways and is hard to turn off. If you have a darker skin type, then inflammation can cause pigmentation leading to post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

There are many causes of eczema, but one cause I often see in my patients using the wrong soap or cleanser for the Baumann Skin Type. The best soap for eczema is not a soap! Many soaps damage the skin barrier further and worsen eczema. Instead of soap- choose a non soap eczema cleanser that has soothing fatty acids and soothing and calming ingredients.

We can help you find the best eczema cleansers for your Baumann Skin Type.

I tried, but I could not find any natural eczema soaps that I would recommend. The problem is that many botanical ingredients that are in natural and organic products cause skin allergy. Most soaps are irritating to eczema prone skin. If you want a natural option, consider a cleansing oil.

This soap is not completely natural, but many of the ingredients are natural and the brand Avene has many good products for eczema.

Cleansing oils are a better face wash for eczema than soaps because oils are full of soothing fatty acids.

Cleansing oils can also be used for eczema, and are extremely beneficial when used as part of a double cleansing routine as they lift away dirt and impurities without drying the skin. Look for oils like argan oil, glycine soja oil, grapeseed oil, almond oil, safflower oil and coconut oil, which are all highly moisturizing, and each offer unique additional skin benefits:

Argan oil soothes the skin and heals infection and wounds

Glycine soja oil protects the skin from damage and promotes the growth of healthy skin cells

Grapeseed oil helps to improve the skin’s elasticity

Almond oil is a well-known treatment for dry skin and also reduces the appearance of scars

Safflower oil prevents flaking

Coconut oil reduces inflammation and provides antimicrobial properties.

Here are some choices:

I do not advise using essential oils for eczema as they contain only the fragrance from the oil and not the essential, hydrating fatty acids. Essential oils do not have fatty acids.

In fact, essential oils often cause an allergic reaction when used in skin conditions with an impaired skin barrier, like eczema, rosacea or psoriasis. I recommend using a real oil like argan oil or safflower oil if you want an organic cleanser for your eczema, and avoid essential oils entirely.

There are a couple of specific essential oils that happen to be decent for eczema treatments because they contain barrier repairing fatty acids like linoleic acid. Rose oil is actually considered anti-inflammatory and antioxidant in some concentrations. It cannot in isolation repair your eczema, but it shouldn't hurt your skin barrier either.

In addition to essential oils, I do not advise using foaming cleansers that have a lot of bubbles and suds. The detergents that cause the foaming will strip essential fats from the skin that protect the skin barrier and keep the skin hydrated.

I also do not recommend using bar soap or any heavily fragranced soaps, as these will strip the skin of moisture and further irritate the skin.

The most suitable laundry detergents for sensitive skin like eczema are Tide Free or all free detergents, or any other laundry detergent that is fragrance-free. All heavily fragranced detergents should be avoided, and while organic laundry detergents may seem like the best option, their ingredients can actually be an eczema trigger so we advise that you use organic detergents with caution.

Selecting the best cleanser for eczema can be easy to do provided you follow our dermatologist advice to avoids suds and bubbles. Creamy cleansers are the preferred choice for eczema because they are gentle, moisturizing, and help to protect the important lipids in the skin barrier. Always pair your eczema cleanser with a barrier repair moisturizer.

Let us help you find the right products for your Baumann Skin Type!