Moisturising creams are medical moisturisers. Your doctor may call these creams ‘emollients’. They come as lotions, creams, ointments or gels, but together we will call them ‘moisturising creams'. Lotions and creams are 'thinner' than ointments or gels. There is more information about this later on in this section.

No, because some natural products, like olive oil, have colours, perfumes, or other things that can make eczema worse. This is why it is important to only use a moisturising cream on your skin.

Moisturising creams have been made just for eczema. They do not have anything in them that will make eczema worse. Just things that make it better!

Moisturising creams form a barrier over the skin to protect the skin and keep control of eczema. They help to:

• Stop eczema flare-ups by keeping out things that may irritate the skin
• Make the skin soft by locking water in the skin
• Stop itching
• Reduce soreness
• Keep out infections, which are more likely in dry skin

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Yes, moisturising creams are very safe. They are mainly a mixture of oils and water. They don’t harm your skin. Millions of people across the world use them.

Read the evidence

Moisturising creams can catch fire if they soak into clothing, bedding, or bandages and then come into contact with fire (e.g. from a candle, cigarette or cooking hob). Although the risk of this happening is low, you should take extra care if you are using them in large amounts and you are a smoker or live with one. Try to keep away from fire, flames, and cigarettes.

Wash your clothes and bedding regularly at the highest temperature allowed for the fabric. This temperature will be written on the fabric’s care label. Try to use plenty of washing detergent and an extra rinse cycle if you have one. Washing like this will reduce the build-up of moisturising creams on fabrics, but will not remove it completely.

The fire risk is very small if you follow the advice above. If you are worried about using these creams, then you may want to speak to your pharmacist, doctor, or nurse.

Moisturising every day can take time. Many people find it difficult to fit moisturising creams into their daily routine.

You may find it helpful to look at the ‘studying and work’ section where these issues are discussed in more detail.

Moisturising creams may sometimes sting the skin when first put on. This will happen when:

• the skin is very dry or cracked
• you are having an eczema flare-up
• you have not yet got control of your eczema using flare control creams

Stinging normally settles down after a few days as your skin repairs itself. If the stinging doesn’t go away after a few days, then you may want to tell your doctor. It may be that you are having a reaction to an ingredient in the cream. You may need to try a different moisturising cream.

There are plenty of different creams to try, so you don’t need to settle for the first one. You can try the 2 week challenge later in this section to help you find a moisturising cream that works for you.

Some people can get sore red spots after using moisturising creams. This is because thicker moisturising creams can sometimes block the natural holes (pores) in your skin. It is more likely to happen on body parts with hair, such as your legs.

These spots should settle on their own. If they don’t or get worse, then you should talk to your doctor or nurse. You may need medication to treat them. You may also want to ask your doctor for a thinner moisturising cream.

Later in this section, there will be advice on the best way to put on your creams to stop this from happening again.

Lots of people find that moisturising creams rub off onto their clothes. This won’t damage your clothes or affect your skin in any way, but you may not like the way it feels or looks. It may also mean you need to wash your clothes more often.

One way to stop moisturising creams rubbing off onto your clothes is to leave a little more time to let your creams soak in before putting on your clothes. It usually takes about 5-10 minutes for the cream to fully soak in.

You could try going into a warm room to make your creams soak in quicker. Some people with eczema find it helps if they wear loose clothing.
 

No, your skin does not ‘get used to’ the moisturising creams.

Using moisturising creams every day is the best way to look after your skin and prevent eczema flare-ups. Moisturising creams do not stop working the more you use them.

If you are having a flare-up, then you will also need to use flare control creams, as well as the moisturising creams, to get control of the eczema.

You can find out more about this in the ‘flare control creams’ section.

Some people with eczema worry about this. You may find that some moisturising creams can make the skin look shiny.

The skin might also look shiny if your moisturising cream has not fully soaked in. You may want to leave a little more time to let the creams soak in before going out. This usually takes about 5-10 minutes.

Some people find it helpful to use lighter creams when they are out and thicker creams when they are at home.

It’s so easy to forget to put on moisturising cream every day, especially when you are really busy with school, university or work.

Many people with eczema find it helpful to set themselves a reminder. You could try setting an alarm on your phone or put a reminder on a post-it somewhere you will walk past to remind you.

Many people with eczema find it easier to remember if they make putting on moisturising creams part of their daily routine. You may find it helpful to put on moisturising creams at the same time each day. Perhaps after a shower, before you brush your teeth or before you go to bed.

You can try the 2 week challenge later in this section. This can help you get into the habit of using your moisturising creams every day. You can also set up email or text reminders so you don’t forget!
 

Different moisturising creams smell and feel different. Most moisturising creams do not smell. If you don’t like the way yours smells, you may want to ask your doctor for a different cream. There are many different moisturising creams you can try.

They come in different levels of thickness and greasiness. People who use thicker or greasier creams find that they last longer and are good for very dry skin. It doesn’t really matter which cream you use, as long as you use it at least once a day.

If you find the cream is too greasy, then you may want to try using a thinner cream. You could also use a thinner cream in the daytime and a thicker one in the evening.

This section will give you advice on how to find the right moisturising cream for you.

It is a good idea to wash your hands before you put creams on. This is because your hands may have bacteria on them that may make your eczema worse.

It’s best not to use your hands to scoop the cream from its tub. This can add bacteria to the tub. You can use a cream that comes in a pump dispenser or scoop the cream out of the tub with a spoon from the kitchen. Wash the spoon in hot water afterwards.

Many people find it helpful to put on moisturising creams using downward strokes, in the same direction that the hair is growing. If you were to go in the opposite direction of the hair, the creams can block the hair follicles (small sacs from where your hairs grow). This can cause red and sore spots, which can become infected.

People find that stroking is best when putting on moisturisers, as rubbing can make you feel itchy.

You may want to try putting moisturising creams on areas of eczema or dry skin, or areas where eczema has been in the past. When your eczema is bad, you could try putting moisturising creams on over the whole body. Even on areas where there is no eczema or dry skin.

It is safe to put moisturising creams on cracked skin. You may find it stings at first, but this will stop as the skin heals.

Put on a thick layer. Many people find moisturising creams work best when they put plenty on. You cannot overuse moisturising creams, but a lot of people use too little!

Wipe your hands on a towel and, if possible, wait for the cream to soak in.

Many people find that their skin improves if they use moisturising creams at least once a day. You may need to use them more often if you have very dry skin or more severe eczema.

It can take a while to notice improvements in your skin. If you’ve used moisturising creams regularly for 2 weeks and it’s still not working, it may be worth going back to your pharmacist, doctor, or nurse to try another one. It is important to find a moisturising cream that suits your skin. Why not take part in our 2 week challenge? You can find out more about this later in this section.

If yes, then moisturising creams may not be enough. You may need to get control by using flare control creams as well. You can find out more in the ‘flare control creams’ section for more information.

Even if you are using your creams correctly, there are things that can be making your eczema worse that are out of your control. For example, the weather, or stress.

The best thing you can do is to keep using your creams as part of your daily routine to keep your eczema under control.

Many different moisturising creams are available, with different levels of greasiness. It is important that you choose one you like to use.

• Ointments: These are usually greasy and see-through. They are usually better as they last longer on the skin and give better results on very dry skin.
• Gels: These are a bit thinner than ointments.
• Creams: These are white and contain water so are easier to smooth in. Some people find these more pleasant to put on, but these don’t last as long on the skin. They need to be used more often than ointments.
• Lotions: These are similar to creams but thinner.
• Sprays: A few people use these. They are even thinner than lotions.

No one type of moisturiser is better than another. The best moisturiser for you is the one that works best for you.

The Best Emollients for Eczema study looked at 550 children and the type of moisturisers they used over 16 weeks. The children were given a group at the start of the study to use either a lotion, gel, cream or ointment. A health professional examined their skin and their parents kept a diary about their child’s eczema for a year. The results showed that the type of moisturiser used made no difference to the childrens’ eczema.

To find out more about the study you can look up: The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health: Lotion versus gel versus cream versus ointment emollients for childhood eczema: a pragmatic randomised, phase 4, superiority trial

• Diprobase Ointment
• Emulsifying Ointment
• BP White soft/Liquid paraffin 50/50
• Hydrous Ointment
• Zeroderm Ointment
• Cetraben Ointment
• Epaderm Ointment
• Hydromol Ointment
• Paraffin White soft
• Paraffin Yellow soft
• QV Ointment

• AproDerm Gel
• Isomol Gel
• Doublebase Gel
• Doublebase Dayleve Gel
• MyriBase Gel
• Oilatum Gel
• Zerodouble Gel

• AproDerm Cream
• Aquamol Cream
• Aquamax Cream
• Epimax Cream
• Hydromol Cream
• Ultrabase Cream
• Unguentum M Cream
• Cetraben Cream
• Epaderm Cream
• Oilatum Cream
• QV Cream
• Zeroveen Cream
• Zerocream
• Zeroguent Cream
• Diprobase Cream
• Zerobase Cream
• E45 Cream - this contains lanolin (wool fat). Some people are allergic to this
• ZeroAQS Cream

• Cetraben Lotion
• E45 Lotion - this contains lanolin (wool fat). Some people are allergic to this.
• QV Lotion
• Vaseline Lotion
• Diprobase Lotion
• Aveeno Lotion
• Dermol 500 Lotion - this contains chemicals that act as an antiseptic. Some people find these chemicals irritate their skin.

A few people use sprays. They are even thinner than lotions. Ask your health professional if you would like to use sprays.

There is a moisturiser called Aqueous cream, which should not be used by people with eczema. It contains sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), which can make eczema worse.

You can ask your doctor for different creams, but they may not always be able to give you the exact one you want. This is because doctors have a list of creams that they can give their patients. If the cream you want is not on this list, then they cannot give it to you. Chances are they’ll be able to prescribe a very similar one.