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    eczema people, what cheap products actually work?

    Trying not to spend a fortune testing random stuff so figured I’d ask here.

    What are the best budget-friendly eczema creams/lotions that actually helped you? Like stuff you can get at Walmart/Target/drugstore.

    I’ve tried a few popular ones but it’s so hit or miss. Either it does nothing or it feels okay for like an hour then my skin is dry again.

    Looking for something affordable I can stick with long term.

    eczema people, what cheap products actually work?
    byu/Giggle-Wobble inFrugal



    Posted by Giggle-Wobble

    20 Comments

    1. neri45 on

      Eucerin Advanced Repair Lotion. I’ve had eczema since childhood and after multiple derm visits… this is the only lotion that works for me 1000%. Just don;t take hot showers and put it on while your skin is slightly damp.

    3. JunahCg on

      Vasoline.

      But more importantly, your doc can give you prescription cream that knocks it out quick, and you should figure out if it’s caused by clothing or food allergies and avoid it in the first place.

    5. Advanced_Heat_2610 on

      Stop hot showers for a while. This was the biggest ‘free’ thing that helped. Shorter, cooler showers, especially when bad. I also put a pot of water in each room in winter because the dryness gets me. 

      I use Cerave when it is bad, and Aveeno. I buy these when they are on offer and shop around. You may need to order online for Cerave but I order on amazon and it is very reasonable – the big tub lasts me between 2-4 months for face, arms, and torso applications every night. The Aveeno baby version is usually cheaper and just fine for me with the dark blue top. The body wash is good from Aveeno, with the light blue top. Supplementing with products containing urea. I use Vaseline on my lips, and on my eyelids in winter because they crack so badly. I never use lipsalves. 

      I also drink lots of water and use a store brand, fragrance free face wash and scrub only once a week. 

      I also use hydrocortisone cream sparingly but buy the over the counter version. 

      I avoid anything fragranced or with essential oils in because I find them too strong. 

    7. Imperial_Haberdasher on

      Marin, the lobster protein stuff. Not super cheap but it knocked out the eczema on my eyelids in less than a month.

    8. SeaSpeakToMe on

      Polysporin eczema cream (1% hydrocortisone) on flare ups. Cerave lotion daily for prevention. I switched to cerave shampoo and that has been helping too. I think I’m sensitive to an ingredient in lots of shampoos and bath products.

    12. Overcast451 on

      I had it.. still do I suppose.

      My dermatologist recommended that I switch soaps. He recommended Dove because it’s very mild.

      That and using lotion (CeraVe, Nivea, Neutrogena I prefer) seems to keep it at bay pretty well.

    13. 1-800-eatmyshorts on

      someone else mentioned it but the eucerin eczema relief lotion and then aquaphor healing ointment on top. both will last you forever

    14. Tiny-Celebration-838 on

      Lack of stress. Unfortunately not cheap, and impossible for some of us.

    15. kobayashi_maru_fail on

      I am also team Eucerin, but also try a mash of colloidal oatmeal directly to the eczema for fifteen minutes, and if it’s really extreme try Lanolin (it’s made from sheep sebum and is for breastfeeding-chafed nipples, so can handle any skin irritation).

    16. Itsjustmenobiggie on

      Honestly nothing ever worked for me except prescription medicine.

    17. User_name_5ever on

      Vanicream (not lotion) covered with petroleum jelly

      Do a layer of hydrocortisone once a week under the vanicream

    19. Electrical_Travel832 on

      Aveeno Oatmeal products have never done me wrong…except financially. Now I make my own mixture with regular eating oatmeal and it’s just as soothing if I get a bad breakout. I soak 1 cup of oats in warm water for 10 minutes. Then I rub the liquid on the bad area(s) and let it dry.

    20. Mysterious_Might008 on

      As others have noted, cooler and shorter showers are key. Pat dry (not rubbing) to avoid irritation.

      At Walmart or Target, I buy/use Basis bar cleanser (about $2/bar) – it has chamomile and other soothing stuff in it. Been around for decades and my dermatologist recommended it when I was a teen.

      Started using it again when I had a flare-up decades later and just have stuck with using it twice a day for face.

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