These Are the Best Soaps for Eczema

If you’ve ever experienced eczema, you probably already know that certain types of soaps can wreak havoc on your itchy, scaly rash. Choosing the right soap, with specific non-irritating and eczema-friendly ingredients, is critical to keeping your skin happy, healthy, and free of flare-ups. 

When shopping for the best soaps for eczema, look for hydrating ingredients like ceramides, squalane, and shea butter, as well as soothing ingredients like colloidal oatmeal. Additionally, it’s best to avoid soaps that contain fragrances or acids, as these can be irritating to sensitive and eczema-prone skin. 

We consulted dermatologists for their recommendations for soaps with the right ingredients for easily irritated skin. Then, we spent a month testing dozens of different soaps for eczema to determine the best formulas based on texture, effectiveness, feel, fragrance, and value. We also had a dermatologist on our Medical Expert Board review this article for medical and scientific accuracy.

Our Recommendations

• Best Overall: Avene XeraCalm A.D Ultra-Rich Cleansing Bar
• Best Gentle: Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar
• Best for Sensitive Skin: Vanicream Liquid Cleanser
• Best Splurge: Soft Services Comfort Cleanse Ultra-Soothing + Moisturizing Body Wash
• Best Hand Soap: Seventh Generation Hand Wash – Free & Clean
• Best Body Wash: Honest Company Soothing Therapy Eczema Body Wash
• Best Fragrance-Free: Doctor Rogers Restore Body Wash
• Best for Dry Skin: Eucerin Eczema Relief Cream & Body Wash
• Best Dermatologist-Recommended: SEEN Body Wash, Fragrance-Free

The Editor’s Take

I’m a Commerce Editor at Health and someone with sensitive skin. While I don’t have eczema, I’m always looking for the best soaps to provide relief without irritation, which is also key for eczema-prone skin.

For years, I’ve relied on the Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar. Its mild, soap-free formula has been a staple in my skincare routine, offering a gentle cleanse that doesn’t strip my skin of its natural moisture.

Recently, I added the Vanicream Liquid Cleanser to my routine, and it has been fantastic. Free from common irritants, Vanicream provides a deep clean without any adverse reactions, quickly becoming one of my go-tos.

–Lauren Paige Richeson, Commerce Editor

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Eau Thermale Avene Cleansing Bar at Amazon $14

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Best Gentle:

Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar at Amazon $12

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Best for Sensitive Skin:

Vanicream Liquid Cleanser at Amazon $9

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Best Splurge:

Soft Services Comfort Cleanse Ultra Soothing Shower Gel at Sephora $32

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Best Hand Soap:

Seventh Generation Liquid Hand Soap at Amazon $9

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Best Body Wash:

The Honest Company Soothing Therapy Eczema Body Wash at Amazon $15

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Best Fragrance-Free:

SALE

 Doctor Rogers Hydrating Body Wash at Amazon $46 $24

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Best Dermatologist-Recommended:

SEEN Body Wash Fragrance Free at Amazon $24

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Best for Dry Skin:

Eucerin Eczema Relief Cream Body Wash at Amazon $13

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Best Overall

Eau Thermale Avene Cleansing Bar

PHOTO: Amazon

$14 at Amazon$14 at Dermstore

Why We Like It

We were truly wowed by this bar from Avène—it’s perfect for anyone experiencing severe and widespread eczema on their body. The soap is smooth and provides a rich and creamy lather—it honestly felt like no other soap we’ve used before. We loved that this felt cleansing and moisturizing all in one step, and we didn’t feel the need to reach for any moisturizing cream after using this bar soap. 

This formula left our eczema-prone hands feeling smooth and supple without feeling overly dry. We also noticed that this pick helped reduce the amount of scratching caused by eczema. The lather from this pick is impressive, and we loved that it leaves no uncomfortable residue that we could notice. 

It’s Worth Noting 

• There was little that we didn’t love about this soap for eczema. The only downside is that it costs $14 per bar, which is a bit on the pricier side compared to other drugstore bar soaps. 

Product Details:

• Type: Bar
• Key Ingredients: Avène Thermal Spring Water, I-modulia, evening primrose oil
• Fragrance-Free: Yes

• Health / Ashleigh Morley
• Health / Ashleigh Morley

Best Gentle

Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar

PHOTO: Walmart

$12 at Amazon$12 at Target$13 at Walmart

Why We Like It

Just as the name suggests, this gentle cleansing bar from Cetaphil works well to clean the skin without stripping or causing eczema flare-ups. The formula lathers really nicely and feels smooth and creamy on the skin.

We noticed our skin felt fresh, clean, and hydrated after each use of this bar, both at the sink and in the shower. Once our skin had dried, there was no itching or irritation, but we did need to apply lotion after use. We were impressed by how well this bar soap calmed a severe flare-up on our hand. 

It’s Worth Noting 

• Although we didn’t find it irritating our eczema, this bar soap does have a very faint floral scent. Our tester didn’t notice that the light fragrance irritated her eczema-prone skin. 

Product Details:

• Type: Bar
• Key Ingredients: Glycerin, stearic acid
• Fragrance-Free: No

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Best for Sensitive Skin

Vanicream Liquid Cleanser

PHOTO: Amazon

$8 at Amazon$9 at Target$8 at Walgreens

Why We Like It

A smooth, clear gel soap, this pick from Vanicream gets the job done without any frills. We really love that this formula is fragrance-free, which can be a big trigger ingredient for many eczema-prone folks. Another reason we chose the Vanicream Liquid Cleanser for best for sensitive skin was that it’s a very barebones cleanser that doesn’t contain ingredients that can sometimes be irritating, like dyes, lanolin, parabens, sulfates, formaldehyde, gluten, and more. 

It’s Worth Noting 

• This cleanser doesn’t lather as well as others on this list, and you might find that you need to use more of it to cover your whole body (if using it on the body).
• Another thing to note is that this product doesn’t have any ingredients that are proven to treat eczema—it just won’t further irritate or flare up your eczema, either. 

Product Details:

• Type: Liquid 
• Key Ingredients: Glycerin, sodium lauroamphoacetate
• Fragrance-Free: Yes

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Best Splurge

Soft Services Comfort Cleanse Ultra Soothing Shower Gel

PHOTO: Soft Services

$32 at SephoraView on Softservices.co

Why We Like It

We love this splurge from Soft Services for a few reasons. One, it is fragrance-free and non-irritating. Two, it has a gentle lather that isn’t too sudsy but also isn’t without bubbles, either. Third, we noticed our skin felt super hydrated after using this body wash. We liked that it moisturized but still left our skin feeling really clean at the same time. 

We also appreciate that the packaging is fully recyclable and comes with a pump for easy application. We loved using this body wash as a shaving wash, too. 

It’s Worth Noting 

• This pick is $32 per bottle, which is a bit steeper for a body wash.
• Additionally, if you prefer a body wash with a lot of lather, you might want to look at other options on this list. 

Product Details:

• Type: Shower gel 
• Key Ingredients: Glycerin, sodium cocoamphoacetate
• Fragrance-Free: Yes

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Best Hand Soap

Seventh Generation Liquid Hand Soap

PHOTO: Amazon

$8 at Amazon$4 at TargetView on Sprouts.com

Why We Like It

Hand soap can really be a make-or-break personal care item when it comes to eczema. Unfortunately, there are so many hand washes on the market that have irritating ingredients and can make an eczema flare-up much worse. That is definitely not the case with the Seventh Generation Hand Wash. This pick was our favorite hand wash because it gets the job done without stripping your skin or making your hands feel like sandpaper after washing. 

We like that this pick is free of synthetic fragrances but has a mild, naturally occurring scent. We also appreciate that this bottle only costs $5 and is made with 100% recyclable plastic. It left our hands feeling clean without feeling dry or disturbed—crucial for a hand wash for eczema. 

It’s Worth Noting 

• While we found that this formula didn’t strip the skin, we wish it did have some more moisturizing ingredients to really leave our hands feeling moisturized and clean. 

Product Details:

• Type: Liquid 
• Key Ingredients: Glycerin
• Fragrance-Free: Yes

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Best Body Wash

The Honest Company Soothing Therapy Eczema Body Wash

PHOTO: Amazon

$13 at Amazon$16 at Target$15 at Walmart

Why We Like It

We found this soap to be incredibly effective at providing moisture and not worsening our eczema. We noticed a patch of eczema on our leg that seemed to clear up once we started using this formula on our body, and we loved that the soap caused no irritation and felt smooth and nourishing after cleansing.

This formula is pretty thick and creamy, but still lathers nicely on the body, too. It leaves skin feeling moisturized yet clean, and it never felt heavy or greasy on the skin, either. Although we still felt like we needed to moisturize our skin post-shower, we didn’t experience any dryness or irritation after using this regularly.  

It’s Worth Noting 

• We didn’t love that this was a bit difficult to squeeze out of the bottle.
• Another issue we found was that when we applied this to our armpits, it left a slight residue that we needed to scrub off. 

Product Details:

• Type: Body wash 
• Key Ingredients: Malic acid, glycerin, aloe
• Fragrance-Free: Yes/No

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Best Fragrance-Free

Doctor Rogers Hydrating Body Wash

PHOTO: Amazon

$24 at Amazon$46 at DermstoreView on Doctorrogers.com

Why We Like It

Slightly creamy, moisturizing, and fragrance-free, this pick from Doctor Rogers does a great job of cleansing skin while leaving your skin feeling moisturized and less-dry. Because it’s fragrance-free, you don’t need to worry about any synthetic fragrances irritating your eczema-prone skin. 

This product lathers and rinses well, and we were really impressed by how hydrated our skin felt after each use. If you’re in need of a really hydrating and moisturizing body wash that’s fragrance-free and non-irritating, we recommend reaching for this pick. 

It’s Worth Noting 

• We felt like this formula had a bit of a slimy texture, and we wished it felt a bit more silky instead. That being said, we loved how hydrating the formula felt, so we were okay with the temporary slimy feeling.  

Product Details:

• Type: Body wash 
• Key Ingredients: Squalane, shea butter, ceramides
• Fragrance-Free: Yes

Best Dermatologist-Recommended

SEEN Body Wash Fragrance Free

PHOTO: Amazon

$24 at Amazon$24 at Ulta$24 at Ulta

Why We Like It

Designed by a dermatologist and recommended by other dermatologists, this pick from SEEN is a great formula for folks looking for a mild body wash that’s non-irritating, fragrance-free, and has also been awarded the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance. The thing that stood out the most to us was that this formula lathered really well, but didn’t dry out our skin, either. 

After using this product, our skin felt more moisturized post-shower, and we appreciate that this formula doesn’t clog pores. If you suffer from body acne, this would be a great product for you as well. 

It’s Worth Noting 

• While we know this might be a bit nit-picky, we had a lot of difficulty getting the factory seal off the top of the bottle when first opening. We had to get a knife out to poke a hole in the seal. This might be difficult for people with disabilities. 

Product Details:

• Type: Body wash 
• Key Ingredients: Glycerin, bisabolol, tocopherol
• Fragrance-Free: Yes

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Best for Dry Skin

Eucerin Eczema Relief Cream Body Wash

PHOTO: Amazon

$13 at Amazon$13 at Target$17 at Walgreens

Why We Like It

For the folks with super dry, eczema-prone skin, this body wash delivers. This pick is a creamy consistency and does not foam—you just apply it to your body, rub it around, and rinse it off. It feels more like a body lotion than a body wash. After each use, you will notice just how moisturized and hydrated your skin feels once you hop out of the shower. 

We appreciate that this product was specifically designed for those with eczema. Plus, we like that it contains colloidal oatmeal, which has been proven to help relieve symptoms associated with eczema. 

It’s Worth Noting 

• Because this is a cream-based body wash, you might feel a bit of greasiness post-shower.
• If you prefer a foaming wash, you should choose a different option. 

Product Details:

• Type: Body wash
• Key Ingredients: Colloidal oatmeal, glycerin, ceramides
• Fragrance-Free: Yes

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Our Testing Process

To create this list of the best soaps for eczema, we thoroughly tested the top picks on the market and rated them for various factors. We tested 23 different soaps for eczema and tried them out for about a month and a half at home. While testing, we rated the soaps for the following attributes: 

• Texture: We wanted to know each soap’s texture—was it smooth, creamy, or grainy? We also wanted to know how well it lathered (if at all) and how it made your skin feel immediately after use. 
• Fragrance: We asked whether the soap had fragrance and, if so, whether it irritated the skin at all. 
• Effectiveness: We noted how our skin felt immediately after the first use of each soap. We also wanted to know if the soap exacerbated any dryness and if it actually made eczema worse. 
• Feel: We noted how the soap felt, such as whether it was gentle on the skin without causing irritation, stinging, or burning. We also wanted to see if it left any residue after rinsing. 
• Value: We wanted to see if the testers felt that each soap was worth the price and if they would recommend it to others. 

Our Experts 

While we did our own testing to evaluate the best soaps for eczema, we referred to the experts to answer our eczema-related questions. These experts included: 

• Geeta Yadav, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and founder of FACET Dermatology.
• Emma Guttman-Yasky, MD, PhD, the Waldman professor of dermatology and immunology and system chair department of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. 
• Claire Wolinsky, MD, a board-certified dermatologist practicing in New York City and Clinical Instructor of Dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Ingredients that Help with Eczema

People with eczema need to support their skin barrier. With a weakened barrier, skin is prone to dryness, irritation, redness, and itchiness—all the hallmarks of eczema. Look for lipids like ceramides, squalane, shea butter, and other plant-derived oils and butters, which will help prevent water loss in the skin and block irritants from entering it, explains Dr. Yadav. Also, look for colloidal oats, which can reduce inflammation and improve the lipid profile of the skin.

For liquid soap, look for creamy or oil-based formulas to ensure it is non-stripping. According to Dr. Yadav, foams and gels tend to be more stripping. She explains that the majority of bar soaps will not be as nourishing as a liquid formula. If you are going to opt for a bar soap, choose one specifically designed for eczema or sensitive skin. 

Ingredients to Avoid If You Have Eczema

Ingredients that strip the skin should be avoided. Alcohol and other antibacterial ingredients (triclosan, benzalkonium chloride, etc.) are needlessly harsh; they can also damage the microbiome, and eczema-prone skin needs good bacteria to fend off the bad, warns Dr. Yadav. Also be cautious using active ingredients that can sensitize the skin, such as salicylic, glycolic, and lactic acids. Dr. Wolinsky notes that while some believe manuka honey products are anti-inflammatory, she cautions that ‘natural’ ingredients can exacerbate eczema or cause allergies. Both Dr. Guttman and Dr. Wolinsky recommend avoiding fragrances if possible, as they can often be irritating to eczema-prone skin. 

Tips for Managing Eczema

Managing eczema can be a bit tricky, especially because there are various factors that might contribute to flare-ups (like using harsh ingredients, changing weather, allergens, etc.). To help minimize the frequency of flare-ups, you can: 

• Lower water temperature: According to Dr. Yaddav, water temperature is very important when cleansing eczema-prone skin. Water should be warm rather than hot, which will strip the skin’s natural oils.
• Take shorter showers: You shouldn’t take long, luxurious showers because they, too, will strip the skin of its natural oils. 20 minutes max is plenty sufficient.
• Don’t shower more than once daily: If you have eczema-prone skin. Dr. Yadav does not recommend showering more than once per day, as this will dry out your skin and could cause a flare-up. 
• Moisturize after showering: Use a formula with humectants like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and lipids, and apply it to damp skin. This will give the humectants water to grab onto and pull into the skin. 
• Make your bathroom more humid: Dr. Yadav suggests turning off the bathroom fan and keeping the windows closed while showering. Though the bathroom will get very steamy, that’ll be great for your skin—eczema-prone skin benefits greatly from ambient moisture.

When to See a Healthcare Provider 

If you struggle to manage your eczema to the point that your skin is disrupting your daily life—whether that’s due to irritation and discomfort or the way it’s affecting your self-esteem—Dr. Yadav suggests seeing a healthcare provider for help. You may need more intervention, including prescription medication.

Who We Are

Daley Quinn is a freelance journalist specializing in beauty and health who has contributed to numerous publications, such as Elle, Real Simple, Allure, The Cut, WWD, and more. She also runs a blog called The Daley Dose. She used tested insight, interviewed experts, and used her own experience with soaps for eczema to create this list of the best soaps for eczema on the market.