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The 9 Best Expert-Recommended Soaps for Eczema

These soaps help soothe and alleviate eczema symptoms like itchy, dry, and red skin.

A collage of eczema soaps we recommend on a colorful background

Verywell Health / Lecia Landis

One in 10 people will experience eczema at some point in their life. Atopic dermatitis, or eczema, is a condition caused by a defect in the skin's barrier in combination with skin inflammation, explains Charlotte Birnbaum, MD, FAAD, at Spring Street Dermatology in New York City. She notes that the skin is more sensitive to allergens and irritants due to a defect in the skin barrier. Thankfully, cleansing soaps are a great way to help soothe some of the symptoms of eczema while keeping the skin clean and healthy.

We researched dozens of soaps for eczema and evaluated them based on ingredients, application directions, and value. A dermatologist from our Medical Expert Board reviewed the contents of this article for medical accuracy as well as when to seek further advice from a healthcare provider.

Ingredients to Look for and Avoid

You should prioritize active ingredients that cleanse, moisturize, and soothe the skin. Soothing ingredients to look for include colloidal oatmeal, ceramides, glycerin, and omega oils. According to Denisse M. Serrano, MS, PA-C at JUVA Skin & Laser Center in New York City, you should buy a soap based on the ingredients, not the brand name.

As eczema often means skin is more sensitive or irritable, individuals should be aware of and aim to avoid things that may set off their skin and cause an outbreak. It's best to avoid irritating ingredients like tea tree oil, fragrances, preservatives, retinoids, alcohols, and propylene glycol.

When to Consult Your Dermatologist

It’s important to note that while all of these soaps for eczema can assist in minor to medium irritations, they may not be able to clear up an eczema outbreak entirely. If you aren’t noticing any improvement after a week or two of use, it may be time to consult your dermatologist.

Best Overall

Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar

Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar

Walmart

Pros
  • Specialized formula for sensitive skin

  • Cleanses and moisturizes

  • Can be used daily

Cons
  • Leftover residue after washing

Key Specs:

Key Ingredients: Glycerin | How to Use: After wetting face and hands, work soap into a lather, wash face, and rinse

Why We Recommend It

We chose this mild, non-alkaline bar as our top pick because it was specifically designed for dry, sensitive skin. It moisturizes and cleans your skin simultaneously, making it an excellent choice for full-body cleansing while caring for your eczema. Its neutral pH formula and lack of harsh detergents allow your skin to heal without stripping away any natural oils or barriers, making it safe for adults and children.

Keep in Mind

It may leave a leftover residue after washing.

Best Body Wash

CeraVe Soothing Body Wash

CeraVe Soothing Body Wash

Amazon

Pros
  • Protects the skin barrier

  • Contains omega oils for extra dry skin

  • Free of parabens and sulfates

Cons
  • Thin consistency

Key Specs:

Key Ingredients: Ceramides and omega oils | How to Use: Cleanse body during showering or bathing as needed

Why We Recommend It

CeraVe’s Soothing Body Wash cleanses and calms the skin with a formula designed by dermatologists to restore skin to its natural, healthy state, thanks to omega oils, hyaluronic acid, and three essential ceramides.

Caren Campbell, MD, a San Francisco-based board-certified dermatologist, explains that people with eczema have an impaired skin barrier that lets out moisture while absorbing irritants (like allergens) into the skin. With no parabens or sulfates, individuals can feel safe using this product on their skin to moisturize and cleanse while avoiding allergens and irritants. CeraVe is fragrance-free and safe for children and adults, and the National Eczema Association recommends this pick.

Keep in Mind

This soap has a thinner consistency. This may not be for you if you want a thicker soap that lathers easily.

Best Budget

Basis Sensitive Skin Bar

Basis Sensitive Skin Bar

Amazon

Pros
  • Affordable

  • Can be used as hand or body soap

  • Free of fragrances and dyes

Cons
  • Harder to lather

  • Not ideal for sensitive skin

Key Specs:

Key Ingredients: Chamomile and aloe vera | How to Use: Use as needed in shower/bath or as a hand soap; lather, cleanse, and rinse

Why We Recommend It

Specialized soap (especially for eczema), while worth it, can often get expensive. Basis's Sensitive Skin Soap lets you take care of skin sensitivities without breaking the bank. It contains natural, soothing ingredients like chamomile tea and aloe vera while avoiding irritants like fragrances, dyes, and other harsh chemicals. This dermatologist-recommended soap leaves your skin feeling clean, calm, and replenished—it's an excellent, easy addition to your daily routine.

Keep in Mind

This soap could cause irritation in those with severely sensitive skin. We'd suggest patch-testing it first or prioritizing a soap with sensitive skin in mind.

Best Facial Cleanser

Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser

Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser

Amazon

Pros
  • Can be used as a daily cleanser or makeup remover

  • Hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic

  • Good for acne, eczema, and rosacea

Cons
  • May be too drying

  • Not ideal for sensitive skin

Key Specs:

Key Ingredients: Glycerin | How to Use: Wet face, pump a small amount of soap into hands, massage onto face, and rinse

Why We Recommend It

The National Eczema Association recommends this mild, creamy cleanser because it helps remove dirt, makeup, and other blemishes from your face without adding harsh chemicals and irritants to your skin. Its small ingredient list ensures that your face is only coming into contact with helpful components to calm your eczema, thanks to its skin-nourishing polyglycerin formula. It's also free from fragrances, parabens, and allergens.

Keep in Mind

This soap can be drying, and it may only remove small amounts of makeup. If you have heavy layers of makeup, you may need to double cleanse or still use a makeup remover for a completely clean face.

Best Hand Soap

Vanicream Liquid Cleanser

 Vanicream Liquid Cleanser

Amazon

Pros
  • Safe for kids

  • Free of irritating ingredients

  • Doubles as a face and body wash

Cons
  • Pump is hard to use

  • Could be too drying

Key Specs:

Key Ingredients: None | How to Use: Lather onto wet skin, rinse, and dry

Why We Recommend It

Free & Clear’s hand soap is exactly how it sounds—simple, without any irritating additives that could set off your hand eczema. It’s dermatologist-recommended and only contains ingredients found to be effective while remaining gentle to your skin. It is paraben, oil, gluten, sulfate, and fragrance-free, leaving you with a cleansing and calming formula for your skin.

Keep in Mind

The pump can be difficult to use and the formula can be too drying for some.

Best Baby

CeraVe Baby Wash & Shampoo

CeraVe Baby Wash & Shampoo

Amazon

Pros
  • 2-in-1 baby shampoo and body wash

  • Tear-free for sensitive eyes

  • Protects the skin barrier

Cons
  • Doesn’t lather well

Key Specs:

Key Ingredients: Ceramides and vitamin E | How to Use: Wet your baby’s hair and skin, apply soap where needed, rinse, and dry

Why We Recommend It

CeraVe’s Baby Wash & Shampoo maintains CeraVe’s standard of clean, calm ingredients that are safe for babies. This tear-free formula includes CeraVe’s three essential ceramides for calming the skin and restoring its protective barrier for optimal health and sustainability. Thanks to enriching vitamins and “no nasties” (sulfates, parabens, and fragrances), CeraVe Baby leaves skin feeling soft and moisturized. 

The National Eczema Association recommends this product, too.

Keep in Mind

This soap doesn't lather super well.

Best Vegan

Splendor Santa Barbara Pure Coconut Oil Soap

Splendor Santa Barbara Pure Coconut Oil Soap

Amazon

Pros
  • Lathers well

  • Mild but non-irritating scent from natural ingredients

  • Made with coconut oil, not palm oil

Cons
  • Small-size bars

  • Inconsistent performance

Key Specs:

Key Ingredients: Coconut oil | How to Use: With wet hands, rub the bar until it lathers; apply to face, body, or hands, rinse, and dry

Why We Recommend It

Coconut oil has proven to be an anti-inflammatory ingredient, both for topical uses and consumption. It's the first ingredient in our favorite vegan eczema soap, Splendor's Pure Coconut Oil Soap, alongside aloe juice, colloidal oats, organic chamomile, and organic calendula. These all-natural ingredients are void of chemical allergens and irritants, creating a creamy soap that moisturizes and calms dry skin.

Keep in Mind

The bar soap is small, so it's easy to run out quickly. Also, these bars are handmaid, so the scent and oil content can be inconsistent.

Best for Dry Skin

CLn BodyWash

CLn BodyWash

Amazon

Pros
  • Treats eczema, folliculitis, and acne

  • Safe for anyone 6 months and older

  • Cleanses without disrupting skin barrier

Cons
  • May cause breakouts or rashes

  • More costly than other eczema soaps

Key Specs:

Key Ingredients: Sodium hypochlorite | How to Use: Wet skin and pump small amount of soap into hands; lather, massage into skin, rinse, and dry

Why We Recommend It

CLn's BodyWash is designed to reduce redness, dryness, and flakiness. It's a cleanser that is safe for daily use, preserved with sodium hypochlorite for a strong but calming sensation for your eczema. This body wash does not contain parabens, steroids, or fragrances, so it's a great choice for adults and children.

The National Eczema Association recommends this product.

Keep in Mind

This product could cause rashes in some with severely sensitive skin. We advise doing a patch test or speaking to a medical professional before use. It's also a bit more expensive than other eczema soaps.

Best Natural

SheaMoisture African Black Soap Eczema Therapy

SheaMoisture African Black Soap Eczema & Psoriasis Therapy

Amazon

Pros
  • Natural bacteria-fighting ingredients

  • Soothing

  • Ultra-hydrating

Cons
  • May not work for severe cases of eczema or psoriasis

  • Stronger scent

Key Specs:

Key Ingredients: Shea butter | How to Use: With wet hands, rub the bar until it lathers; apply to face, body, or hands; rinse and dry

Why We Recommend It

SheaMoisture’s Eczema Therapy soap uses an all-natural formula packed with shea butter, aloe, lemon balm, African black soap, and gotu kola to soothe your eczema. It’s designed to keep new bacteria out of the skin’s protective barrier while letting moisture in to heal dryness and inflammation caused by eczema. It simultaneously moisturizes and soothes, is anti-bacterial and therapeutic, and is ready to help heal your skin.

Keep in Mind

This soap by Shea Moisture has a stronger scent than other options. It also may not be as effective for severe cases of eczema.

How We Selected Soaps for Eczema

When looking for the soaps for eczema, we prioritized options that professionals and our experts recommend. We spent hours combing the web for the best and most effective products. After considering our options, we determined which to feature based on the following key criteria:

  • Ingredients: We consulted experts on the best ingredients for eczema soaps and what we should avoid. We compared the ingredients of the soaps on the market to expert advice to ensure these picks will help, not harm, your skin.
  • Directions: We looked for soaps that were easy to apply and use. Intuitive products were ranked higher than others.
  • Value: After researching the above, we compared our findings to the financial cost to ensure the value matched the price of the soap.

Our Experts

We use expert input at every step of reporting, testing, and writing this story. Here are some of the dermatologists and experts we consulted along the way.

  • Charlotte Birnbaum, MD, FAAD, at Spring Street Dermatology in New York City
  • Denisse M. Serrano, MS, PA-C at JUVA Skin & Laser Center in New York City
  • Caren Campbell, MD, San Francisco-based board-certified dermatologist

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How does soap for eczema differ from regular soap?

    Dr. Campbell says that people with eczema have an impaired skin barrier, so soaps made for this condition are designed to be super gentle and non-irritating to that already-delicate barrier. In many ways, these eczema-friendly soaps are basically anti-soaps because they don't contain traditional soap in the formula.

  • How often should you use a soap for eczema?

    For the most part, you can use eczema soap as often as your routine calls for; in other words, an eczema hand soap can replace your regular product and be used as often as you wash your hands every day (and the same goes for your face or body wash). Dr. Campbell says how you use the soap is more important than its frequency: Avoid soaping up your whole body every day unless it’s visibly dirty. Instead, stick to your underarms, groin, and face to prevent unnecessary irritation. 

  • Can you use soap for eczema on babies?

    Dr. Campbell doesn’t recommend using eczema-specific soaps for babies, but that doesn’t mean you should wash them with whatever’s lying around the house. She suggests that you stick to fragrance-free soap or other soap-free cleansing alternatives.

Why Trust Verywell Health

As a previous fitness coach, long-time wellness enthusiast, and current health editor, Lily Moe understands the importance of products that meet your individual requirements. As someone who has dealt with severe eczema, Lily has gone through dozens of anti-itch creams, from heavily medicated to all-natural—she knows how crucial it is to be wise in what ingredients you put on your skin for your specific need! Most importantly, Lily always looks for research and first-hand reviews when it comes to deciding on a product.

Additional reporting by Sarah Bradley

Sarah Bradley has been writing health content since 2017—everything from product roundups and illness FAQs to nutrition explainers and the dish on diet trends. She knows how important it is to receive trustworthy and expert-approved advice about over-the-counter products that manage everyday health conditions, from GI issues and allergies to chronic headaches and joint pain.

2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. National Eczema Association. Eczema stats.

  2. Boateng L, Ansong R, Owusu WB, Steiner-Asiedu M. Coconut oil and palm oil's role in nutrition, health and national development: A reviewGhana Med J. 2016;50(3):189-196.

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