Finally, a Face Wash That Won’t Make Your Eczema Angry AF

If you’re prone to eczema, you don’t want to take any chances with the products you use on your skin—so washing your face with a gentle cleanser you know won’t trigger or aggravate those itchy, dry patches is a definite must.

“A good cleanser isn't going to cure your eczema, but a bad one can be disastrous for your skin’s barrier,” Catie Boucher, DCNP, FNP-C, a board-certified dermatology nurse practitioner and the founder of SavvyDerm, tells SELF. “Eczema in itself is a skin condition that causes inflammation and barrier dysfunction in the skin.” This means your complexion may be more likely to react to irritants and allergy triggers and also struggle to retain moisture. Therefore, it’s super important to find a face wash that’ll clean your skin without stripping it of any more hydration.

Shopping for skin care products when you have eczema-prone or otherwise sensitive skin can feel like navigating a minefield. But knowing a few pointers from dermatologists can help you confidently decode labels to find a gentle face wash you’ll look forward to using.

1. Best Overall: La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+ Gentle Foaming Cleansing Oil
2. Best Budget: Aveeno Calm and Restore Gentle Nourishing Oat Face Cleanser
3. Best for Active Eczema: Skinfix Pre-Biotic Face + Body Foaming Oil Cleanser
4. Best for Dry Skin: Drunk Elephant Mello Marula Cream Cleanser
5. Best for Oily Skin: ETUDE SoonJung pH 6.5 Whip Facial Cleanser
6. Best Makeup Remover: One Love Botanical B Enzyme Cleansing Oil

FAQs about the best face washes for eczema

All of our top picks are editor-tested, fragrance-free, and contain hydrating ingredients.

• Can be used on face and body
• Bottle lasts a long time
• Budget-friendly

• Some reviewers wish it was oilier

Every time I ask dermatologists for face wash recommendations, this one from La Roche Posay gets a shout-out. It has an oil-to-foam texture that feels luscious and moisturizing but will leave your skin satisfyingly clean. As for eczema-soothing ingredients: You’ll find niacinamide and shea butter to quell inflammation. “When I started using this product, I had eczema on my eyelids—this didn't sting at all and actually made my dry patches feel softer and more hydrated,” SELF’s senior commerce editor Sarah Felbin says.

Don’t let “oil” scare you away if you’re not usually a fan of the texture: “As someone with oily skin, I didn't like how oil cleansers felt on my face and was convinced they didn't leave my skin looking or feeling clean afterwards. Then I tried this one—the first time I used it, it immediately became my holy grail,” Felbin adds. “It left my face feeling SO SOFT and smooth and got all of my makeup off without harsh scrubbing or burning my eyes. I'm ruined for all other cleansers now.”

• Removes makeup
• Budget-friendly
• Comes in a convenient pump bottle

• Some reviewers wish it lathered

Our tester is addicted to this face wash; she just finished her fourth bottle. “It feels gentle and soothing on my skin and even removes my daily makeup—tubing mascara, concealer, and brow gel,” she says. “As an oily gal, I know I need to be careful about moisture balance, and it feels like this does a good job of cleaning my skin without stripping it of the moisture it needs.”

To help itchy, inflamed skin chill out, this Aveeno cleanser uses a combination of colloidal oatmeal and feverfew, a plant extract that’s been linked to fighting off free radicals and repairing skin damage.

• Removes makeup
• Satisfying consistency
• Doesn’t sting eyes

• Some reviewers don’t like its smell (it’s fragrance-free)

Cleansers aren’t usually miracle-workers, but this one turned out to be a genie in a bottle for one SELF tester. “I had eczema starting up on my neck and eyes, and this took care of it!” she says. “It foams easily, doesn't burn my eyes, and rinses cleanly.” And as a bonus: “It takes off all traces of makeup and mascara.”

This wash is another oil-foam hybrid and it’ll calm your skin with a nourishing blend of glycerin, colloidal oatmeal, and coconut and sunflower oils. Plus, it contains anti-inflammatory peptides.

• Creamy consistency
• Lathers well
• Doesn’t sting eyes

• On the pricier side

This creamy face wash from Drunk Elephant is luxurious enough that SELF’s commerce director actually strayed from her long-time favorite for it. “I've been using the same cleanser every day for about five years now (the Fresh Soy Cleanser, for those asking) and love it so much, I haven't felt the temptation to waver or experiment. But the Mello Merula Cream Cleanser from Drunk Elephant shares a lot of the same qualities I love in my mainstay,” she says. Those qualities? “It’s super gentle—no tingling or burning sensations when you apply—and has a pleasant, clean, slightly vanilla scent (my guess is that’s thanks to the marula).” Can confirm: The smell is definitely not coming from any added fragrances.

Despite being a cream, this suds up with the best of ‘em. “It has a nice soapy consistency but isn’t full-on bubbly,” our tester says. “After rinsing, my face felt clean but didn’t have that tight sensation that can happen.”

• Melts into a thin cream consistency
• Takes off makeup
• Doesn’t require much rubbing

• Some reviewers say the bottle runs out fast

Our tester has only referred to this as “the puffy cleanser” since she tried it: “It 100% delivers on the ‘whip’ name and actually resembles a pile of whipped cream in your hand,” she says. But unlike other foam cleansers that flatten into a thin, watery liquid once the bubbles go away, this one melts into a light cream. “Compared to other gentle cleansers I've used, this one has a more appealing texture that makes it easy to glide it over your full damp face without much dripping,” she says.

It ended up being the perfect combination of lightweight and soft for our combination-skin tester—its lather swept away her full face of makeup and any excess oil on her skin but felt gentle and hydrating at the same time. “No notes. Ten out of ten user experience,” she says.

• Removes makeup and sunscreen
• A little bit goes a long way

• On the pricier side

Boucher really, really wants you to try this cleansing oil. You apply it to dry skin and start massaging; once you add water to wash it away, it turns into a milky consistency that “rinses the day off,” she says. She recommends using this as the first step in a double-cleanse routine to get off any makeup and stubborn sunscreen.

While it’s technically fragrance-free, the cleanser is packed with botanical oils that give it a scent. “It smells like a vacation in a bottle,” Boucher says. Say less! Those oils also make sure your skin maintains some moisture after you pat your face dry.

We had to draw the line somewhere on which cleansers made it into our top picks, but the ones below are recommended by dermatologists or SELF editors. And they follow the same eczema-friendly guidelines as the choices above.

• Budget-friendly
• Removes makeup
• Great lather

• Similar bottle to a version that contains fragrance makes the two easy to mix up

A lot of us grew up on Neutrogena products. If you haven’t given the brand a try recently, you should start with this face wash. It’s one SELF editor’s old standby: “I use this cleanser whenever I need an easy drugstore go-to that I can count on to take off makeup without stripping my skin,” she says. “It feels gently moisturizing but is still pretty effective at lifting even a full face of makeup with minimal rubbing.”

This pick falls back on glycerin and hyaluronic acid to give your skin the hydration it craves while washing away any excess oil and grime. Note: There’s a fragrance-free version, which we highly recommend for anyone with eczema, and a scented one that has similar packaging. Make sure you pick the right one!

• Lathers well
• Doesn’t sting eyes

• Pump gets stuck sometimes

I’ve been using this cleanser for the last couple months and it checks all of my boxes: I want something that gets rid of all traces of my makeup but doesn't burn my eyes or dry out my skin. SOS Gel Cleanser has a nice lather that washes away oil, sunscreen, and makeup without feeling harsh. Aside from just leaving out the bad stuff (hi, fragrance), it contains skin soothers like aloe vera, oat, niacinamide, and zinc to actively help irritation.

• Creamy texture
• Great for dry skin

• Pricey

Cream cleansers tend to feel gentler on the skin, which is why Boucher recommends them for anyone dealing with eczema. This one is her all-time favorite, and she’s been using it for 13 years. “I always feel like eczema patients feel like they have to use the boring products, the ones that dont feel good cosmetically, and I feel like Milky Lotion Cleanser is a perfect example of that not being true,” she says. If you tend to skip washing your face in the morning because your complexion feels dry, this is a great option to lean on.

• Works for face and body
• Good for dry skin

• Pricey

This oil made our list of top picks for body washes for eczema, but it’s also a stellar facial cleanser. Mona Gohara, MD, associate clinical professor of dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine, previously recommended it to SELF because it’s “rich in emollients that nourish dry, sensitive skin.” Jojoba seed oil and evening primrose oil are just two examples.

Related:

• 15 Derm-Approved Moisturizers to Revive Dull, Aging Skin
• 15 Hydrating Lip Balms That’ll Actually Get the Job Done
• Your Skin Will Love These Gentle, Rosacea-Friendly Moisturizers

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