Collection: Creams for skin prone to eczema

Our calendula creams for eczema-prone skin are made without water, so they need no preservatives or emulsifiers, two of the ingredients most likely to upset a fragile skin barrier. Rich in calendula and plant oils, they're made to soothe, hydrate and protect, and customers who live with eczema rate them among our best products.

Eczema affects everyone differently, which is why we make several products rather than one cream for everyone. Below is how they fit together and which to try first. For the wider picture, including triggers, diet, infection and topical steroid withdrawal, see our Natural Eczema Treatment guide. We also have a collection of products with further guidance specifically for baby eczema.

The Lyonsleaf Approach

• Cleanse gently. Swap soap and foaming washes for the Oil Cleansing Method using Unfragranced Beauty Balm and lukewarm water. On the body, use a gentle natural soap sparingly rather than head to toe every day. Our Natural Soap with Calendula is a good option.
• Moisturise daily. Pure Baby Balm is our simplest option. It has just three ingredients and no fragrance, and it's gentle enough for face and body. Natural Body Butter is a richer option for the body and is fragranced with essential oils.
• Soothe reactive patches. Keep a calendula product on hand for areas that are red, sore or prone to flaring. See below for which one suits which kind of skin.
• Protect fragile skin. Zinc and Calendula Cream is very water-repellent, so it makes a good barrier cream when bathing or when your hands are often in water.
• Look after your face. For a full morning and evening routine, see our Natural Skincare Routine for Dry & Sensitive Skin.

Which Calendula Product Is Right for You?

Zinc and Calendula Cream is our most soothing and cooling option. It suits hot or weepy patches. It can be drying, so if your skin is dry, apply a moisturising balm first and layer it over the top. This is the "sandwich technique" explained on our zinc page. Suitable from 4 weeks.

Calendula and Marshmallow Balm is deeply hydrating and softening, with no drying effect. It's the one for very dry, rough, cracked or chapped skin, and it works well alongside the zinc cream. Suitable from 4 weeks.

Calendula Cream Natural Emollient is our lighter, whipped option, fragranced with essential oils. It's best for milder dryness if you enjoy a fragranced product and your skin tolerates essential oils, so patch test first. Vegan. Suitable for adults and children over 3.

Not Sure Where to Start?

The Calendula Skin Rescue Sample Set lets you try all three calendula products. You can also add a Beauty Balm sample if you'd like to try oil cleansing. Our Baby Skin Care and Eczema Sample Set is completely fragrance-free and suits more sensitive skin of any age, infants included. Individual sample tins are also available on nearly all our product pages. Sample-only orders ship as a large letter, so postage is inexpensive.

Sensitive and Broken Skin

No ingredient, however natural, is entirely hypoallergenic, so patch test anything new. Our Patch Testing and Potential Reactions page explains how to do this. Because our products are unpreserved, use clean fingers or a spatula, and take extra care on broken skin, especially for children under 3. See Using Unpreserved Skincare on Broken Skin for the details.