A person with the skin complaint of Eczema will probably have inflamed, sensitive and itchy skin on their face or chest. There are a number of ways to treat eczema but the use of eczema creams, lotions and emollients are the most common.

Unfortunately, Eczema and dermatitis are essentially dry skin problems so any product that can help maintain normal skin hydration will help the complaint. Whilst there are aspects of Eczema care that cannot be carried out without specialist help, this is an area where the sufferer is able to care for their own condition. The removal of natural body oils will exacerbate the Eczema condition so anything that does this should be stopped straight away. Thick ointments are only supposed to be used on very dry areas that may or not be flaking. Thick emollients do not dry the skin out unlike aqueous cream which should only be used if the skin is not dry and flaking.

Special bathing products are available that do not remove valuable moisture from the skin like bath oils and an aqueous cream. Creams have now been created, like Diprobase for instance, that can be used to wash with as well as moisturize. Lotions and ointments have also been formulated which when applied, help stop the need to scratch and so protect the skin form further damage. Although eczema creams work ok, they are not as effective as emollients which do not need continual re-application. For skin that is particularly sensitive, ointments are better to use than creams because ointments contain less water which means it takes longer for them to be absorbed.

For mild-moderate eczema a weak steroid may be used like Hydrocortisone or Desonide, whilst more severe cases require a higher-potency steroid (e.g. Clobetasol propionate). On the other hand, products such as corticosteroids have proved very successful at controlling eczema, they cannot provide a cure. The use of corticosteroids comes with their own set of dangers as long term exposure to these substances can make the skin even more fragile. To ensure this damage cannot happen to areas of sensitive skin, including the face, only low-potency steroids are used. Because of the risks associated with this type of drug, a steroid of an appropriate strength should be sparingly applied only to control an episode of eczema. Using the steroids for short periods of time and only when absolutely necessary means there is less chance of problems later on; they can then be replaced with an emollient which is better designed for long term eczema care. {s19]

Finally, topical immunomodulators were developed after corticosteroid treatments, effectively suppressing the immune system in the affected area, and appear to work well in some groups of people.