If you have diagnosed atopic eczema, care for your face with gentle cleansing, a fragrance-free cream or ointment you tolerate, and your personal treatment plan. Keep moisturising on calmer days too. During a flare-up, stick to familiar steps and the treatment you have agreed with your clinician rather than adding more cosmetics.
This guide is for adults who know they have atopic eczema. The care described here helps you build a daily routine; it does not cure the condition. Is this your first rash, are you unsure what is causing it, or are your eyelids particularly affected? Have it assessed before choosing a treatment yourself.
A calm day, a flare-up or a need for prompt help?
Take a moment to look at your skin before applying anything. A dry cheek on an ordinary day needs a different response from skin that suddenly becomes painful, weeps or deteriorates rapidly. Use this overview to decide what to do next.
| What do you notice? | What should you do? |
|---|---|
| Your usual eczema is calm; your skin sometimes feels dry. | Keep up your gentle routine and use your familiar moisturiser according to your plan. |
| A familiar flare-up without the warning signs below. | Leave out extra cosmetics and follow your treatment plan. Ask for advice if it is not helping enough. |
| New blisters, pus, weeping crusts, warmth, swelling, pain or rapid worsening, especially with fever or feeling unwell. | Contact a doctor or your local urgent care service the same day. Do not just wait for a different cream to help. |
This is a practical summary, not a way to diagnose yourself. Even with a known tendency to atopic eczema, a facial rash can have another cause, such as contact dermatitis. Persistent or changing symptoms deserve another assessment.
Wash briefly and without scrubbing
Use lukewarm water and, where needed, a fragrance-free wash or soap substitute suitable for your eczema care. Apply it with your fingertips. A brush, scrub or rough flannel adds friction to skin that is already sensitive. After rinsing, gently pat with a soft towel.
Your face does not need to feel tight or squeaky clean afterwards. Do not scrub flakes away. If washing repeatedly leaves your skin burning or tight, discuss your cleanser and washing technique with your pharmacist or clinician. Cleansing more often will usually not solve that.
Apply familiar moisturising care after washing
Apply your suitable cream or ointment while your skin is still slightly damp after patting it dry. This makes moisturising part of the same step as washing. An emollient is a product that softens skin and helps retain moisture; the word describes its function, not a luxury category of cream.
Work with your pharmacist or clinician to find a texture your face tolerates and that you can keep using. A cream often feels lighter; an ointment is greasier. A thick layer of ointment is not automatically right for weeping eczema. Have those areas assessed first.
Keep moisturising regularly even when your skin is calmer. The NHS recommends at least twice daily for atopic eczema; your own plan and how dry your skin feels determine whether you need it more often. With prescribed products, follow the agreed order and spacing. Do not mix them into your moisturiser on your own initiative.
Keep product choices and hygiene simple
Fragrance-free is a useful starting point. Words such as “natural”, “dermatologically tested” or “hypoallergenic” cannot tell you for certain whether your skin will tolerate a product. Our guide to fragrance-free and hypoallergenic labelling explains what those descriptions do and do not mean.
Do not apply a new product all over your face straight away. If your skin is reactive, discuss how to try it safely and introduce one product at a time. Persistent burning, a new rash or increased itching is a reason to ask for advice. Trying a product at home cannot diagnose a contact allergy; targeted testing may be needed.
Wash your hands before applying products. Take cream from a pot with a clean spoon or spatula, or use a pump. Do not share your emollient. Replace the lid and keep the packaging clean according to its instructions. Small everyday habits make careful use easier.
Look for your own triggers in everyday life
Heat, sweat, cold and some fabrics can aggravate eczema. That does not mean you need to avoid every activity. Choose comfortable clothing, notice whether a collar or scarf rubs, and avoid getting unnecessarily hot. Loose, soft clothing may feel better than something tight against your skin.
If symptoms keep returning, briefly note what you used and what you did that day. It could be a new laundry detergent, a long hot shower or an overheated workplace. That gives you something concrete to discuss without labelling every ingredient or food as a cause yourself. Do not start a restrictive diet for eczema without medical advice.
Two different days, the same simple foundation
A working day indoors. Wash and moisturise your face as agreed. If your cheeks feel dry later, reapply your familiar moisturiser as needed. You do not have to cleanse again each time. A few flakes are not a reason to add an exfoliating treatment that day; keep to steps your skin already knows.
A walk in windy or warm weather. Choose comfortable clothes and adjust your pace or layers if you get too hot. After heavy sweating, gently rinse off the sweat and moisturise again. Avoid vigorous drying. A gentle rinse is different from doing a full cleansing routine after every short walk.
Make your treatment plan easier to use by writing down questions: which wash should I use, which moisturiser goes with it, and what should I do during a flare-up? Keep the answers together. On a difficult skin day, you then have a plan instead of a collection of unrelated product tips.
Outdoors, clothing, shade and sunscreen work together
A wide-brimmed hat, shade and clothing help limit exposure. On uncovered skin, use a sunscreen you tolerate with at least SPF 30, UVA and UVB protection and water resistance. Correctly applied sunscreen helps prevent skin cancer and protects against sunburn and premature skin ageing. It does not treat eczema itself.
Apply enough before going outdoors and follow the label. When you stay outside, reapply about every two hours, and after swimming or sweating. See our guide to amounts for the face, neck and ears for practical application. Even in autumn and winter, the length and conditions of your outdoor time matter; a fixed two-hour timer at your desk is no substitute for suitable advice.
If sunscreen stings, or your skin is broken and actively inflamed, ask which protection is appropriate now. Zinc oxide or titanium dioxide may be an option for sensitive skin, but the whole formula and your tolerance matter. Seek more shade if irritated rather than continuing with a product that causes symptoms. Do not deliberately sunbathe to treat eczema; medical phototherapy is supervised.
Skin care remains part of your personal plan
Ask for help again if symptoms keep returning despite your plan, disturb your sleep or take over daily life. Mention eyelid symptoms too. Do not use leftover medicated cream there on your own initiative. Eye pain or changes in vision need urgent medical assessment.
With emollients, pay attention to fabrics too: residue in clothing, towels and bedding can make them catch fire more easily. Keep away from cigarettes and naked flames. Washing can reduce build-up but does not remove the risk completely. Follow your product’s safety guidance and your care team’s advice.
Soluveli is developing facial sunscreen. It is not an eczema treatment, and suitability for atopic eczema has not been established through testing. To follow its development, visit the Soluveli homepage and launch list, where you can sign up for one message on launch day.
Sources and further reading
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- NHS — Atopic eczemaBackground, treatment and symptoms requiring prompt assessment.
- American Academy of Dermatology — Atopic dermatitis skin careFragrance-free care, gentle washing, clothing and a personal treatment plan.
- American Academy of Dermatology — Managing eczema in summertimePractical advice for heat, sweat and outdoor activities; no medication schedule reproduced.
- Eczema UK — Facial eczemaDifferent causes of facial eczema and the sensitivity of facial skin.
- NHS — EmollientsUse, product hygiene, skin reactions and fire risk from residue in fabrics.
- American Academy of Dermatology — How to apply sunscreenBroad-spectrum protection, adequate application and reapplication outdoors.
- NHS — Eyelid problemsEye symptoms requiring urgent assessment, including eye pain or changes in vision.
