Living with eczema can be a challenging journey, and when you finally discover a product that provides relief, it can be disheartening when it’s discontinued or removed from the market. This recently happened with Neosporin’s Eczema Essentials line, leaving some people with eczema in search of alternative treatment options.

If you’ve used these products and now need to find alternatives, there are others available with the same active ingredients. Here’s what you need to know to find the best products for your skin since Neosporin Eczema Essentials were discontinued.

What Products Neosporin Eczema Essentials Offered

It’s hard to figure out exactly which products were part of the Neosporin Eczema Essentials line because they’ve been removed from the company’s website after being discontinued. However, it seems that there were at least two main products with ingredients important for managing eczema.

The first was Neosporin’s Eczema Essentials Anti-Itch Cream. This cream’s active ingredient was hydrocortisone, which is a corticosteroid (steroid) often used to lower inflammation and help limit itching and pain.

The second product was Neosporin Eczema Essentials Daily Moisturizing Cream. The active ingredient here was colloidal oatmeal, which works by providing a protective barrier for your skin and lowering inflammation levels when it gets irritated.

Alternatives to Neosporin Eczema Essentials Anti-Itch Cream

Several MyEczemaTeam members recommend using hydrocortisone, the active ingredient in Neosporin’s Eczema Essentials Anti-Itch Cream, to fight itching and scratching. One said, “Hydrocortisone with aloe vera can also be helpful with inflammation and adding moisture to those dry areas.” Another added, “Weather causes my ears to itch and flare up. I have hydrocortisone and that’s helping today.”

Although members don’t mention specific products, the National Eczema Association recommends several creams, lotions, and topical products. In addition, you can try any cream that contains hydrocortisone or another corticosteroid, though you should talk to your doctor before using any new product for your eczema.

1. CeraVe Anti-Itch Cream

CeraVe is a well-known name in skin care, and they produce a cream that is nearly identical to Neosporin’s. Theirs relies on hydrocortisone, too, and works to lower inflammation and reduce itching. Use it three or four times a day, but no more, on your hands or areas where you’re itching a lot. Do not apply hydrocortisone topical products to any open lesions or cracked skin, as this can be painful and often delays healing.

2. Exederm Flare Control Cream

This is another product that is similar to Neosporin’s. Instead of including straight hydrocortisone, Exederm Flare Control Cream relies on hydrocortisone acetate. This is the same medication but chemically changed so it can dissolve in water. The medications are very similar, though some people may find one more effective than the other.

3. Cortizone 10 Intensive Healing for Eczema

Once again, this product relies on hydrocortisone for eczema relief. It also contains aloe, which is often used to treat eczema. Aloe vera extracts have natural antifungal and antibacterial properties, and when applied directly to skin with eczema, its gel not only moisturizes but also helps the skin become softer and heal wounds more quickly. Many people have found relief from eczema symptoms like dryness and scaling, experiencing better-looking and healthier-feeling skin after using aloe vera. If you’re using Cortizone 10 Intensive Healing Lotion for Eczema, apply it topically (on the skin) three or four times a day.

Alternatives to Neosporin Eczema Essentials Daily Moisturizing Cream

Members of MyEczeamTeam often recommend colloidal oatmeal, the active ingredient in Neosporin Eczema Essentials Daily Moisturizing Cream, to each other. One suggested, “Towel dry, then apply an eczema cream containing colloidal oatmeal to reduce itching.” Another shared, “Colloidal oatmeal helps calm and soften my inflamed, itchy skin.”

Below are a few specific products that they mention, as well as a few others that have colloidal oatmeal as the active ingredient. If one irritates your skin, don’t continue using it. With some trial and error, you should be able to find something that helps and doesn’t cause additional symptoms.

1. Gold Bond Ultimate Eczema Relief

Online team members have mentioned this cream over and over again. As one put it, “Gold Bond Eczema Cream with 2 percent colloidal oatmeal is one of my go-tos as well. It has the highest ingredient level of colloidal oatmeal I have found.” In fact, this is one of the highest levels of colloidal oatmeal available in a cream without a prescription. You can apply it as needed or as directed by your physician, so you don’t have to limit how often or how much you use it to control your eczema.

2. Equate Eczema Relief

This is another cream that online team members bring up when they are trying to help each other feel better and control their eczema. As one said, “The colloidal oatmeal I was talking about is from Walmart. It’s Equate Eczema Relief. It has 2 percent colloidal oatmeal, a skin protectant.” This is the same percentage of colloidal oatmeal found in the Gold Bond cream and may be less expensive because it’s Walmart’s store brand.

3. Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream

Aveeno is a brand that people at MyEczemaTeam bring up regularly, and this product also contains colloidal oatmeal. While this cream only has 1 percent colloidal oatmeal, as opposed to the two above that contain 2 percent, many still find it effective. Additionally, it might be better than a stronger product for babies and children with eczema.

4. Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy Soothing Bath Treatment

This is another Aveeno product with colloidal oatmeal, but it’s used differently. Instead of rubbing it on your body like a cream, you mix a packet of colloidal oatmeal with bath water. Then, you soak your body in the soothing water and the oatmeal treatment. You can use it alone, like the person who said, “Start with a 15-minute bath of Aveeno colloidal oatmeal available in packets from Walmart and other drugstores.” You can also combine it with one of the creams mentioned here for additional soothing.

5. Eucerin Eczema Relief Cream Body Wash

If you are sensitive to soaps, this product might be right for you. Once again, it contains 2 percent colloidal oatmeal. However, it’s designed for both washing your body and hydrating it afterward. Use it to wash yourself in a shower or bath, and then apply it to your skin while still damp, to hold the moisture in. You can use it as often as needed.

Talk to Your Dermatologist

If you relied on either or both products that made up Neosporin’s Eczema Essentials and you’re not sure what to try now that they are discontinued, talk to your dermatologist. You should also reach out to your dermatology team if your eczema is getting worse or if you are experiencing side effects from your current treatment.

Your health care provider should be able to help you find the treatment options you need. Some of these may be over the counter and others might require a prescription. No matter how you get your treatment, though, you and your doctor should make sure it’s safe and effective for your skin and works on your eczema.

Find Your Team

MyEczemaTeam is the social network for people with eczema and their loved ones. On MyEczemaTeam, more than 49,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with eczema.

Are you looking for alternatives to Neosporin Eczema Essentials? What have you tried? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.