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Written by OSEA Staff | Last Updated on: October 14, 2026.
Those familiar with eczema know that flare-ups can be itchy, uncomfortable and hard to navigate, especially during the colder months when dry air and dropping temperatures can leave skin feeling even more sensitive. Ahead, your ultimate guide to eczema, from what causes it in the first place to the best eczema-friendly skincare to help keep skin calm, comforted and nourished all winter long.
What Is Eczema?
Put simply, eczema is a term that’s used to describe a broad range of inflammatory conditions known as dermatitis. Although it can take on many different forms—from atopic dermatitis to seborrheic dermatitis—the most common signs are inflamed, red, and itchy skin. Eczema can surface on the face, backs of knees, inside of elbows, ankles and underarms.
What Causes Eczema & What Are the Triggers?
There is no official “cause” of eczema, but scientists suspect it may be a byproduct of the immune system’s reaction to external aggressors¹. Eczema is often hereditary and more common in children—it can even be something one grows out of. Though there’s no single cause, many triggers² may worsen eczema, including:
- Stress and lack of sleep
- Allergies
- Extreme heat and cold temperatures
- Dry air
- Sweat
- Sunlight
- Irritating fabrics
- Harsh ingredients
- Harsh detergents
Why Eczema Can Be Worse in Winter
Winter can be a challenging season for eczema-prone skin. Cold, dry air and central heating create the perfect storm for flare ups. When the humidity drops, skin loses water faster than it can replace it. Dry skin itches. Itchy skin gets scratched. Scratched skin flares up. The eczema cycle worsens.
How to Soothe Your Skin
Keep skin comfortable by showering in warm water, not hot, and sleep in a cool, well ventilated room. Invest in clean, hydrating and moisturizing skincare products suitable for eczema-prone skin (more on that ahead). Look for ingredients like ceramides to replenish the skin’s moisture barrier, humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin that pull in water, and soothing ingredients like aloe that deliver an immediate boost in hydration—all without fragrance, or harsh ingredients that can irritate skin.
The Best Skincare for Eczema
Eczema isn’t easily ‘fixed’, but it can be well managed with the right skincare and support. We recommend just four products to start with for your face and body. Each one has been recognized by the National Eczema Association (NEA) with the Seal of Acceptance™. The NEA awards the Seal to products that are deemed suitable for people with eczema or sensitive skin based on sensitivity, safety, toxicity and ingredient testing data.
Nourishing Face Moisturizer
Advanced Protection Cream
When skin feels especially dry and sensitive, a deeply moisturizing cream is an essential step in your routine. Launched in 2005, Advanced Protection Cream is our richest, most nourishing moisturizer yet.
Undaria seaweed helps replenish the skin’s moisture barrier, while a biomimetic lipid complex reinforces hydration and visibly smooths skin. The fragrance-free formula also features a plant-based bio-retinol to visibly improve lines and wrinkles without irritation, plus amino acid DPHP, to firm the look and feel of skin, leaving it supple and soft.
To put our formula to the test, we conducted a clinical study under extreme, dehydrating weather conditions. The results speak for themselves: Our ultra-rich cream is clinically shown to immediately boost hydration by 121%*, and protect hydration levels to reduce and prevent water loss.*
*Based on an instrumental measurement in a clinical study on 34 women ages 40-65 exposed to extreme, dehydrating weather conditions.
Sensitive Skin Sunscreen
Marine Screen SPF 50
Sun protection is essential year-round, even during the colder months. For eczema-prone skin, finding a SPF that offers powerful protection without irritation is key. Mineral sunscreens (sometimes called physical sunscreens) are ones that use active ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These ingredients tend to be less likely to cause irritation for people with sensitive skin.
Our Marine Screen SPF 50 is a clean, lightweight, fragrance-free mineral sunscreen formulated with non-nano zinc oxide to deliver broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection while nourishing and hydrating skin. Mineral-rich Undaria seaweed nourishes, while hyaluronic acid boosts hydration for a softer, smoother complexion. An olive-derived natural silicone alternative gives the formula its lightweight, non-greasy texture, allowing it to glide on smoothly and blend in effortlessly. Plus, it's clinically shown to boost hydration after just one use.*
Apply Marine Screen every morning as the final step in your skincare routine, at least 15 minutes before sun exposure, and reapply every two hours for full SPF protection.
*Based on an independent third-party clinical study.
Hydrating Body Serum
Hyaluronic Body Serum
When it comes to eczema-prone skin, hydration is essential from head to toe. Just like your face, the skin on your body needs daily hydration to help support a healthy moisture barrier, especially during the colder months when dry air can leave skin feeling tight and uncomfortable.
Meet Hyaluronic Body Serum, our ultra-hydrating, fragrance-free treatment designed to deliver 24-hours of multi-surface hydration* to all skin types. Formulated with five molecular weights of hyaluronic acid, nutrient-rich seaweed, soothing aloe, vegan peptides, and niacinamide, this lightweight, fast-absorbing serum helps support the skin’s natural moisture barrier while leaving skin soft, smooth, and replenished.
*Based on a third-party clinical study after 1 use.
Sensitive Skin Body Oil
Undaria Algae™ Body Oil, Fragrance-Free
Keeping eczema-prone skin moisturized is an important part of maintaining a healthy skin barrier, particularly during winter when cold temperatures and dry air can contribute to moisture loss. A nourishing, fragrance-free body oil can help seal in hydration and keep skin feeling soft, smooth, and comfortable.
Our bestselling Undaria Algae™ Body Oil, Fragrance-Free delivers all the skin-loving benefits of the original formula, thoughtfully made without added fragrance for sensitive skin. This silky, hypoallergenic body oil is powered by mineral-rich Undaria seaweed to help replenish the skin’s moisture barrier, alongside a nourishing blend of botanical oils, including passion fruit, açaí, babassu, and rice bran, to deeply moisturize dry skin. Clinically shown to improve skin moisturization and elasticity after just one use,* it has truly earned its reputation as “liquid gold.”
Apply to damp skin after showering or layer over Hyaluronic Body Serum to help seal in hydration and leave skin feeling silky-soft.
Whichever type of eczema you’re experiencing, the key is to approach it holistically with a combination of gentle skincare and identifying the triggers that lead to flare ups. Ready to sea a difference in your skin? Shop the complete collection here.
Sources:
1. ScienceDaily. “Potential target for treatment of skin inflammation in eczema and psoriasis.” May 22, 2017. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170522080757.htm
2. National Eczema Association. “What is Eczema?” https://nationaleczema.org/eczema/