Can You Use Moisturiser Alongside Steroid Cream for Eczema?

Published by Dr. Tim Clayton, Consultant Paediatric Dermatologist and Co-Founder of Ovée Skin Health

This is one of the questions I'm asked more than almost any other, by parents and adults alike: if my GP or dermatologist has prescribed a steroid cream, can I still use a moisturiser? Will they cancel each other out? Am I doing more harm than good by layering products?

The short answer is yes — you should keep moisturising, and it's safe to do alongside prescribed steroid treatment. Here's the detail on how and why.

I also know that many parents come to this question feeling wary of steroid creams — worried about skin thinning, dependency, or long-term effects. That's a completely reasonable thing to want to understand properly, and it's worth raising directly with your GP or dermatologist, who can talk through the risks and benefits for your child specifically. This article isn't about whether to use a steroid cream — that's a decision between you and your doctor. It's about how moisturiser fits alongside it, if that's part of the treatment plan you've agreed together.

Moisturiser and Steroid Cream Do Different Jobs

It helps to think of them as two separate tools, not competing products:

• Steroid cream (a topical corticosteroid) reduces active inflammation during a flare-up. It's a short-term, targeted treatment for red, inflamed skin.
• Moisturiser (emollient) repairs and maintains the skin barrier every day, flare-up or not. It's the long-term foundation of eczema management.

Used correctly, they work together: the moisturiser keeps the skin barrier strong and reduces how often flare-ups happen, while the steroid cream deals with inflammation when it does occur.

The Right Order to Apply Them

Most dermatologists, myself included, recommend a simple rule:

1. Apply the steroid cream first, to the affected areas only, as directed by your prescription
2. Wait around 10–15 minutes to allow it to absorb
3. Apply your moisturiser afterwards, over the whole area including where the steroid was applied

Some clinicians suggest moisturiser first and steroid second — the evidence doesn't strongly favour one order over the other, but steroid-first-then-moisturiser is the most commonly recommended approach and the one I use with my own patients. The most important thing is consistency, not precision to the minute.

Why You Shouldn't Stop Moisturising

A flare-up is a sign the skin barrier is already compromised. Stopping your regular moisturiser during a flare-up — even though the skin looks sore — removes the one thing actively helping it recover. Continuing to moisturise:

• Supports the skin barrier while the steroid reduces inflammation
• Can reduce how much steroid cream you need over time
• Helps prevent the next flare-up once the current one clears

What to Avoid

The one thing to be mindful of is which moisturiser you're using. Fragranced products, or those containing ingredients that can irritate compromised skin, are more likely to sting on broken or actively inflamed skin. This is why a fragrance-free, dermatologically tested formula matters more during a flare-up, not less.

About Ovée

Both the Ovée Dermatologist Lipid Cream and Baby & Child Moisturising Cream are fragrance-free, paraffin-free and paraben-free, and are safe to use alongside any prescribed topical treatment your GP or dermatologist has recommended. Apply your prescribed cream first, allow it to absorb, then follow with Ovée as your everyday moisturiser.

When to Check with Your Doctor

This is general guidance, not a substitute for advice specific to you or your child. Always follow the instructions given with your prescription, and speak to your GP, pharmacist or dermatologist if:

• You're unsure how much steroid cream to use or for how long
• The skin isn't improving after a week of treatment as directed
• You notice signs of infection — weeping, crusting, or spreading redness

Dr. Tim Clayton is a Consultant Paediatric Dermatologist, President of the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Dermatology, and Co-Founder of Ovée Skin Health.