Natural vs Medicated Eczema Cream: What's the Difference?

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

Parents and patients often ask me whether they should be using a "natural" cream or a "medicated" one for eczema. It's a reasonable question, but it's built on a slight misunderstanding — the two aren't really competing options. They're different tools for different jobs, and most people managing eczema well are using both, at different times.

What "Medicated" Actually Means

A medicated eczema treatment — most commonly a topical corticosteroid (steroid cream) — is a prescription or pharmacy medicine designed to reduce active inflammation during a flare-up. It works quickly and effectively on red, sore, inflamed skin, but it's intended for short-term, targeted use rather than everyday application over the long term.

What "Natural" (or Non-Medicated) Moisturiser Does

A non-medicated moisturiser — sometimes called an emollient — doesn't treat inflammation directly. Instead, it repairs and maintains the skin's barrier, which is the underlying issue in eczema. This is the product you use every day, indefinitely, whether or not the skin is currently flared up.

"Natural" in this context usually refers to formulas built around plant-derived lipids — shea butter, sunflower oil, avocado oil — rather than synthetic alternatives like mineral oil or paraffin. This isn't just a marketing preference: these natural lipids closely mirror the skin's own barrier structure, which is why they tend to be well tolerated by sensitive, reactive skin.

So Which One Should You Use?

In most cases, both — but for different purposes:

• During a flare-up: use your prescribed medicated treatment on the affected area as directed, and continue moisturising the whole area as normal
• Between flare-ups: a daily natural, fragrance-free moisturiser is the foundation that keeps the skin barrier strong and reduces how often flare-ups happen in the first place

Relying on medicated treatment alone, without a daily moisturising routine, tends to mean more frequent flare-ups — because the underlying barrier weakness is never actually addressed, only the symptoms are.

A Word of Caution on "Natural"

Not everything labelled "natural" is automatically better for eczema-prone skin. Some natural ingredients — including certain essential oils and plant extracts — are common irritants, sometimes more so than well-tested synthetic alternatives. The most important thing isn't whether a product is natural or not, but whether it's:

• Fragrance-free
• Free from known irritants like parabens and paraffin
• Dermatologically tested on sensitive and eczema-prone skin specifically

About Ovée

I developed Ovée to sit exactly in this space — a natural, high-concentration lipid formula, but built and tested with dermatological rigour rather than assuming "natural" alone is enough. Both the Baby & Child Moisturising Cream and Dermatologist Lipid Cream are safe to use every day, and safe to use alongside any prescribed medicated treatment your GP or dermatologist has recommended.

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.