If You Have Eczema, You’ll Want to Avoid These Super Common SPF Ingredients

First, there are a few things you’ll want to avoid if you have eczema, sensitive skin, or are prone to reactions. You’ll want to treat your eczema-prone skin as extremely sensitive. Rebecca Marcus MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Maei MD, says “For those with eczema, choosing a sunscreen that will not irritate already sensitive skin is key. Look for fragrance-free formulas, and when possible, choose mineral-based actives (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) over chemical sunscreens. Hydrating, skin barrier boosting ingredients such as ceramides added to a formula are a plus and will help to repair compromised skin.”

Other ingredients known to trigger sensitive skin are things like alcohol. As Marcus mentioned above, it’s also best to avoid sunscreens with chemical filters like avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, octisalate, and octinoxate as they can be irritating. These types of chemical filters have been linked to triggering allergic contact dermatitis so it’s best to avoid them if you can. 

Soothing ingredients like niacinamide and bisabolol are also helpful in calming redness so you’ll want to look for those as well. Marcus also provided a few tips for applying SPF with eczema. “When applying sunscreen to skin that is eczema-prone or actively flaring with eczema, it may be helpful to first apply a layer of skin-barrier-boosting, eczema-friendly cream such as Curel Itch Defense Lotion before applying sunscreen. Ceramides and glycerin will serve to hydrate skin, while petrolatum will form a protective barrier over the skin to help keep irritants out. If you choose this method, make sure to use a mineral based sunscreen, as the active ingredients in physical blockers are meant to sit on top of the skin and physically block UV rays. (Chemical sunscreens, on the other hands, are meant to be absorbed and therefore could be less effective when applied over an occlusive layer).” 

Below, you’ll find the best sunscreen recs for eczema. Keep scrolling and find the one for you.