Vanicream Moisturizing Cream with Pump Dispenser, 16 Oz, Pack of 2, Formulated without Common Irritants for Sensitive Skin, Body & Face Moisturizer, Restores Moisture & Soothes Irritated Areas

Why it's worth it

A thick, unscented cream built without the ingredients that most often irritate reactive skin — no fragrance, dyes, lanolin, parabens, formaldehyde releasers, botanical extracts or essential oils. It comes with a pump, in a two-pack.

If your skin reacts to almost everything, start here. Vanicream's whole premise is subtraction. Fragrance is the leading cause of allergic contact dermatitis from personal care products, and one European study found roughly one in ten dry-skin patients tested positive for fragrance allergy. Vanicream also drops masking fragrance, botanicals and essential oils — the ingredients that quietly irritate people in otherwise gentle formulas.

It holds the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance, meaning the NEA's scientific advisory team reviewed it for eczema-prone skin. Parents of kids with severe sensitivity come to it after dermatologist referrals, often when even plain ointments were uncomfortable. Adults with severe eczema describe it as the one cream that never sets them off. That's a narrow, valuable kind of reliability.

From our review of 8 body lotions for dry skin, by Sarah Wright, Editorial Associate

What we like

• +If your skin reacts to almost everything, start here
• +It holds the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance, meaning the NEA's scientific advisory team reviewed it for…
• +The texture is thick but spreads more easily than it looks like it will
• +One thing to be clear about: it's a moisturizer, not a medicated treatment

What to know

• –It's plainer than the CeraVe cream in ingredient terms — no ceramide blend or hyaluronic acid doing extra barrier work
• –The two-pack is a lot of cream to commit to before you know it works for you