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Let’s be clear – we know you think the world of your baby and don’t want to give them any sort of cream or medical product unless you absolutely have to. Therefore, if you’re here looking for the best baby creams then it’s because of a condition such as eczema or dry, itchy skin. Well, we hear you. We have taken a look at all of the baby creams for faces on the UK market to give you a short list of the safest and best ones money can buy.
We know all too well how precious your little ones are and only the best will do.
Best Baby Creams For Face Reviews
1.Mustela Hydra Bebe Facial Cream
Mustela’s Hydra Bebe Facial Cream has a big reputation for making baby cheeks super soft and has even been seen getting rid of rashes from birth. It is a moisturiser as opposed to an Eczema treatment but acts very fast. In addition, it doesn’t harm the child’s skin, adds a protective barrier for 24 hours, and has been scientifically proven to improve the skin’s hydration levels.
Perhaps the most impressive feature and one readers should be made aware of is the long line of real parents who have left glowing reviews on websites which stock this product which should put people more at ease than we can. All in all, it’s perhaps the only baby face cream you will ever need, and it won’t break the bank either. Highly recommended.
Ingredients
AQUA/WATER/EAU, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL, OLUS OIL/VEGETABLE OIL/HUILE VEGETALE, GLYCERIN, C10-18 TRIGLYCERIDES, CETYL ALCOHOL, POLYGLYCERYL-6 DISTEARATE, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, CERA ALBA/BEESWAX/CIRE D’ABEILLE, HYDROXYETHYL ACRYLATE/SODIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE COPOLYMER, PARFUM (FRAGRANCE), JOJOBA ESTERS, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, SODIUM STEAROYL GLUTAMATE, POLYGLYCERYL-3 BEESWAX, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, CITRIC ACID, POLYSORBATE 60, SORBITAN ISOSTEARATE, PERSEA GRATISSIMA (AVOCADO) FRUIT EXTRACT.
2. Kiehl’s Nurturing Baby Cream for Face and Body
Kiehl’s is one of the longest standing brands of facial creams in the UK and their moisturising face cream is one of the most recognisable products for parents up and down the country. Overall, the Nurturing Baby Cream is a tried and tested formula that will hydrate your baby’s skin and leave it soft, supple and smelling lovely. Also, it has a minimal allergy risk but always check the ingredients which will be listed below.
Perhaps the most crucial aspect as to why you should buy this product over the others is the overwhelming number of glowing online reviews describing how effective it’s been for parents with babies suffering from dry skin. However, this is not an Eczema cream!
Ingredients
Shea Butter, Apricot Kernel Oil, and Olive Fruit Oil.
3. Salcura Bioskin Junior Outbreak Rescue Cream
There aren’t many specialty facial Eczema creams for babies. However, Salcura is one of those. Created to give some soothing to an Eczema outbreak, the Salcura cream is a godsend to many parents who have babies who suffer from Eczema. It not only moisturiser but cools the skin down and helps with the itching – something simple moisturisers don’t do.
Furthermore, this is one of the few dermatological creams out there that go further than just moisturise – this actively helps with severe dryness and actual Eczema outbreaks. The severe dryness is combated with Zeolite, Lavender and Jojoba and does not contain any ingredients which could cause further skin problems.
Due to the dermatological nature of this cream, and the higher price point, it is not really the best if your baby isn’t suffering from chronic Eczema. However, if your baby has Eczema and nothing seems to be working then perhaps your search is finally over. You won’t find a list of ingredients on the box so here they are.
Ingredients
Aqua**, Glycerin*, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil**, Urea*, Cetearyl Alcohol*, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil**, Zeolite (minerals)**, Cetearyl Glucoside, Borago Officinalis (Borage) Leaf Extract**, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract**, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil**, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil**, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Echium Plantagineum (Echium) Seed Oil*, Cymbopogon Martini (Palmarosa) Oil**, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil**, Pelargonium Graveolens (Rose Geranium) Oil**, Rosa Damascena (Rose Flower) Flower Water**, Citronellol*, Geraniol*, Phenethyl Alcohol*, Linalool**.
**100% pure natural ingredients
*Naturally occurring / naturally derived
4. WELEDA Organic Baby Facial Cream
Weleda’s Organic Calendula Baby Face Cream is perhaps a cream you may have already heard of as it’s a ‘tried and tested’ product with hundreds of reviews already. It differs from many other creams because of the inclusion of calendula which is a herb more commonly known as the marigold. You may think this is a plant that grows anywhere, but when it’s refined into medicine it has powerful anti-inflammatory and healing properties. As a result, it goes hand in hand with the other moisturising ingredients which provide great moisture for baby’s sensitive skin. In turn, this can help tremendously to heal dry and itchy skin.
Calendula isn’t the only ingredient, though. There is also the prunus amygdalus dulcis and lanolin which beefs it up and gives it the creamy finish you’d expect from a product like this.
Clearly this natural mix of ingredients work as hundreds of parents swear by it when used on their baby’s face. We’re also big fans of it at Best For Mums and can attest that it really does leave the skin feeling hydrated and smooth. On top of this, Weleda’s organic baby facial cream and daily moisturizer is also remarkably cheap.
Ingredients
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Water (Aqua), Lanolin, Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Beeswax (Cera Flava), Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Xanthan Gum, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Limonene*, Linalool*, Benzyl Benzoate*, Benzyl Salicylate*, Geraniol*. * from natural essential oils.
Also read: Our guides to the best baby comforters, baby monitors, carriers, trikes for 1 year olds, doll houses and nappy bins.
5. Aveeno Baby Daily Care Barrier Cream
This cream has gone down the route of using oatmeal and zinc as its base which is a common ingredient with skin care products for humans and even pets. Oatmeal is very kind on the skin and helps soothe and repair the damaged cells (see oatmeal baths for babies) – this is particularly important for skin which may have been scratched and torn as a result of the itchiness. The Aveeno Baby Daily Care Cream acts as a barrier which stops a lot of the causes of dryness in the first place like cold weather and exposure to harsh chemicals.
Ideally, this cream can be used before you encounter problems so that dry skin is a non-occurrence. Aveeno also have other products that can help soothe if the problem is already present. It is a sweet smelling, thick cream which absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave the skin greasy. It has been positively received by hundreds of UK parents who have even said it works wonders on adult skin. A highly recommended barrier cream for babies.
Ingredients
[PR-008411], Paraffinum Liquidum, Zinc Oxide, Polyethylene, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Sorbitan Isostearate
6. HydraNure Natural Organic Eczema Cream & Treatment for Babies
HydraNure’s Natural Organic Eczema Cream & Treatment for babies is a more specialist cream to help those with severe and chronic cases of dry skin and Eczema. It’s one of the few face creams that directly target Eczema, too. HydraNure’s biggest selling point is that it collects a lot of the ingredients that some of the others push as their main, such as: aloe vera and shea butter. Therefore, you essential get more than one cream in one, hence it’s specialist nature.
However, there is a cost to having a cream that does it all and it’s not the cheapest on the market. There is also the extra cost to pay the company that invested so much time and effort into the research and manufacturing of this product and this leads us on to the second selling point.
The company behind the cream started off like you and me with a child with dry skin and Eczema and they (Paul and Laura McGregor) worked tirelessly to help their children’s skin problems. The result is HydraNure’s natural organic Eczema cream & treatment for babies. We feel they have a genuine edge over so many other competitors here.
Ingredients
Aqua, aloe barbadensis (aloe vera leaf juice), isopropyl myristate, glycerin, glyceryl monostearate, vitus vinifera (grapeseed oil), butyrospermum parkii, cetyl alcohol, propylene glycol, cetearyl olivate, sorbitan olivate, sesamum indicum seed oil (sesame seed oil), glucono lafoctone, calendula officinalis (flower petals), sodium benzoate, allantoin, tocopherol acetate, calcium gluconate, tetrasodium edta.
7. Mama Bear Baby Face & Body Cream with Organic Jojoba Oil & Shea Butter
Mama Bear is an Amazon brand which means high amount of stock, strict guidelines and low cost. That said, it is a fantastic cream in its own right with jojoba oil, shea butter and witch hazel as it’s main ingredients to moisturize and soothe dry baby skin. It’s a no frills product as is standard with Amazon brands. However, it has been well received as a powerful cream shown to reduce dryness, itchy and blotchy red skin on babies faces.
What we like about the product is its simplicity. By keeping the ingredients to a minimum they’ve created a ph balanced solution with no parabens and colouring which reduces the chances of a reaction, makes the situation worse. It’s a silky smooth solution which absorbs quickly and creates a protective barrier that lasts for hours. It’s a really gentle and warming cream that may not be as effective in severe cases as some of the other choices here, but as a day to day cream to keep dryness at bay it is fantastic.
Ingredients
AQUA, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS HYBRID OIL, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, GLYCERIN, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII BUTTER, ALCOHOL, SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS SEED OIL, CETEARYL ALCOHOL, DISTARCH PHOSPHATE, MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE, MYRISTYL MYRISTATE, GLYCERYL STEARATE, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, XANTHAN GUM, PARFUM, GLYCERYL STEARATE CITRATE, P-ANISIC ACID, CALCIUM ALGINATE, SODIUM CETEARYL SULFATE, HAMAMELIS VIRGINIANA LEAF EXTRACT, MELILOTUS OFFICINALIS EXTRACT
8. Johnson’s Top-to-Toe Baby Moisturising Cream
Johnson’s are a brand that we all know and love and you probably already have one of their products in your home. Well, they’ve also created a cream for babies which can be applied to the face called Top-to-Toe Baby Moisturising Cream. It’s a fairly simple, hypoallergenic moisturiser using simple products. It is designed to be used as a daily cream rather than to get rid of an Eczema outbreak or very dry skin.
We’ve listed it here as this cream is notoriously difficult to find in shops but is always available on Amazon. It’s priced very competitively as you’d expect from a Johnson’s product.
Ingredients
[PR-018680], Aqua*, Glycerin*, Cetyl Alcohol*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch*, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides*, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate*, p-Anisic Acid*, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, * = Naturally-derived.
9. Uriage Hydra-Protecting Face Cream for Babies
This is a fantastic cream which cools and soothes dry skin and creates a barrier to stop ‘external aggressions’. It’s a little known brand and the use of French language in prominent places on the packaging doesn’t help. However, it is just as good as any other daily baby moisturiser. It will cool and sooth dry little cheeks, though it’s not heavy handed enough to tackle chronic Eczema. Also, it is very reasonably priced.
Ingredients
Aqua, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Uriage Thermal Spring Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Cetyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glyceryl Stearate, Octyldodecyl PCA, PEG-100 Stearate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Polysorbate-60, Dimethicone, Parfum (Fragrance), Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Chlorphethamine, Xanthan gum, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Butylene Glycol, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water.
10. Penaten Baby Cream
With most of our top lists we try to champion some old school brands (technically owned by Johnson and Johnson but it is an old school formula dating back to 1904) whenever we can because it’s so easy for them to be drowned out by the massive multinational brands. This time we wanted to shed some light on the Penaten baby cream.
Penaten cream comes in a decorative and highly portable tin and uses Hamamelis with zinc oxide as its moisturising base. It’s a fab little product that really won’t cost the earth. We recommend it for dry skin that isn’t severe or for daily skin maintenance.
Ingredients
Petrolatum, Zinc Oxide, Lanolin, Talc, Aqua, Panthenol, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Allantoin, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Cetylpyridinium Chloride, Paraffinum Liquidum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Alcohol, Parfum, CI 40800.
Why do babies need facial creams?
Dry skin
1 in 3 children have very sensitive skin, according to Mustela. Baby skin is also underdeveloped and more sensitive than an adult skin which has hardened and become more adapted with age. With this in mind, their skin can react differently to chemicals, changes in the environment as well as stress – and they will continuously go through more of these stimulants as time goes by. These can lead to rashes and dry skin and moisturising and soothing creams can help.
Eczema
According to the NHS, babies often get Eczema which is an uncomfortable condition which can be made manageable with the help of medical products such as moisturizers and other dermal creams. Eczema can not be cured but it can be managed with the right products and lifestyle changes.
Do not put just anything on your baby’s face!
If you subscribe to Marina Miracle and to other dermatologists then it becomes clear that the skin on your face is different and more sensitive to skin in other areas. Therefore, you shouldn’t get creams designed for other skin types (nappy area) and assume it will work on their face. The results could be disastrous.
Whatever the reason you’re here today looking for creams for your baby’s face, we’ve got you covered. Here is a list of our top choices you can buy today.
What makes a good baby eczema cream
Here is a short list of features which separates the great from the good products out there
No harsh chemicals
We do not want to put any harsh chemicals anywhere near baby’s sensitive skin. We’ve listed all of the ingredients of the products we’ve done a review for and don’t mention any products which have chemicals. Specifically, we want to avoid perfumes, fragrances, parabens, dyes and colourings. You can tell if your cream has anything from the scent.
Non-greasy
To make your baby’s skin soft then you want baby cream for eczema which doesn’t have oils and is not greasy. Greasy baby lotions provide a layer of lotion which does not get absorbed quickly and easily and can in some cases stop any baby lotion from entering through the pores.
Recognised by the national eczema association
If you’re opting for a cream baby eczema then check that it’s been recognised or follows the standards of the National Eczema Association. This is not necessary for daily moisturizers or creams designed for light cases of dry skin and mild skin conditions.
Organic formula
Baby’s delicate skin needs only the best organic ingredients and love to give it the moisture it needs. Try and look for a moisture lotion with natural ingredients such as colloidal oatmeal just to name a few. Of course, a cream with a 100% organic formula will be almost impossible to find for even the most organic baby. Too many artificial and man made ingredients can lead to less relief, more irritation which isn’t great for your newborn.
Baby Cream For Face FAQs
Q. Which baby cream is best?
A. There is no single cream that is out and out the best cream for eczema for babies due to the complexities of the skin and how one product may work better for some people than it would others. However, we have reviewed quite a few to bring a shortlist to you and we’re confident that the right one for you will have been mentioned in the list.
Q. What can I put on my baby’s dry face?
A. You shouldn’t put just anything on your baby’s face and irritated skin. You should carefully read the ingredients and instructions on the bottle before applying. However, the creams we have listed above are all safe and some of them certified organic which is perfect for eczema cream baby, to treat irritated skin or just as a daily moisturizer.
Q. Can I use Sudocrem on my baby’s face?
A. You may have noticed a couple of brands missing from our list and one of them is Sudocrem. Although Sudocrem is fantastic as a nappy rash cream it is a little too strong for the face and as such Best For Mums would not recommend it.
Q. Can I use Vaseline on baby’s face?
A. Vaseline is safe to put on a baby’s face. However, as a lubricant and a skin barrier it is not going to do an awful lot to help with baby’s delicate skin once it needs moisture. One of our recommended nourishing creams should be used for that.
Q. Can Aquaphor be used on baby’s face?
A. Yes, absolutely. Aquaphor is a powerful healing ointment for children with skin conditions such as eczema and severe dry skin which may have turned into a raw wound. It is not the best for moisture or as a preventative but Aquaphor is a great product for situations which have gone out of control.
