Eczema Around the Face and Scalp

If you’ve ever experienced eczema on the face, you’ll know it can be incredibly sore, itchy and deeply frustrating. 

Eczema/atopic dermatitis can show up on the face in a number of ways – it may resemble dandruff on the face and eyebrows, dryness and flaking around the mouth and cheeks, crusting and flaking on the scalp, or even as seasonal eczema on the face flare-ups. 

Nutritionist Karen Fischer, founder of Skin Friend, has worked with eczema patients for over two decades, so her gentle, science-driven skincare and supplements are designed to support and restore the skin barrier – without harsh additives, fragrance or steroids.

The goal for managing and preventing eczema is to keep skin calm, comfortable, and hydrated, while preventing nutritional deficiencies to strengthen skin from the inside out. At Skin Friend, we believe that healthy, glowing skin starts with a strong skin barrier and good nutrition, because your skin is made from the foods you eat.

Different Types of Eczema on the Face

Facial eczema happens when the skin barrier is compromised, allowing moisture to escape and irritants to enter. This may lead tofood allergies and intolerances, redness, dryness, flaking, and itching.

Because facial skin is thinner and more exposed than other areas, it’s often more sensitive to environmental and lifestyle triggers such as temperature changes, harsh skincare products, soaps, stress, and poor food choices. 

Dandruff on the Face and Eyebrows

If you’ve noticed flaking, crusting or dryness in your eyebrows, along your hairline, or around the sides of your nose, you may be experiencing seborrhoeic dermatitis. 

While not the same as eczema, it can occur alongside it, and is often triggered by changes in skin oils, which is a sign of nutritional deficiencies (more on this shortly), an overgrowth of skin yeasts (caused by poor skincare choices), and even environmental stressors. 

Seasonal Eczema on the Face

Some people find their facial eczema changes with the seasons:

• In winter, cold air and indoor heating draw moisture from the skin, often leading to cracking, redness, and tightness.
• In summer, heat, sweat, and sunscreen sensitivities can increase the risk of flare-ups.
  
  

If you experienceseasonal eczema on the face, adjusting your skincare routine to keep the skin barrier strong year-round can help reduce the frequency and severity of flare-ups.

What Triggers Eczema on the Face?

Everyone’s skin is unique, and what sparks a flare-up for one person may not affect another, but having worked with eczema patients for more than 20 years, Karen has seen some patterns emerge. Eczema on the face can be influenced by a mix of lifestyle and internal factors – sometimes in combination. 

Common triggers include:

• Sudden changes in temperature or humidity – if you are deficient in calcium then your skin may not respond properly to weather extremes as calcium trigger the skin barrier to thicken (for added protection) in dry, harsh weather 
• Fragrance skincare, soaps makeup, or cleansers, as they usually have the wrong pH for healthy skin 
• Sensitivities to chemical sunscreens, especially spray sunscreens that may be accidentally inhaled, and non-mineral sunscreens
• Sweat and heat 
• Stress and poor sleep
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Salicylate or histamine intolerance
• Intolerance/allergies to dairy, hen’s egg, wheat, peanut and soy are common according to research

How to Care for Eczema on the Face

1. Gentle Cleansing: Choose a pH-balanced, fragrance-free cleanser to remove impurities without stripping your skin’s natural oils. Check your skincare products and avoid these ingredients:

• Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) – harsh/irritating for sensitive skin.
  Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) – milder than SLS, but still irritating on eczema
• Fragrance/parfum – disrupts hormones and common irritants that should be avoided topically
• Cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB) – this common surfactant can be found in most cleansers, but it was named “allergen of the year” in 2004
• Benzyl alcohol – can sting or burn broken/eczema-prone skin
• Ethanol/denatured alcohol – very drying, damages barrier and worsens itch
• Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (e.g. DMDM hydantoin, Quaternium-15) – sensitizers and eczema triggers
• Propylene glycol (high concentrations) – frequent contact allergen, can irritate eczema-prone skin
• Avoid cleansers with the wrong pH – according to research, healthy skin has a pH below 5 so all cleansers should have a pH in between 4.0 and 5.0 so this protective acid mantle is not disrupted. A higher pH (around or above 6.0) can cause the skin’s protective microbiota to dislodge, which makes it easier for staph infections to proliferate. 

2. Daily Moisturising: Hydrate morning and night with non-irritating eczema creams formulated to help reinforce the skin barrier, like our Wonder Zinc and Eczema Friend creams. Eczema Friend also provides the correct pH (around 4.6) to support microbiome health. So if you use the wrong cleanser, Eczema Friend can help provide a restorative pH for your skin. 

3. Barrier Support: Take supplements with ingredients like zinc and nicotinamide (vitamin B3) to support skin and gut health (click here for Karen’s recommendation).

5. Sun Protection: Opt for mineral-based sunscreens containing zinc oxide – as it’s a gentler option for sensitive skin.
6. Internal Support: Nourish your skin from within with vitamins and minerals that support barrier integrity, hydration balance, and overall skin health.

How Skin Friend Can Help

At Skin Friend, we create kind, calming, and skin-friendly products for eczema on the face (and other areas too). 

Topical Treatments

• Wonder Zinc: An award-winning zinc oxide and provitamin B5 cream that provides a breathable skin barrier shield while helping to calm visible irritation.
• Eczema Friend: Steroid-free eczema cream with provitamin B5 to soothe skin and relieve mild eczema and dermatitis, while providing hydration.
• 24-Hour Rescue: Rich, non-greasy moisturiser that delivers all-day comfort for dry, sensitive skin. Use this to maintain your results and prevent flareups from returning. 

Skin-Loving Supplements

Our vitamins that help eczema are filled with nutrients that can assist in maintaining healthy skin from the inside out. 

These include zinc to assist the repair of the gut wall lining and support immune system health, Vitamin C to support collagen production, and magnesium and calcium, to support healthy sleeping patterns and muscle relaxation. 

• Skin Friend AM: Morning blend of zinc, vitamin C, and activated (methylated) B vitamins to support energy levels, skin health, and collagen formation.
• Skin Friend PM: Your afternoon”cup of calm” with magnesium and calcium to support healthy sleeping patterns, skin health, and muscle relaxation. 

Eczema Friend – Rash Cream

AM Activated Multi

PM Mineral Matrix

24-Hour Rescue

Wonder Zinc

Eczema Detox Clear Skin Toolkit

The Skin Friend Difference

At Skin Friend, we believe calm, healthy skin should be your everyday normal. Founded by award-winning nutritionist Karen Fischer, our products for eczema (on the face and all over the body) combine over 20 years of clinical experience with real eczema patients. 

We provide clean beauty formulas that work. Every cream and supplement is designed to support your skin barrier, lock in moisture, and work in harmony with your body. 

Whether you’re struggling with seasonal eczema on the face or dandruff on the face and eyebrows, we take a prevention-focused approach that helps build skin resilience over time, so flare-ups are less likely to reoccur.

Choose Skin Friend for simple, science-backed care you can trust – for skin that looks and feels its best.

Explore Eczema by Body Area

• Eczema Around the Eyes and Eyelids
• Eczema on Hands and Fingers
• Eczema on Elbows and Knees
• Eczema on Feet and Ankles
• Eczema in Skin Folds (Intertrigo Areas)