La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP+

Eczema plagues kids and adults alike, and it's no picnic at any age. A good cream can do wonders to clear up eczema, and La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP+ is a great option for the whole family. Suitable for babies over three months, kids and adults, we found this fragrance-free balm helps soothe and heal skin, without containing any of the ingredients it's better to avoid (like parabens, lanolin and dyes). Not only does is it effective, it applies to the skin easily (no painful tugging) and, as an added bonus, there's no greasy feel left behind.

To put eczema creams to the test, we sent samples to families with kids or parents who suffer from eczema. Parents reported that La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP+ did a good job of providing an effective barrier on their kid's skin, and their own too, in some cases. They told us itchiness and discomfort is relieved as soon as this cream is applied. The La Roche-Posay cream also helped clear up eczema pretty quickly: Parents said skin appeared to be less red, inflamed, dry and itchy after just a couple days of use. Overall, our parent testers were happy with the soothing properties of the cream and how quickly they saw an improvement. What’s more, they felt the cream also did a great job of moisturizing skin, which can help prevent future flare-ups. All of our parent testers said this cream was better than others they’d tried in the past.

The cream also received top marks for consistency. Completely uniform and white, it’s creamy and smooth, yet not slippery on the skin. In our lab, it spread effortlessly, without any friction, and absorbed evenly, creating an effective barrier without leaving a sticky residue behind. Our parent testers agreed, noting that while it’s thicker than most pump-based lotions, the La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP+ is easy to rub in. They said they felt comfortable using the cream all over the body, including the face, instead of just spot treating the eczema. Bonus: One parent felt she could put pants on right after applying it without worrying that the cream would rub off on her clothes.

Available in a tube or a bottle with a pump, spills are essentially impossible with the Lipikar Baume AP+, and you can easily control how much of the cream is dispensed. While our parent testers said they got the perfect amount each time, one felt it was difficult to get the all of the cream out of the container once it was almost empty—she had to unscrew the pump dispenser to get the last bit. If you opt for the tube of this cream, you'll find that the flip-top lid doesn't get residue build-up thanks to the thicker cream, plus the lid is easy to close one-handed. Overall, our parent testers gave this cream top marks for ease of use.

While a tube or bottle of this cream costs more than a lot of other eczema products, you're getting a lot more product. When you look at the cost per 100 millilitres ($8.25), the price of this cream is actually quite average, falling in the middle of the pack of the eczema creams we tested. Plus, our testers felt that a little goes a long way with this cream, and they said that this cream's ability to quickly sooth, clear up, and prevent eczema added to the value and made it worth the price.

FINAL WORD

For our parent testers, ingredients, texture and results are important when they're choosing an eczema cream. The fact they saw noticeable improvements after using La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP+ for only a few days, and that they really liked the consistency, absorbency and ingredients, made it a clear winner. Overall, parents gave this eczema cream very good ratings for quality and ease of use, and they all said it's better than other eczema creams they've used before. Plus, none would hesitate to recommend it to other families struggling with eczema—a sound endorsement. Given its impressive performance in our lab tests and the high praise from families, it was easy to give this balm our Today's Parent Approved seal.