Aveeno, Lubriderm and Eucerin all have a goal of providing a moisturizing lotion for those with sensitive dry skin like Eczema. I will break down each product, exposing the important factors when considering these products such as underlying harmful ingredients and how cost effective they are.
There is an array of different moisturizers out there for sensitive skin users, but these brands stand at the top of the chain backed by dermatologists and high accessibility.
Aveeno vs Lubriderm vs Eucerin: Who are they?
Aveeno
Aveeno is a brand of skin care and hair care products founded by Albert and Sidney Musher in 1945. It was purchased by Johnson & Johnson in 1999 with the brand expanding into baby care and body wash in 2001.
Aveeno has managed to attract high profile celebrities to advertise their brand, most notably Jennifer Anniston from friends who has a net worth of $240 million.
Lubriderm
Lubriderm started in 1945 by a pharmacology professor at the University of Texas called Dr. Louis Schleuse. It was named Lubriderm to describe both its moisturization and dermatological benefits. In 1975, the Lubriderm lotion became available after 30 years of use by dermatologists and hospitals. In 2006, the lotion became a part of the Johnson & Johnson, expanding the formula across the globe.
Eucerin
Eucerin is the dermatologist-recommended skin care brand based on honest skin science. It sustains and restores skin’s health and gives you the confidence of a healthy radiant skin. The Eucerin brand is a leading skin care product provider, offering a wide variety of skin care systems and treatments for different skin types. Paul C. Beiersdorf founded Beiersdorf in 1882 in a 19th century pharmacy and was able to patent a new approach to medical dressing.
Aveeno vs Lubriderm vs Eucerin: Product Descriptions
Aveeno has many different types of moisturizing lotions so it is best to pay close attention to the packaging. The differences in products can be determined by the colour of their enclosed cap.
The daily moisturizing range is the most commonly found Aveeno product line. Each line has different benefits as stated in the picture and are made out of different key ingredients.
Daily Moisturizing | Skin Relief | Stress Relief | Restorative Skin Therapy | Eczema |
Soothing oat and rich emollients, contains Dimethicone | Triple oat complex, contains Dimethicone | Soothing oat, lavender scent – chamomile and ylang ylang oils | Oat, aloe, and vitamin B5 | Colloidal oatmeal and ceramide |
For the purpose of the study, I will focus on their most popular product, the daily moisturizing lotion.
Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion
This nourishing lotion is clinically proven to improve the health of dry skin in 1 day with significant improvement in 2 weeks. Formulated with Active Naturals Colloidal Oatmeal and rich emollients, it helps prevent and protect dry skin for a full 24 hours. This lotion leaves your skin feeling soft, smooth and naturally healthy looking and is gentle enough for everyday use. It’s also fragrance free, nongreasy and noncomedogenic.
Reference: Aveeno
Lubriderm Daily Moisture Lotion
Daily Moisture Lotion Fragrance-Free is our solution to replenish and moisturize dry skin that’s suitable for the whole family*. It’s fragrance-free, fortified with Pro-Vitamin B5 and skin-essential moisturizers. The clean-feeling, non-greasy formula absorbs in seconds and moisturizes for hours – in fact, it’s clinically shown to moisturize for 24 hours.
- Clinically Shown to Moisturize for 24 Hours
- Clean, Non-Greasy Feel
- Enriched with Pro-Vitamin B5 and Skin Essential Moisturizers
Source: Lubriderm
Eucerin Advanced Repair Lotion
Eucerin Advanced Repair Lotion is a breakthrough in repairing very dry skin and provides 48 hour moisture, for skin that looks and feels healthy.
- Ceramide 3 enriched; strengthens skin’s protective moisture barrier.
- Natural Moisturizing Factors enriched; a combination of moisturizing ingredients naturally found in the skin that hydrates to help prevent dryness.
- Fragrance, dye, and paraben free for sensitive skin
Aveeno vs Lubriderm vs Eucerin: Price Comparison
The best way to compare these products is not a price comparison on the product itself, but the price per fluid ounce (fl oz). The bigger packaging, the better price you get per ounce. All prices mentioned are taken from Amazon at the release date of the article, so be sure to check back on Amazon for any deals or updated prices.
Lubriderm is the cheapest option at $0.37 per fluid ounce, with Aveeno coming second at $0.49 per fluid once and lastly Eucerin being the most expensive option out of the three at $0.55 per fluid ounce. Even though Lubriderm is the cheaper option, it provides a much bigger bottle which is more value for money it seems. Despite this, just because it is the cheapest option doesn’t necessarily mean it is the best!
Aveeno vs Lubriderm vs Eucerin: Ingredient Analysis
Both products have a problematic ingredient, Benzyl Alcohol. It is an ingredient used in skin lotions due its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.
The problem with Benzyl Alcohol is that it has the safety hazard of being harmful in contact with skin. It also has potential health concerns for those with Dermatitis (Eczema). We should approach any products with Benzyl Alcohol with caution. It is an irritant, which can be linked to the burning sensation cases when applying the lotion.
Both have different key ingredients that makes their product unique. This is what can cause different reactions to different users.
Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion: Ingredient Analysis
Aveeno uses a key ingredient called Avena Sativa (Oats) which is one of their unique selling points. Petrolatum is another which is an emollient that soften and soothes skin by preventing moisture loss from the skin. Although it sounds like a good function, it does have the possibility of causing skin irritation. It is a prohibited substance in cosmetic products in the European Union.
Aveeno has two alarming ingredients that poses as a risk, Butylated Hydroxytoluene, an antioxidant, and Chlorhexidine Gluconate, a disinfectant. Butylated Hydroxytoluene has potential health concerns for quite a number of things, 34 to be exact, and one of them is for dermatitis. Chlorhexidine on the other hand can cause skin irritation (H315) and serious allergic skin reaction (H317), serious eye damage and irritation (H318/319) and even causing allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled (H334) according to UN GHS. . Not looking promising at all!
Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion: Ingredient Concerns
Ingredient | Safety Hazards | Potential Health Concerns |
Butylated Hydroxytoluene | 5 | 34 |
Chlorhexidine Gluconate | 11 | 13 |
Benzyl Alcohol | 5 | 5 |
Lubriderm Daily Moisture Lotion: Ingredient Analysis
5 ingredients raised alarms in the Lubriderm Daily Moisture Lotion according to the 1Source.com system. The most alarming out of the 5 is Ethylparaben that actively kills and inhibits growth of unwanted microorganisms which may be harmful. It has proven to be have high retention rates in the human body which may lead to eventual toxicity. Fun fact, it is a prohibited and restricted chemical in South Korea and it is also banned in sunscreens in Palau because of the damage it can cause to coral reefs.
There are a number of safety hazards that Ethylparaben that has been noted by the UN GHS, such as skin irritation (H315), may cause an allergic skin reaction (H317), serious eye damage and irritation (H318/319) and even causing allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled (H334). Very similar to Chlorhexidine Gluconate in Aveeno as mentioned before.
Lubriderm has Phenoxyethanol that can cause a great concern. It has been reported as harmful if absorbed through skin, causing irritation and blistering. This makes Phenoxyethanol a potential health concern for Eczema sufferers like ourselves. Phenoxyethanol is an interesting ingredient as it is now banned in Palau due to the damages it can cause to coral reefs. If it can cause long lasting damages to the aquatic wildlife, the question is, what kind of damage can do to our skin?
An ingredient in Lubriderm that has similar functions to Ethylparaben is Methylparaben and Propylparaben, both marked as harmful ingredients that should be used sparingly. Methylparaben is quite concerning, as it is noted as a potential health concern for dermatitis users as you may get an allergic reaction and can cause multiple abnormalities. Propylparaben is just as alarming, as it can cause skin irritation as well.
Lastly (we are getting there!), Mineral Oil was flagged but it is a common ingredient in baby lotions and cold creams. It helps soften and soothe skin, preventing moisture loss. There are no concerns with it regarding to skin, but it is something I thought I should highlight as it was detected.
Luberiderm Daily Moisture Lotion: Ingredient Concerns
Ingredient | Safety Hazards | Potential Health Concerns |
Ethylparaben | 5 | 1 |
Methylparaben | 7 | 10 |
Propylparaben | 4 | 2 |
Mineral Oil | 2 | 1 |
Phenoxyethanol | 4 | 1 |
Eucerin Advanced Repair Lotion: Ingredient Analysis
Eucerin has Phenoxyethanol just like Lubriderm. Although, Eucerin has one ingredient that poses a great concern, Cyclomethicone. It is a substance that is prohibited in cosmetic products according to the EU Cosling Annex II. The Hong Kong Consumer Council has also labelled Cyclomethicone as an endocrine disrupting chemical. The ingredient can cause skin irritation and serious eye irritation. Just like Phenoxyethanol, it can be harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
It should be noted that Cyclomethicone was not found in the tub version of the cream. According to 1Source, there were 37 identifiable ingredients in the Eucerin Advanced Repair Lotion. 35 out of the 37 ingredients were deemed as safe and acceptable.
Eucerin Advanced Repair Lotion: Ingredient Concerns
Ingredient | Safety Hazards | Potential Health Concerns |
Phenoxyethanol | 4 | 1 |
Cyclomethicone | 8 | 0 |
Aveeno vs Lubriderm vs Eucerin: Which is Better?
There is a lot of information to process, but there is one clear option out of the three. Eucerin overall has the safer ingredients but comes at a higher cost than the others. There are more moisturizing lotions out there, but it is definitely worthwhile patch testing Eucerin at the very least. Do note that you should get the tub version as Cyclomethicone was an ingredient not found in it compared to the bottled version.
Personally I have tried all of Aveeno’s ranges and I didn’t see any positive results in my skin. It did hydrate my skin but it did not make it visibly better. This could of been a bad reaction from of the ingredients. This is why I stress how important patch testing and allergy testing is. By finding out what ingredients you are not compatible with, you can instantly eliminate a product and not waste your time with it!
Aveeno vs Lubriderm vs Eucerin: Alternative Options
If you are not convinced with the three options available, I do have one suggestion that did well with my Eczema. This is not even a sponsored post, it is just a cream that worked for me after trying out Aveeno.
CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion is a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer that helps hydrate the skin and restore its natural barrier. To get a better idea of the product, you can read my article on the comparison of CeraVe and Eucerin.