PRODUCT REVIEW
DermaCalm SOS Therapy
A marketplace-only cream for eczema and babies, containing rose oil while calling itself fragrance-free and hypoallergenic.
Key facts
DermaCalm SOS Therapy at a glance.
Urea 8% (a humectant)
Key active
Rich cream
Texture
$20–$25
Approximate price
5 oz
Size
$31.00
Price
Moisturizer
Type
What is it?
Top things to know about DermaCalm SOS Therapy
- DermaCalm SOS Therapy is a thick white cream in a 5 oz size, sold through online marketplaces rather than drugstores. It is marketed for eczema-prone and dermatitis-prone skin and for babies from six months. It is a moisturizer, not a medicine — no hydrocortisone, no drug of any kind.
- Urea at 8 percent leads the formula, pulling water into the outer layer of skin and loosening the bonds between dead cells so rough patches soften. Shea butter, cocoa butter, sweet almond oil and beeswax slow water leaving, with bisabolol from chamomile to soothe. Rose flower oil is the last ingredient, and you can smell it.
A rich urea cream aimed at eczema, with rose flower oil in it. Fragrance is a leading contact allergen, and eczema-prone skin lets more of it through, which is the whole reason that skin needs a plain cream. "No artificial fragrance" is not "fragrance free." A plain urea or ceramide cream does this job.
— Dr. Schwarz
Skin fit
Is it right for your skin?
Dry Skin
Dry skin has lost both water and the fats that hold water in, and this cream replaces both. Urea pulls water into the dead outer layer; the butters and oils sit on top and slow it leaving. On plain dry skin with no rash, it works well.
Keratosis Pilaris
The rough bumps on the backs of the arms are plugs of keratin, the protein in dead skin cells, stuck in the hair openings. Urea loosens those plugs chemically rather than scrubbing them off, and there is 8 percent of it here. Give it several weeks.
Eczema
This is the group the label aims at, and the group that should skip it. Eczema-prone skin lets more of what it meets through, and fragrance is a leading contact allergen in eczema. This cream contains rose flower oil, a natural fragrance with known allergens. Vanicream Moisturizing Cream and CeraVe Moisturizing Cream do the same job unscented.
Texture
What it feels like on skin.
Cream
A thick cream with butters in it. It feels substantial going on and sinks in slowly, leaving a soft film. It smells of roses, from the rose flower oil at the end of the ingredient list. In a cream bought for reactive skin, that smell is a warning, not a feature. The 5 oz size is a lot of cream to get through. The oils and butters are the parts that age, so keep the lid on and keep it out of the sun.
Alternatives
If this isn’t the right product for you
Vanicream Moisturizing Cream
Fragrance-free, with no dyes, lanolin or parabens, for $13–$15. No essential oils, which is what eczema-prone skin needs removed.
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
Genuinely fragrance-free, about a dollar an ounce, with ceramides and petrolatum. The safer base for inflamed skin.
Eucerin UreaRepair Plus
A well-made fragrance-free urea cream. In the US it comes through gray-market importers, and the name covers both 5% and 10%.
Ingredients · Interactive
What’s in it, and where each ingredient works.
Full ingredient list · 28 ingredients, in label order. Click one.
A fatty alcohol that softens skin and thickens the product. Despite the name, it is not drying.
A silicone that smooths the surface and adds to the protective film.
A form of hyaluronic acid. Its molecule is large, so it stays on the surface and holds water there.
A thickener that keeps the texture even.
How to use it
How to use it.
How to apply it
- How muchA thin layer over the area. Urea works by staying on the skin, not by being rubbed in hard.
- CarefulPatch test on a small area for a few days first. Rose flower oil carries known contact allergens, and sweet almond oil matters if there is nut sensitivity in the family.
What to pair it with
- Watch outUrea stings on cracked or broken skin. Wait until an open patch has closed over.
What to expect
- What to expectDryness and tightness ease within a few days. Thickened, scaly patches take two to four weeks to soften. Stop if you get redness or itching that was not there before.
Questions
Common questions.
Is DermaCalm SOS Therapy fragrance-free?
No. It contains rose flower oil, a natural fragrance.
Is DermaCalm SOS Therapy safe for eczema?
No. The fragrance makes it a risky choice for that skin.
Can I use DermaCalm SOS Therapy on a baby?
It is marketed from six months, but the fragrance and sweet almond oil warrant caution.
Does "hypoallergenic" mean DermaCalm SOS Therapy is allergy-safe?
No. The word is unregulated and has no legal definition.
Is there a "clinically tested" study behind DermaCalm SOS Therapy?
No published trial or data supports that claim.
References
Sources.
- 1. A Biomimetic Combination of Actives Enhances Skin Hydration and Barrier Function via Modulation of Gene Expression: Results of Two Double-Blind, Vehicle-Controlled Clinical Studies (https://doi.org/10.1159/000520009) — Supports that urea is an evidence-based humectant (described as the gold standard natural moisturizing factor) that improves hydration and barrier function in dry skin/xerosis. Link
- 2. The influence of a humectant-rich mixture on normal skin barrier function and on once- and twice-daily treatment of foot xerosis. A prospective, randomized, evaluator-blind, bilateral and untreated-control study (https://doi.org/10.1111/srt.12066) — Randomized controlled study showing a urea-containing humectant formulation increases skin hydration and relieves dry, scaly (xerotic) skin. Link
- 3. α-(-)-bisabolol Reduces Pro-inflammatory Cytokine Production and Ameliorates Skin Inflammation (https://doi.org/10.2174/1389201015666140528152946) — Supports that bisabolol is a genuine soothing/anti-inflammatory ingredient, reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines and skin inflammation on topical application. Link
- 4. Skin hydration: a review on its molecular mechanisms (https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1473-2165.2007.00300.x) — Reviews the humectant/moisturizing mechanisms of glycerol (glycerin) and hyaluronan (hyaluronic acid) in retaining stratum corneum water, supporting the base being moisturizing. Link
- 5. Contact allergy to oxidized terpenes and occupational contact dermatitis in massage therapists - A case series (https://doi.org/10.1111/cod.13494) — Supports that natural essential/plant oils contain fragrance terpene compounds that are known contact allergens capable of causing allergic contact dermatitis, relevant to the rose flower oil concern. Link