While most of us welcome the summer, for the one in four adults with eczema, it can be the season of flare-ups. As the temperature rises we sweat more, and one theory is that people with eczema are sensitive to sweat — which prompts the release of the chemical histamine, which causes itching and other symptoms of allergies. They also have a weakened skin barrier, making it less able to hold in moisture and protect against irritants — which is why it’s sore and itchy in the first place. So which products can help? Caroline Jones asked consultant dermatologists Dr Justine Hextall, from Tarrant Street Clinic in Arundel, West Sussex, and Dr Catherine Borysiewicz, from London’s Cadogan Clinic and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, to assess some of the newer products. We then rated them.