The Best Perioral Dermatitis Over-the-Counter Treatments in 2025

No matter how much you baby your skin, sometimes things just pop up—like bumps, dryness, and redness. All of those issues can be signs of perioral dermatitis, a common skin condition that appears as a rash around your mouth, nose, and sometimes near your eyes. Here comes the rough part: “It can be scaly and uncomfortable,” Rebecca Dufner, MD, board-certified dermatologist and director of digital health and clinical innovation at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, tells SELF. “And there are a lot of triggers and causes.”

Using a topical steroid on your face is a common one, but perioral dermatitis can also show up if you’re using thick or oily skin care products, over-exfoliating, or going through hormonal changes, Dr. Dufner says. “It’s often associated with burning and itching, and it can be pretty persistent,” Arielle Nagler, MD, board-certified dermatologist at NYU Langone in New York City, tells SELF—so treating it ASAP is key.

The good news: You can manage perioral dermatitis with over-the-counter treatments, as long as you know which ingredients to look out for (and which to avoid). Lucky for you, we did the legwork by asking dermatologists to recommend the best skin care products for perioral dermatitis, including gentle cleansers and soothing moisturizers. All you need to do now is add them to your cart.

Our top picks

1. Kate Somerville EradiKate 3% Sulfur Daily Foaming Cleanser, $44
2. The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%, $12
3. La Roche Posay Anthelios Mineral Tinted Face Sunscreen SPF 50, $40
4. Shark CryoGlow LED Face Mask, $350

Shop the best perioral dermatitis over-the-counter treatments

A few swaps in your routine can make a big difference.

Cleansers

Any time your skin is angry, you want to swap out any potentially irritating products with gentler ones. That starts with your face wash—the first product in your routine. Amy Huang, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at the Medical Office of Manhattan in New York, recommends Cerave’s Foaming Facial Cleanser. It removes excess oil and leftover makeup with mild surfactants while hydrating your skin with hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and niacinamide.

Still dealing with symptoms? All of the dermatologists we spoke with recommended trying a sulfur-based face wash next. Dr. Dufner likes Joesoef’s Anti-Acne Soap, a budget-friendly option that contains 10% sulfur to tackle perioral dermatitis, acne, and clogged pores.

Not into bar soap? Try Kate Somerville’s EradiKate 3% Sulfur Daily Foaming Cleanser. Its star ingredients are sulfur, honey, and oat extracts—all of which will majorly soothe your skin.

Moisturizers

If you’re using a sulfur wash to treat your perioral dermatitis, stick with a sensitive skin-friendly moisturizer. Vanicream’s Moisturizing Cream is a classic option with a formula that’s free from potential irritants. It’s also one SELF editor’s go-to: “I’ve been using Vanicream for years as my a.m. and p.m. moisturizer. It’s the perfect weight (not too light, not too heavy) and seals in moisture without pilling underneath my other skin care or makeup,” she says.

To address inflammation, Dr. Huang recommends Skinfix’s Eczema+ Dermatitis Relief Balm. It’s formulated for eczema—the hero ingredients are colloidal oatmeal, which will soothe skin, and ceramides, which work to repair the moisture barrier.