Vanicream Moisturizing Cream

1. Ingredients 45% of the rating 3 of 5

   Ten named ingredients and no fragrance, but a petrolatum base with two PEG-type emulsifiers, propylene glycol and simethicone is a long way from a few natural ingredients, and some stock may still list BHT.

2. Independent testing 15% of the rating 2 of 5

   The National Eczema Association Seal is a paid review with a maker-supplied clinical safety test; we found no independent test of the cream for 1,4-dioxane, heavy metals or PFAS.

3. Does what it says 10% of the rating 4 of 5

   A bland moisturizer for dry, eczema-prone skin is what the research backs (a Cochrane review found fewer flares with moisturizers), and the page’s claims stay within that.

4. Trust 15% of the rating 3 of 5

   No recall or Prop 65 notice and a long record as an FDA-inspected maker, but the ingredient count and BHT status are inconsistent across its page, FAQ and retailers, and a 2016 class action targeted its sunscreen’s SPF (it ended in 2018).

5. Value 15% of the rating 5 of 5

   About $0.85 an ounce for the 16 oz pump, the lowest price per ounce of the moisturizers here.

The rating, 3.3 of 5, is the weighted average of these scores. See how we rank personal care and our standard.

• Target (opens in a new tab) approx. $13.59. 16 oz with pump. Target’s label info still lists BHT, and a Q&A answer there says it was removed; see the tradeoffs.
• Amazon (opens in a new tab) approx. $13.56. 16 oz pump. Sold and shipped by Amazon.com. This listing shows the ten-ingredient list without BHT.
• Walmart (opens in a new tab) approx. $13.56. 16 fl oz with pump, sold by Walmart.com. Its listing text still shows BHT.

Prices as we saw them on October 23, 2026. They change often. These links carry no tracking code and earn us nothing.

1. Water
2. Petrolatum
3. Sorbitol
4. Cetearyl alcohol
5. Propylene glycol
6. Ceteareth-20
7. Simethicone
8. Glyceryl stearate
9. PEG-30 stearate
10. Sorbic acid

• Paid certification National Eczema Association (Seal of Acceptance)

  Lists Vanicream Moisturizing Cream in its Seal of Acceptance directory. The Seal is voluntary and paid for by the maker (a $500 application fee per product plus a licensing fee set by company revenue). It requires a fragrance-free formula and a clinical safety test supplied by the maker, and independent physicians review the file. It does not test for contaminants such as 1,4-dioxane, heavy metals or PFAS. The cream’s own directory page returned an error when we opened it. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Does it contain BHT?

Vanicream’s page (opens in a new tab) lists ten ingredients and no BHT, but its FAQ says the cream has eleven. On 2026-10-23 the pump listings at Target and Walmart and the tub listings at Target and Amazon showed BHT, and Amazon’s pump listing did not. Target’s Q&A said the formula had been updated. BHT is a synthetic antioxidant; our checklist flags BHA, not BHT, but check your bottle’s label.

Is petrolatum safe on skin?

Our petroleum jelly guide concludes that plain petrolatum is likely safe and more occlusive than plant oils, and that no moisturizer type is reliably better for eczema. The Cochrane review of moisturizers for eczema (opens in a new tab) found fewer flares with moisturizers (moderate-quality evidence) and no reliable evidence that one moisturizer beats another.

Do the PEG-type ingredients mean 1,4-dioxane?

Ceteareth-20 and PEG-30 stearate are ethoxylated, and our hidden chemicals guide names PEG compounds as a possible source of 1,4-dioxane, a manufacturing contaminant. We found no independent test of this cream for it.

Do other reviewers rate it?

Mamavation’s 2020 body lotion guide (opens in a new tab) puts “Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream for Sensitive Skin” in its “Bad Lotion Brands” list, which it describes as brands with no organic ingredients, no certifications and a number of problem ingredients. Its problem-ingredient list includes PEG ingredients, petrolatum and propylene glycol, all of which are in this cream. That is a 2020 ingredient review by a site that earns affiliate income, not a lab test.

Is it really fragrance-free?

Vanicream says it is free of fragrance and masking fragrances, and the National Eczema Association Seal requires a fragrance-free formula. The ingredient list names none. Vanicream says its products smell of their ingredients.

Has Vanicream faced lawsuits or recalls?

A 2016 class action (Top Class Actions (opens in a new tab)) said Vanicream’s SPF 50+ sunscreen tested at SPF 17 in a Consumer Reports test. It concerned a sunscreen, not this cream. The court denied class certification in 2018 and dismissed the plaintiff’s case after a settlement that November (docket (opens in a new tab)). The FDA’s recall database has no records for the maker, and we found no Prop 65 notice.

• The National Eczema Association’s product directory lists it with the Seal of Acceptance. The Seal requires a fragrance-free formula, a clinical safety test and a review by independent physicians, and the maker pays for it. The product’s own page there returned an error when we opened it.
• Vanicream’s page lists ten ingredients: water, petrolatum, sorbitol, cetearyl alcohol, propylene glycol, ceteareth-20, simethicone, glyceryl stearate, PEG-30 stearate and sorbic acid.
• No fragrance, masking fragrance or botanical extracts. Vanicream’s FAQ says the cream is “free of fragrance and masking fragrances”, and the list names none.
• About $0.85 an ounce at Target for the 16 oz pump, the cheapest moisturizer we list. A Cochrane review of 77 trials found moisturizers cut eczema flares (moderate-quality evidence) but no reliable evidence that one is better than another.

• The oily base is petrolatum, a petroleum product. Our petroleum jelly guide says plain petrolatum is likely safe, and that no moisturizer type is reliably better for eczema. If you would rather avoid petroleum products, this is not the cream for you.
• It contains two ethoxylated (PEG-type) ingredients, ceteareth-20 and PEG-30 stearate, plus propylene glycol and simethicone. None is on our avoid list, but PEG compounds can carry traces of 1,4-dioxane, and we found no independent test of this cream for it.
• Which formula is on the shelf is unclear. Vanicream’s page lists ten ingredients, but its FAQ still says eleven. On 2026-10-23 the pump listings at Target and Walmart and the 16 oz tub listings at Target and Amazon showed BHT as the eleventh ingredient, while Amazon’s pump listing showed ten without it. A Target Q&A answer says the formula was updated to remove BHT. Check your bottle.
• Only the National Eczema Association has reviewed it. MADE SAFE’s index and EWG’s Verified directory have no Vanicream entries, and neither review tests the finished cream for contaminants.

Tested by

National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance (directory search we opened)

1. Vanicream Moisturizing Cream product page. Maker’s page. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
2. Vanicream: our story. Maker’s page. Says the company was founded by two pharmacists in the 1970s, makes products to drug-quality standards and is inspected by the FDA. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
3. National Eczema Association product directory, search for “vanicream”. Certifier or regulator listing. Shows “Vanicream Moisturizing Cream” among eight Vanicream products. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
4. National Eczema Association: how to apply for the Seal of Acceptance. Independent source. Source for the $500 per-product application fee, the fragrance-free rule, the clinical safety test and the licensing fee. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
5. National Eczema Association: Seal of Acceptance home (FAQs). Independent source. Says independent physician reviewers review applications and that companies attest each year. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
6. Target listing: Vanicream Moisturizing Cream with Pump, 16 oz. Independent source. Price ($13.59 on 2026-10-23) and a label ingredient list that includes BHT. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
7. Mamavation: best and worst non-toxic body lotions (2020). Independent source. An ingredient-based list, not a lab test. Lists Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream for Sensitive Skin under “Bad Lotion Brands”. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
8. Top Class Actions: Vanicream class action alleges deceptive SPF on sunscreen (2016). Independent source. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
9. FDA enforcement (recall) search for Pharmaceutical Specialties (openFDA). Certifier or regulator listing. Returns “No matches found”: no recall records. Searched 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
10. California Prop 65 60-day notice search: Vanicream. Certifier or regulator listing. No matching records, and none under the maker’s legal name, Pharmaceutical Specialties, Inc. Searched 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
11. van Zuuren et al., 2017: emollients and moisturisers for eczema, Cochrane review (PMID 28166390). Independent source. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
12. EWG Verified directory: search for “Vanicream”. Certifier or regulator listing. Returned no Vanicream products on 2026-10-22, when it was read in a browser. EWG blocks automated requests, so we could not search it again. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
13. CourtListener: Quinonez v. Pharmaceutical Specialties, Inc. (C.D. Cal. 2:16-cv-05966). Certifier or regulator listing. Filed 2016-08-10 over the SPF 50+ sunscreen. Class certification denied 2018-08-30; dismissed after a settlement 2018-11-27. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
14. Amazon listing: Vanicream Moisturizing Cream, 16 Oz Pump Dispenser (B000NWGCZ2). Independent source. $13.56, sold and shipped by Amazon.com on 2026-10-23. Lists ten ingredients and no BHT. Amazon’s 16 oz tub listing (B0000ZHH5G) lists BHT. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
15. Walmart listing: Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream with Pump Dispenser, 16 fl oz. Independent source. $13.56, sold by Walmart.com on 2026-10-23. The ingredient text on the listing ends with BHT. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

• A plain tallow balm For people who avoid petrolatum. Our tallow guide says there is no head-to-head evidence that tallow beats other moisturizers, and the tallow balms we looked at have no independent screening.
• Kosmatology Organic Lotion Bar, Free & Clear Five ingredients and MADE SAFE certified, about $4.53 an ounce, for small areas.
• Vanicream Moisturizing Lotion (opens in a new tab) A lighter version of the same cream, also listed by the National Eczema Association.

• Is Petroleum Jelly Safe for Skin? Article How well petroleum jelly protects dry skin, what studies say about mineral-oil residues and nasal use, and how plant-based moisturizers compare.
• Natural Management of Atopic Dermatitis Article Evidence-based diet, gut health, and supplement approaches for reducing eczema flares and supporting skin barrier repair
• Hidden Chemicals in Your Daily Routine Article How parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances in everyday products act as endocrine disruptors — and what to do about it