After being frustrated by what was available on the market for our child’s eczema, we set out to create a new approach to eczema care that works with your skin, not against it. By day, we were PhDs in a team with decades of combined experience in Cellular and Molecular Biology, and Medical Nanotechnology, and used this experience to create a better solution we could use on our child.

NellaDerm’s formulas represent a fundamental shift in how we treat eczema-prone skin—combining nature’s most powerful healing ingredients with advanced pharmaceutical science.

Formulation Optimization

The formulation of the product leverages a precise balance of emollients, botanicals, and bioactives to ensure optimal efficacy in the management of eczema and atopic dermatitis. Each ingredient is carefully calibrated to maximize both its individual effects and its synergistic actions with other components, creating a blend that is both potent and gentle on sensitive skin. This balance is key for achieving therapeutic outcomes, particularly in a dermatological context where the skin barrier is compromised.

The Science Behind Why NellaDerm Works
Addressing Skin Barrier Function: The ratio of occlusive emollients like shea butter, beeswax, and sweet almond oil is carefully adjusted to deliver long-lasting hydration without feeling overly greasy. These ingredients form a semi-occlusive barrier on the skin’s surface, effectively locking in moisture. This ratio ensures a blend that absorbs easily while providing a protective layer, reducing transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and allowing the skin to breathe, which is essential for sensitive and inflamed skin prone to eczema.

Targeted Anti-inflammatory Concentration: The formulation includes a specific proportion of anti-inflammatory botanicals such as chamomile and calendula, providing immediate soothing effects while preventing potential irritation from high concentrations. This balance is especially crucial as both chamomile and calendula offer high anti-inflammatory potency; when blended at this optimized ratio, they work in tandem to reduce erythema and itching effectively without overloading the skin, thus minimizing the risk of sensitization.

Synergistic Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Complex: Grapeseed oil, honey extract, and vitamin E are present in complementary ratios to offer broad-spectrum antioxidant and antimicrobial benefits. Honey’s naturally occurring hydrogen peroxide release and grapeseed oil’s high polyphenol content provide a dual-action defense against microbial colonization and oxidative stress. The specific ratio allows for robust microbial protection without compromising skin barrier integrity, as excessive honey or antimicrobial agents could otherwise disrupt the skin’s natural microbiome balance.

Enhanced Penetration and Bioavailability

Enhanced Penetration and Bioavailability: Emu oil is included in a finely tuned amount to serve as a penetration enhancer, increasing the bioavailability of the active botanicals and essential fatty acids. By – supporting deeper dermal delivery of actives, this ratio enhances the formulation’s overall efficacy, ensuring that even potent anti-inflammatory agents reach deeper layers of the skin where inflammation often originates. This balance avoids overly saturating the upper epidermis and maximizes targeted delivery, making the treatment more effective and comfortable.

Controlled Healing and Cellular Regeneration Support: The blend of honey, calendula, and chamomile is specifically balanced to support controlled cellular turnover and wound healing without overstimulating delicate skin. The ratio maintains a steady pace of cellular repair, reducing the risk of rapid keratinocyte turnover that can sometimes lead to irritation or flaking in sensitive skin. This balance aids in gentle re-epithelialization, providing a controlled healing environment that is ideal for the management of chronic skin conditions like eczema.