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Best laundry detergent for eczema
Buy Molly's Suds Original powder in the Unscented bag. The National Eczema Association lists Molly's powder, and the unscented label has four ingredients with no fragrance or preservative.1, 2 The seal does not name a scent, and the scented bags list natural fragrance.3
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Three suspects. One pick.
Molly's Suds Original powder, Unscented, 240 loads
Our pickBest for most eczema households. The NEA lists Molly's powder, and the unscented label has four ingredients: no fragrance, no preservative. The NEA entry names the 70- and 120-load sizes, not this 240-load bag.2
Watch for: Buy the bag marked Unscented. The NEA entry does not name a scent, and the scented bags list natural fragrance or essential oils.
Dirty Labs Free & Clear Bio detergent, 32 loads
Best liquid with no named preservative. NEA accepted, EPA Safer Choice fragrance-free, and no preservative or ethoxylated cleaner on the label; it has the highest cost per load of the group.4
Tide Free & Gentle liquid, 100 loads (132 fl oz)
Best-known liquid on the NEA list. NEA lists Tide Free & Gentle liquid and EPA Safer Choice flags it fragrance-free; the label also lists a preservative and an ethoxylated cleaner.5
Watch for: The label lists benzisothiazolinone and an ethoxylated surfactant. Prop 65 notices from 2009 and 2011 named Tide liquid detergent for 1,4-dioxane. A notice is a claim, not a finding, and those were older formulas.
Every detergent we checked against the eczema list
Each row shows the National Eczema Association list, the label and the EPA record side by side, which an Amazon title cannot do.
| Product | NEA list | Fragrance | Preservative | EPA Safer Choice | Size | Cost per load | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Molly's Suds Original powder, Unscented, 240 loads2 | On NEA list | Fragrance free | None listed | No listing found | 240 loads | $0.16 per loadas listed | $38.99 |
| Dirty Labs Free & Clear Bio detergent, 32 loads4 | On NEA list | Fragrance free | None named | Safer Choice, fragrance-free | 32 loads | $0.62 per loadas listed | $20.00 |
| Tide Free & Gentle liquid, 100 loads (132 fl oz)5 | On NEA list | Fragrance free | Benzisothiazolinone | Safer Choice, fragrance-free | 100 loads | $0.18 per loadas listed | $17.97 |
 ECOS Free & Clear liquid, 2 x 50 fl oz (100 loads)6 | On NEA list | Fragrance free | Methylisothiazolinone | Safer Choice, fragrance-free | 100 loads | $0.12 per loadas listed | $11.99 |
 all free clear liquid, 110 loads (82.5 fl oz)7 | On NEA list | Fragrance free | Benzisothiazolinone | No listing found | 110 loads | $0.17 per loadas listed | $18.68 |
 The Clean People Fragrance Free sheets, 32 sheets8 | Not on NEA list | Fragrance free | Potassium sorbate | No listing found | 32 sheets | $0.40 per loadmaker's dose | $12.79 |
 Dreft Stage 1 Newborn liquid, 114 loads (150 fl oz)9 | Not on NEA list | Lists fragrance | Benzisothiazolinone | Safer Choice listed | 114 loads | $0.22 per loadas listed | $24.94 |
 Molly's Suds Original powder, Lotus & Peony, 120 loads3 | On NEA list | Lists fragrance | None listed | No listing found | 120 loads | $0.19 per loadas listed | $22.99 |
Prices on Amazon, November 2, 2026.10
Listings that look right but are not
Dreft Stage 1 Newborn liquid, 114 loads (150 fl oz)
The best-known baby detergent. Its own ingredient list shows Fragrances, and the National Eczema Association lists a different product, Dreft Free & Gentle, not this Stage 1 Newborn liquid. EPA Safer Choice lists it, but Safer Choice does not mean fragrance free.9
Molly's Suds Original powder, Lotus & Peony, 120 loads
This bag is the Lotus & Peony scent. The maker says scented bags use natural fragrance or essential oils, even though the listing says it is free of artificial fragrances. For a fragrance-free wash, buy the Unscented bag.3
What does the National Eczema Association seal on laundry detergent mean?
The National Eczema Association keeps a Seal Product Directory with a Laundry filter.11 It lists the detergents the group has accepted.12 We read that directory and matched each product to its label. We did not wash anything.
The seal is given by product name. The directory lists Tide Free & Gentle,13 Molly's Suds powder,1 Dirty Labs Free & Clear,14 ECOS Free & Clear15 and all free clear.16 Check that the name on your bottle matches the name in the directory.
The NEA entry for Molly's powder names the 70- and 120-load sizes. The 240-load bag is the same powder but is not named in the entry.1, 2
Which eczema-friendly detergents list a preservative?
Three of the five NEA-listed detergents we checked name a preservative. Tide lists benzisothiazolinone.5 all free clear lists it too.7 ECOS lists phenoxyethanol and methylisothiazolinone.6
Molly's Unscented and Dirty Labs name no preservative on their labels.2, 4 If you already know a preservative bothers your skin, start with those two.
Does a baby or "free and clear" name mean no fragrance?
No. The Dreft Stage 1 Newborn label lists Fragrances.9 The NEA lists a different product, Dreft Free & Gentle, and not this one.17 EPA Safer Choice lists Dreft Baby, but Safer Choice is not the same as fragrance free.18
The Molly's bag that sells best on Amazon is the Lotus & Peony scent.3 The maker says scented bags use natural fragrance or essential oils.3 The unscented bag says it has none.2
Are laundry sheets a good choice for eczema?
The Clean People Fragrance Free sheets leave out fragrance and name potassium sorbate as the preservative.8 They also contain PVA, and we found no NEA listing for them.8 They suit travel. For eczema, we lead with products that are on the NEA list.
Questions people ask
Is Tide Free & Gentle good for eczema?
The NEA lists Tide Free & Gentle liquid.13 The label says free of dyes and perfumes, and also lists benzisothiazolinone and an ethoxylated cleaner.5
Is Molly's Suds good for eczema?
The NEA lists Molly's Suds powder, in the 70- and 120-load sizes.1 Buy the Unscented bag, which lists four ingredients and no fragrance; the 240-load bag is the same powder.2
Is Dreft good for eczema?
The Dreft Stage 1 Newborn label lists Fragrances.9 The NEA lists Dreft Free & Gentle instead.17
Does EPA Safer Choice mean a detergent is safe for eczema?
No. Safer Choice reviews ingredients for safety and the environment. It flags fragrance-free products separately, and Dreft Baby is listed without that flag.18
Sources (18)
- NEA Seal Product Directory: Molly's Suds Laundry Powder (accepted 2026-04-17), read November 2, 2026. Quote: “Molly's Suds Laundry Powder ... Gentle for sensitive skin ... Available in 70 and 120 load sizes”
- Molly's Suds Original Laundry Powder, ingredients (maker page), read November 2, 2026. Quote: “Unscented contains no essential oils or fragrances”
- Molly's Suds Original Laundry Powder, ingredients (maker page), read November 2, 2026. Quote: “All other scents contain 100% natural fragrances derived from plant essences & oils.”
- Dirty Labs Bio Enzyme Laundry Detergent, Free & Clear (maker page), read November 2, 2026. Quote: “Free & Clear: Fragrance Free. ... Certified EPA Safer Choice Fragrance-Free Partner.”
- Tide SmartLabel: Free & Gentle liquid 132 fl oz, ingredient list (updated 2025-09-19), read November 2, 2026. Quote: “Water; C10-16 Alketh; Sodium C10-16 Alkylbenzenesulfonate; Sodium Lauryl Sulfate; ... Alcohol; ... Benzisothiazolinone; Cellulase Enzyme”
- ECOS Hypoallergenic Laundry Detergent, Free & Clear (maker page), read November 2, 2026. Quote: “Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Cocamidopropylamine Oxide, Phenoxyethanol (preservative), Methylisothiazolinone (preservative)”
- all free clear The Original Concentrated, ingredient list (maker page), read November 2, 2026. Quote: “water; C12-15 alcohols ethoxylated; sodium laureth sulfate; ... benzisothiazolinone”
- Clean People Laundry Detergent Sheets, ingredients (maker page), read November 2, 2026. Quote: “Starch; PVA; Vegetable Glycerin; Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate; Glycereth-6 Cocoate; ... Potassium Sorbate ... *Fresh & Clean contains fragrance”
- Dreft SmartLabel: Stage 1 Newborn liquid 150 oz, ingredient list (updated 2026-03-26), read November 2, 2026. Quote: “Water; C10-16 Alketh; ... Sodium Lauryl Sulfate; ... Fragrances; ... Benzisothiazolinone”
- Prices and photos: Amazon product data, read November 2, 2026.
- National Eczema Association, Seal Product Directory, Laundry filter, read November 2, 2026. Quote: “Laundry (product type filter in the Seal Product Directory; entries read from the NEA site feed)”
- National Eczema Association, About the NEA Seal of Acceptance, read November 2, 2026. Quote: “Find personal care and household products with the Seal in the Seal Product Directory.”
- NEA Seal Product Directory: Tide Free & Gentle Liquid High Efficiency (accepted 2025-12-16), read November 2, 2026. Quote: “Tide Free & Gentle Liquid High Efficiency (for FDM)”
- NEA Seal Product Directory: Dirty Labs Bio Laundry Detergent Free & Clear (accepted 2021-06-21), read November 2, 2026. Quote: “Dirty Labs Bio Laundry Detergent Free & Clear”
- NEA Seal Product Directory: ECOS Hypoallergenic Laundry Detergent Free & Clear (accepted 2026-08-17), read November 2, 2026. Quote: “ECOS Hypoallergenic Laundry Detergent - Free & Clear”
- NEA Seal Product Directory: all free clear The Original Concentrated (accepted 2026-07-20), read November 2, 2026. Quote: “all free clear The Original Concentrated”
- NEA Seal Product Directory: Dreft Free & Gentle Liquid (accepted 2023-11-14), read November 2, 2026. Quote: “Dreft Free & Gentle Liquid: Free of dyes and perfumes, hypoallergenic”
- EPA Safer Choice product list (laundry detergents), CSV read 2026-11-02, read November 2, 2026. Quote: “Tide Free & Gentle, The Procter & Gamble Company, fragrance_free: True. Dreft Baby, The Procter & Gamble Company, fragrance_free: blank.”
The paper trail
Every product on this page was looked up in the EPA Safer Choice list, CPSC recalls, California Prop 65 notices and EWG’s database. We read each maker’s full ingredient label and worked out what a load or an ounce really costs. Every flag links to where it came from. How we snoop.