Nara Smith Told Me the Exact $15 Moisturizer She Trusts for Her Eczema

If you’re on TikTok, chances are you’ve come across one of Nara Smith’s videos. The 23-year-old gained attention on the platform for her ASMR-narrated, elaborate cooking and recipe videos, in which she is always dressed to the nines. But Smith’s elaborate, from-scratch meals aren’t just for show. After experiencing a severe eczema flare-up following the birth of her second child, she became more intentional about what she put in her body. That same shift in mindset carried over into her skincare routine. Struggling with eczema led Smith to simplify her regimen, focusing only on products that work with—not against—her sensitive, eczema-prone skin.

So what has made the cut? Cetaphil’s Eczema Restoraderm line. "I’ve always been really hesitant to try new products because, in the past, it’s usually ended badly," Smith shares over Zoom. "But knowing Cetaphil and what they stand for—the fact that they’re science-backed and take their formulas seriously—I felt a little more confident giving it a try." And once she did? She was all in. "I haven’t gone back to anything else since. It’s fragrance-free, super hydrating, and it restores my moisture barrier—it’s everything I need in an eczema product."

Ahead, we chat with Smith about her skincare journey, the emotional toll of living with eczema, the one skincare step she never skips, and more.

On Her Skin Type

"I’ve always had really dry skin. I’ve never been a girl who can just shower and not [put on] lotion or wake up and be like, ‘Oh, I just splashed my face with water, and I’m good to go.’ That won’t work for me.

I had eczema when I was growing up, but it’s not something that I remember—my parents told me about it. Then, when I gave birth to my second child, a small patch of eczema showed up. I didn’t really classify it as anything; I thought it was just extremely dry skin. But then that spread, and three years later, I’m still dealing with flare-ups."

On How She Got Interested in Skincare

"My mom is from South Africa, and she wanted us oiled up and ready to go every single day. There was never a day when I was ever going to walk out of the house without a full face of oil. She always made sure that we were moisturized. My mom was very much into using a holistic approach to help the skin, along with science-backed products. She was the one who told us about [the benefits of] shea oil and shea butter, and using olive oil and lemon to treat our sunburns."

On Her Skincare Routine

"I like to keep it as simple as I can and focus on hydration. I make sure all my products are fragrance-free just because it irritates my skin. In the morning, after I wake up, I splash my face with water, then I go in with an oil, the Restoraderm Daily Soothing Moisturizer, and an SPF. At night, I take my time because it feels more like self-care. After I shower, I dry off, but I make sure I’m still damp, so that I can apply my Restoraderm and have it really soak into my skin. I use a serum, facial oil, and moisturizer. Sometimes, I’ll add a balm on top, but it depends on how dry my skin is."

The One Skincare Step She Never Skips

"I will never, ever skip the moisturizing step. I’m also the type of person who, regardless of how tired I am, when I get home, I will not go to bed until I’ve moisturized and done my skincare. When girls are like, ‘Oh, I just came home, and I was so tired, I just fell asleep,’ that’s not something I could ever do because of my skin type and my eczema. I’m so sensitive that when I don’t moisturize at night, I can feel my skin drying up. In the morning, I can skip a couple of steps, but at night, that’s when I really make sure to be moisturized."

How Her Skincare Routine Has Changed Over Time

"A few years ago, I fell into the mentality of trying out all these products because everyone was talking about X, Y, and Z. I ended up having seven products in my skincare routine. My skin was flaring up, and it wasn’t working for me. So, over the years, I’ve learned to stick with the staples and the things I love. If I love something and it works for my skin, I buy it over and over again. I try to keep it as simple as possible. I’m not going to be the girl who has a 10-step skincare routine."

On the Emotional Toll of Having Eczema

"People usually think eczema is just a skin condition that you live with and manage. They don’t think about the fact that it comes with all these mental things. At least for me, I overthink everything I eat and I overthink my detergent. I have to make sure all the products I use are clean and actually good for me. I have to [be conscious of] things that someone who isn’t dealing with eczema usually doesn’t have to think about to this extent. 

When you do flare up and it gets bad, you don’t want to go out or be around people. You feel like everyone’s looking at you and asking themselves what’s wrong. When I flare up, especially on my face and body where it’s visible, it’s such a hit to my confidence. 

Flare-ups can also get painful. Then all of a sudden, you can’t move around or shower or just go about your day in a normal way. It feels crippling mentally because, at least for me, I end up feeling so frustrated—I wanted to hold my baby, I wanted to make them food, I wanted to go on walks, but I simply couldn’t because my hands wouldn’t function properly. You feel very alone. I think that’s something that needs to be talked about more to make people aware and to give people with eczema a little bit more comfort."

Her Favorite Product From the Eczema Restoraderm Line

"I use the Soothing Moisturizer daily, but if I had to pick, it would be the thicker one, the Rapid Relief Cream. I use them together just to add a little bit more hydration."

The Best Skincare Advice She's Ever Received

"My mom always told me to work in layers. I use specific products to do specific things—it’s never a one-product situation; usually, it’s multiple products that work together, depending on what my face needs. With my body, I usually just make sure to use lotion. My mom always says to never leave the house without lotion."