From the creator of SmartLotion
Over 30 years of trusted dermatology, now online.
Dr. Steve Harlan built his career on one proven system: SmartLotion, a prescription when you need one, and guidance at every step. For decades, you had to visit his clinic to get it. Today a board-certified dermatologist trained in his methods, and vetted by him, builds it around your skin.
- Reviewed within 24 hours
- All 50 states
- No video call
Personalized care. Proven results.
As seen on
Rashes that kept coming back. Then Dr. Harlan’s system.
Red, sore cheeks
Itchy, scratched skin
Cracked hands
Dry, thickened skin
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After Kathryn P.
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After Foncille Z. · After 12 weeks
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After Alex H. · After 7 weeks
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After Kelli V. · After 8 weeks
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After Cammy T. · After 3 weeks
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3 easy steps
Dr. Harlan’s clinic, without the waiting room.
You get what his own patients get, step for step.
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Tell us about your skin
Answer a few questions and upload photos. No video call needed.
$99 for your treatment plan. Nothing to schedule.
Follow-ups are $99 each.- Not sure what you have? Help me figure it out
- Seen one of our dermatologists before? Book your follow-up
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Get your diagnosis and plan
Written in plain words, with SmartLotion at its heart. When you need a prescription, it goes straight to your pharmacy.
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Get follow-ups and a new plan if needed
Your dermatologist checks your progress. If a treatment isn’t working, they add the next one.
Meet Steve Harlan, MD, FAAD
Why I invented SmartLotion
Patients come to me after being told, “You’ll have to manage this for life.” I don’t talk that way. My goal is to get you clear, and keep you clear.
To do that, you need a cream you can use every day. So I made SmartLotion, starting from an old pharmacy formula.
Now one of our dermatologists can give you the plan I would.
- 30years using SmartLotion in his practice
- 20,000+patients treated by Dr. Harlan
- 2008study: zero steroid side effects in up to 15 years of daily use (opens in a new tab)
Why HarlanMD
Your plan keeps working after the prescription stops.
A strong steroid clears the rash, but it’s too harsh to keep using. After two weeks you stop, the rash comes back, and you start over. SmartLotion breaks that loop. Used with your prescription from day one, it makes the prescription work better and protects your skin from it. Then it’s the part you keep using: safe every day, it keeps the rash from coming back.
An eczema example. Most people are on SmartLotion alone within 2–4 weeks. Your dermatologist sets your schedule.
“That combination is the secret strategy, and until now, you had to be my patient to get it.”
Hear it from people just like you
Thousands found lasting relief with SmartLotion. Your plan adds the rest of Dr. Harlan’s approach: a dermatologist who reviews your case, and a prescription when you need one.
I’m back again because this stuff works.
Smart Lotion made me HAPPY quickly.
One to two treatments of this lotion and it is all gone.
I use very little now, and only when needed.
Join thousands who found relief with SmartLotion®
How SmartLotion works
One cream. Two key ingredients.
0.75% hydrocortisone
A mild steroid. It calms itching and redness.
Sulfur
A pure element. It rebalances your skin’s bacteria.
Brakes on inflammation. Balance for your skin.
Together, they treat both causes of a flare, and the sulfur keeps the steroid’s side effects in check. That balance is why a low dose works so well. In Dr. Harlan’s published study of 300 patients who used it for up to 15 years, not one had a steroid side effect.
Skeptical? So were they.
97% recommend · 218 reviews (on Facebook, opens in a new tab)EJ C.
Her baby’s cheeks flared from two months old.
“SmartLotion was definitely the game changer.”
Angela P.
A dentist whose face rash came back after every steroid shot.
“It’s been three months, and I have not had a breakout.”
Christopher W.
A back rash that other creams didn’t fix.
“It actually healed the back rash.”
“When I first saw the ad a little over a year and half I was skeptical but now I’m a believer.”
“You have helped my babies so much!”
“His arms are completely clear and his legs which were terrible are about 75 percent better.”
“I have been using Smartlotion for about three years now, and it is the only thing that keeps my eczema at bay.”
Shop
Know what you need?
Order it here.
You don’t need a consultation to buy. HSA/FSA accepted. Every product has a 60-day money-back guarantee.
SmartLotion®
Low-strength hydrocortisone plus sulfur, in a barrier-repair base. $44.
Perfect Repair™
Our prebiotic moisturizer, specially formulated for eczema. $39.
Free Knowledgebase
Already have SmartLotion? Start here.
Dr. Harlan’s how-to guides: how much to use, how often, and when to cut back. Free, no sign-up.
Questions, answered
Don’t see yours? Contact us.
No. SmartLotion is sold on its own, and for many people it’s enough. Dr. Harlan’s plan is for a rash that won’t clear, or when you’re not sure what you have. Your dermatologist decides case by case: when you need a prescription, you use SmartLotion with it from day one, so it works better and is easier on your skin.
Your treatment plan, built on Dr. Harlan’s protocols: your dermatologist’s review, your diagnosis, a written plan, and prescriptions sent to your pharmacy if needed. Each follow-up is $99. SmartLotion and Perfect Repair are sold on their own here, so you buy only what your plan names. You can cancel for a full refund until a clinician opens your case.
Price includes a professional telehealth consultation provided by an independent licensed clinician. A portion of the price represents a medical consult fee paid to the clinician or clinician group.
That’s fine. Many rashes look alike. Our dermatologists diagnose you. You don’t have to.
Then we add the next one on top, at your follow-up. Dr. Harlan’s protocols don’t stop at the first try: each condition has second and third options, and if you need care we can’t give online, your dermatologist tells you where to get it.
Yes, a mild one: 0.75% hydrocortisone, less than the 1% at the drugstore. It also has sulfur, a prebiotic, in a barrier-repair base. The sulfur protects the skin from the side effects that make most steroids a two-week cream.
Yes. In Dr. Harlan’s published study of 300 patients who used it for up to 15 years, not one had a steroid side effect (J Drugs Dermatol, 2008). A steroid alone does nothing for your skin’s barrier or bacteria, and strong ones are hard to stop. SmartLotion pairs a mild one with sulfur, which protects the skin. Your dermatologist sets how often to use it.
All 50. The dermatologist who reviews your case is licensed in your state.
No insurance needed. HSA and FSA cards work for consultations and for SmartLotion.
Your plan arrives within 24 hours. Most people are on SmartLotion alone within 2–4 weeks. Thick or long-lasting rashes can take longer, and your follow-up keeps track.
Ingredients:
Active: Hydrocortisone 0.75% Purpose: Anti-Itch
Inactive: Water, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Steareth-2, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Benzyl Alcohol, Laureth-23, Sulfur, Carbomer, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance (Hypoallergenic Natural Apricot)
For more information on the hypoallergenic natural apricot fragrance, click here.
For more information on why the hydrocortisone in SmartLotion® will not cause side effects, click here.
Yes. The sulfur in SmartLotion is a plain element. It has nothing to do with sulfa drugs, which are antibiotics.
Hydrocortisone is not FDA-cleared for children under two. For a young child, use SmartLotion only under a doctor’s care. Our dermatologists can do that.
On products, yes. SmartLotion and Perfect Repair come with a 60-day money-back guarantee. The $99 treatment plan is refundable until a clinician opens your case. See how refunds work.
Ready to stop starting over?
A dermatologist writes Dr. Harlan’s plan for your skin, with SmartLotion at its heart,
and stays with you until you’re clear.
$99 for your treatment plan. Reviewed within 24 hours.