This article provides an overview of the common eczematous conditions that patients may present with in the community. With early diagnosis and treatment, including patient education and effective care planning, eczema can be managed succesfully by community nurses, not only releving pain, itch and irritation, but also improving patients’ quality of life. When formulating a comprehensive management plan, community nurses will need to be able to recognise, diagnose and treat the different presentations of eczema as well as understanding the main therapies, including emollient and topical steroid therapy.