at a guess i would imagine the HC stands for hydrocortizone, and therefore is only an emoliant. which will do ****** all for eczema if its getting really bad. when my eczema flares up i use betnovate ointment, which is a steroid cream and you can ask your doctor for it. you really can tell a difference with that cream straight away. there are many lotions you can get for eczema, but unfortunately it is just trial and error! if you dont want to use any steriod cream, and want to go all natural, try things like adding porridge to your bath! take a clean pop sock and put a handful of oats in there, tie it off and tie it to the tap so the water runs through it. its very soothing!