INTRODUCTION
Dry skin -- leading to a scaly and flaky appearance -- is not only common but is also frequently exacerbated by factors such as frequent cleansing and/or use of harsh cleansers and low relative environmental humidity that can have an additive effect on loss of skin hydration.1 It can be a symptom of skin or systemic diseases but can also occur de novo, particularly in elderly individuals.1 Dry skin often drives pruritus, which can lead to the itch-scratch cycle that can increase infection risk and worsen other skin diseases.1 Both dry skin and pruritus are also associated with a negative impact on patients' quality of life.2 When present in more severe degrees, dry skin can lead to erythema, fissuring, or cracking of the skin.1 Moisturizers and ointments, often over-the-counter (OTC) products, have long been a mainstay for the treatment of dry, cracked skin and have been shown to have therapeutic benefits.3-6 When recommending an OTC product for patients, it is important for clinicians to understand the ability of the product to support skin hydration.
Appropriate post-surgical wound care is critical to rapid skin healing without complications. The foundation of wound management is creating an occlusive, clean, and moist environment to reduce the possibility of infection and support the phases of wound healing.7 To achieve a good condition for wound healing, topical antibiotics, and OTC petrolatum-based ointments are frequently used. Both methods have comparable wound-healing properties, but topical antibiotics can induce drug resistance or cause allergic contact dermatitis.8-10 Thus, ointments are commonly selected as first-line skin protection after dermatologic procedures.
Cetaphil Healing Ointment (HO, Galderma Laboratories, LP, Dallas, TX) is an ideal, multi-functional OTC skin protectant containing petrolatum, shea butter, and vitamin E that can address both dry skin and pruritus. Petrolatum provides occlusion, while shea butter softens, smooths, and hydrates the skin, and vitamin E provides support for moisture levels in the skin. Two studies were conducted with HO, the first to identify the impact on skin dryness and smoothness as well as the subject perception of the product. The second evaluated the efficacy and safety of HO in facilitating wound healing after dermatologic procedures.
