Danby et al also conducted a double-blind, intra-participant, vehicle-controlled study to evaluate the benefits of a test cream and lotion containing ceramides in a multivesicular emulsion for dry skin.28 Adults with dry, AD-prone skin applied 100 microliters of the test lotion or test cream, 3 paraffin-based reference creams (Zerobase, Epimax, or Aquamax), or nothing (control) on 6 treatment sites on the lower leg. Visual dryness and skin hydration scoring were measured at timed intervals (3, 6, 12, and 24 hours after product application). A single application of the ceramide-containing test cream and test lotion increased hydration significantly (P<.001) and reduced skin dryness (P<.05) for 24 hours compared to the control site. The test cream and lotion were the only products tested that sustained clinically meaningful improvements in skin moisturization for 24 hours, reducing the burden of frequently applying moisturizers in managing xerosis in conditions such as AD.
The application of moisturizers is recommended as an integral part of AD prevention, treatment, and maintenance. However, selecting an inappropriate skincare product may be irritating or even worse, cause additional damage to and depletion of dermal intercellular lipids, exacerbating xerosis.10 Therapeutic moisturizers developed specifically for treating AD symptoms have demonstrated improved skin barrier, reduced susceptibility to irritants, and a decreased incidence of flares in clinical trials.6-8,11,13,23,29-32 These moisturizers are gentle, non-alkaline, and are specifically formulated to restore the skin barrier, often with physiologic skin lipids, such as ceramides, that maintain and support the skin barrier.33
Statement 3
Studies showed that the prophylactic application of moisturizers initiated in early
