Danby and colleagues included 2 cohorts (N=21) of patients with senile xerosis 60 years and older and one test group.38 The comparative 28-day study treated group 1 with the test emollient (urea 5%, ceramide NP) on the forearm vs no treatment on the other arm. Group 2 received the test emollient on the forearm vs the control emollient (soft white paraffin, liquid paraffin) on the other arm. Effects on the skin barrier were evaluated by measuring skin barrier function, hydration, and skin surface pH, and by analyzing Fourier transform infrared spectra before and after treatment. Group 3 (6 young adults) applied the test emollient once and, with a tape-stripping technique, the effect on the skin barrier's molecular structure was measured. The test emollient showed significantly better and longer-lasting results and addressed the pathological features of xerotic mature skin, supporting its use as first-line therapy for xerotic skin conditions in this population.38
Another study included 20 patients with senile xerosis aged 62 to 82 years who received 10% urea cream for 14 days. Pruritus (Visual Analog Scale) scores and dermoscopy were used for evaluation. At the end of the study, all scores showed a significant improvement (P<0.05). The Pearson's test showed a correlation
