Key clinical point: A 4-week treatment with a test cream (TC) containing only 2% urea and 20% glycerol significantly reduced sodium lauryl sulphate-induced skin irritation in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) compared with a no treatment control (NTC) and two reference creams.
Major finding: After 28 days, there was a significant reduction in transepidermal water loss with TC vs. NTC ( P < .001), paraffin cream ( P < .001), and glycerol cream ( P = .021); objective redness was lower with TC vs. NTC ( P = .002) and paraffin cream ( P < .001). The TC was well tolerated with no evidence of stinging or redness.
Study details: Findings are from a phase 2 trial including 49 adults with AD who were randomly assigned to receive either a TC containing urea and glycerol, a glycerol-containing moisturizer, a simple paraffin cream containing no humectant, or NTC.
Disclosures: This study was funded by Perrigo Nordic. The authors declared serving as consultants, investigators, or advisory board members for and receiving research grants from several sources. Three authors declared being employees of Perrigo Nordic.
Source: Danby SG et al. Different types of emollient cream exhibit diverse physiological effects on the skin barrier in adults with atopic dermatitis. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2022 (Feb 15). Doi: 10.1111/ced.15141