EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF EUCERIN 10-PERCENT UREA LOTION IN THE TREATMENT OF SYMPTOMS OF AGED SKIN

Two features of senescent skin are dryness and itching, which are caus ed by a reduced water-binding capacity of the stratum corneum, Urea, t opically applied, is known to increase the water content of the stratu m corneum and thereby improves the symptoms of dry and itching skin. T he aim of the study was to compare the efficacy and safety. of a lotio n containing 10% urea (Eucerin(R) 10% Urea Lotion) with that of the ur ea-free lotion base in the treatment of the symptoms of aged skin, In a randomized double-blind vehicle-controlled study with a semilateral design, 60 elderly volunteers (mean age 64.1 years) with characteristi c symptoms of aged but otherwise healthy skin were treated over a peri od of 4 weeks, The study protocol used surface moisture content of the forearm skin as determined by corneometry as the primary efficacy cri terion and subjective symptoms (dryness, itching) as secondary efficac y criteria. Eucerin 10% Urea Lotion proved to be superior to its vehic le in increasing skin hydration, as shown by changes in corneometric m oisture levels from baseline to the last visit (P<0.0001). The subject ive assessments of skin dryness and itching decreased during treatment with both the active lotion and the vehicle, The skin compatibility o f Eucerin 10% Urea Lotion was very good.