Beneficial effects of a skin tolerance-tested moisturizing cream on the barrier function in experimentally-elicited irritant and allergic contact dermatitis

In experimentally-induced irritant (ICD) and allergic (ACD) contact dermati tis, an oil-in-water (o/w) cream was applied to investigate its effects on a disturbed barrier function compared to untreated physiological barrier re pair. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) measurements were performed. Before the start of the experiments, the skin tolerance of the cream was examined, revealing the non-irritating characteristics of the ingredients and the ab sence of any contact allergic patch test reaction. In the ICD study, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) patches were applied to the forearms of young female volunteers. Consequently, it was observed that repeated cream application ( 14 days, 2x/day) significantly improved the TEWL of SLS-damaged skin, leadi ng to a complete recovery on day 15. In the ACD study, disruption of skin b arrier function was obtained by a nickel-mediated contact allergy patch (CA P:) test. The cream was then applied 2x/day for 4 consecutive days. Assessm ent of TEWL clearly showed that recovery of the disrupted skin significantl y improved after cream application in comparison to untreated barrier repai r.