The skins natural barrier function can be compromised by both intrinsic (e.g., aging) and extrinsic (e.g., cold weather) factors, resulting in a variety of undesirable skin conditions such as increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL), dryness, itchiness and flakiness. Moisturizers are commonly used to restore the skin barrier function, but there is limited research comparing the effectiveness of different moisturizers in achieving this goal.

A study thus compared the barrier recovery kinetics of three moisturizers: a cream containing panthenol, glycerin and niacinamide (CMC), a ceramide-containing cream (CVMC) and a daily moisturizer (ADML). The study involved 54 subjects who underwent volar forearm tape stripping until achieving a 100% increase in TEWL at baseline. Each product was then applied to a separate site in a randomized manner twice daily for 14 days, while the 6th site served as an untreated control.

All three products significantly improved TEWL and corneometry after 3, 5, 7 and 14 days compared to the untreated site, indicating that all three products had a beneficial effect on the skin barrier. However, according to TEWL measurement, CMC was significantly better than CVMC and ADML at barrier recovery on days 3, 5 and 7. Furthermore, CMC was also significantly better at skin hydration than CVMC and ADML on day 3. While all three products effectively repaired the skin barrier after 14 days, CMC provided significantly faster recovery, making it an ideal choice for situations where rapid improvement in skin barrier function is needed.

Source: Meckfessel MH. 35043: A moisturizing cream with panthenol, glycerin, and niacinamide provides superior skin barrier recovery. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2022;87(3):AB131.