Natural Ingredient Cream vs Oatmeal Cream for Dry Skin

A 6-week study published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology compared the effectiveness of a natural ingredient-based moisturizing cream versus a colloidal oatmeal moisturizing cream. The study compared the 2 products according to improvement in hydration, barrier function, appearance, and feel of dry leg skin.¹

There were 32 patients who completed the study. The design of the study was after a 5-day wash, patients used the ingredient-based moisturizing cream and oatmeal-containing cream on randomly assigned legs twice a day for 3 weeks followed by a 2-week period of no product use. 

The study found skin moisture measurements achieved a significant increase in hydration for both products at all time points during the treatment phase of the study. Both products also reduced the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) measurements during the treatment phase of the study, which the authors claimed demonstrated the products’ abilities to improve stratum corneum barrier function. There was also a decreased visual dryness and roughness in the skin for both products. All results were sustained after the treatments were completed.

The authors found the natural ingredient-based moisturizing cream was highly effective in providing moisturization and improving the skin barrier of patients with dry leg skin and produced significant improvements in dryness and roughness that persisted. 

“Overall, these results show that the natural ingredient-based moisturizing cream delivers comparable benefits to that of a colloidal oatmeal-containing benchmark product and is an option for health care providers and consumers who seek relief from dry skin and prefer a product with all-natural ingredients,” authors wrote.

Reference:

1. Gunt HB, Levy SB, Lutrario CA. Clinical improvements in very dry skin from a natural ingredient-based moisturizing cream compared with a leading colloidal oatmeal control. J Drugs Dermatol. 2018;17(7):758-764.