The Beneficial Effects of Topical Cream Containing 17% of Herbal Extract on Skin Barrier Function: A Randomized Four-week Trial

Abstract

Background Skin moisture management is important for maintaining healthy skin and treating inflammatory skin diseases, and skin barrier function can be assessed by measuring trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and skin moisture content. Aim This study was designed to investigate the effects of a topical cream containing 17% herbal extract (Cream17) on skin barrier function. Materials and Methods In this study, the ability of investigational product (IP) to improve skin barrier function was investigated in 33 subjects using a randomized and assessor-blinded four-week clinical trial. In our study, the effects of IP on TEWL, skin water content, and the degree of itching were investigated. Results After four weeks of application, TEWL was significantly reduced by IP ( p < 0.001), and skin water content was significantly increased ( p < 0.001) compared to non-treated control. In addition, topical application of IP significantly lowered the visual analog scale at the second and fourth weeks after treatment commencement as compared with those in the untreated control group (visit 3 at the second week, p < 0.05; visit 4 at the fourth week, p < 0.001). Conclusion These results indicate that Cream17 can improve the skin barrier function, which is important for managing dry skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis.