Evaluation of skin surface hydration state and barrier function of stratum corneum of dorsa of hands and heels treated with PROTECT X2 skin protective cream

Abstract

Skin roughness is a term commonly used in Japan to describe a poor skin condition related to a rough and dry skin surface that develops as a result of various damaging effects from the environment or skin inflammation. Recovery from skin roughness requires skin care for a long period, thus it is important to prevent development of such skin changes. PROTECT X2 contains agents used for a protective covering of the skin from frequent hand washing or use of alcohol-based disinfectants. These unique components are also thought to be effective to treat skin roughness of the dorsa of the hands and heels. In the present study, we evaluated the effectiveness of PROTECT X2 to increase skin surface hydration state, as well as enhance the barrier function of the stratum corneum of the dorsa of the hands and heels in elderly individuals. A total of 8 elderly subjects and their caretakers without any skin diseases participated in the study. They applied PROTECT X2 by themselves to the dorsum area of 1 hand and heel 3 to 5 times daily for 1 month, while the opposite sides were left untreated. We measured stratum corneum (SC) hydration and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) before beginning treatment, then 1 week and 1 month after the start of treatment to compare between the treated and untreated skin. SC hydration state after applications of PROTECT X2 was 1.5-to 3.0-fold higher than that of the untreated skin in the dorsa of both hands and heels, indicating that the moisturizing ingredients accompanied by water were replenished in those areas where the cream was applied. Also, TEWL in the dorsum of the hands was 17.0-27.9% lower on the treated side, indicating improvement in SC barrier function. On the basis of these findings, we concluded that PROTECT X2 enhances waterholding in the SC and aids the barrier function of the skin in the dorsum of the hands. In addition, we consider that this formulation is useful for not only protecting the hands from the effects of such agents as detergents and alcohol-based disinfectants, but also for protecting heel skin covered by a thick SC from dry and cold conditions such as those encountered in winter. However, since the SC in that area is much thicker than that of the hands, the barrier function was not significantly improved within 1 month of daily treatments.

Do Repeated Skin Barrier Measurements Influence Each Other's Results? An Explorative Study

“…There is an extensive body of evidence today indicating that skin barrier function is indeed very similar on opposite body sites [9,10,11,12,13,23,24,25,26,27,28]. Specifically, we assumed a standard deviation of the TEWL on the volar forearm of 3 g/m 2 /h [10].…”

Performance and Acceptability of a New Dexpanthenol-Containing Hand Cream in Subjects with Sensitive and Very Dry Skin: A Randomized Controlled Study

“…In accordance with previous studies examining a hand cream [8], prespecified test areas were marked on the dorsal skin of both hands, with one hand serving as a control and remaining untreated (Figure 1). For each subject, the treatment side was randomly chosen and balanced between both hands.…”

“…A limitation of our study is that only the dorsal skin of the hand was subjected to instrumental measurements. However, the palmar skin is several times thicker than that of the dorsum of the hands and thus a problematic test area with the risk of high variability in study results [8]. The effects of ND-HC on the hand as a whole was assessed by acceptability scorings and evaluations by a dermatologist.…”

Usefulness of barrier function index based on water content and transepidermal water loss for evaluating efficacy of skin protective creams

“…Generally, skin-care cosmetic products are composed of water, oil, and moisturizing ingredients, and considered suitable for maintaining the balance of water, natural moisturizing factors, and lipids on the skin surface. Skin protective creams typically contain superfine-particle overcoat components such as silicon, which was developed as a preparation to protect the skin from various external factors, and is extensively used in the field of medical and nursing care [6].…”