Comparison of Urea-Based Compounding Moisturizers and Similar Commercial Products on Skin Barrier Function: A...

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Cosmetic Science

Background:

• Pharmaceutical compounding remains relevant for dry skin management despite commercial moisturizer availability.
• Urea-based formulations are common in moisturizers for their humectant properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of a compounded urea-based moisturizer with a similar commercial product in improving skin barrier function.
• To evaluate the impact on skin hydration and transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

Main Methods:

• Thirty volunteers with dry skin were divided into two groups, applying either 5% or 10% urea hydrophilic petrolatum.
• Both compounded and commercial products were applied twice daily to forearms, with cream-based and no-treatment sites as controls.
• Biophysical assessments including TEWL, skin hydration, friction coefficient, pH, and surface lipids were conducted at various time points.

Main Results:

• Both commercial and compounded moisturizers effectively improved skin barrier function compared to controls.
• Commercial products demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in TEWL 4 hours post-application (p=0.04).
• The 10% urea commercial formulation showed a significantly higher increase in skin hydration than the compounded version (p=0.02).

Conclusions:

• Commercial urea-based moisturizers provide comparable, and in some aspects superior, skin barrier improvements to compounded formulations.
• Commercial products may offer better immediate effects on TEWL and hydration due to excipient differences.
• The study suggests commercial formulations may be preferable to cream-based compounded products for dry skin management.