Effects and Patient Benefits of a 10% Urea-Based Moisturizing Lotion on Xerosis in Aging Skin

Skin senescence leads to decreased lipid and water levels, inducing xerosis with compromised barrier function. Xerosis affects ≈56% of the aging population, usually characterized by skin scaling, itching, and cracking predominating on the lower legs, causing discomfort, limited mobility, and increased risk of eczema/infections. With hydrating and barrier-strengthening properties, urea-based topical moisturizers are commonly used to manage skin dryness. This observational, open-label, single-group study, conducted in 59 participants (60-75 years), evaluated the effectiveness, tolerability, and patient benefits of a 10% urea-based emollient (U10%) in the management of moderate to severe senile xerosis of the lower legs.

Subjects applied U10% twice daily over 4 weeks. Clinical evaluations by physicians were conducted at baseline and day 28 to measure changes in hydration levels, barrier function, and skin texture. Patient-reported outcomes on treatment benefits and quality of life were recorded on day 7 and day 28.

After 4 weeks of treatment, meaningful improvements were observed in the Global Clinical Assessment scores of xerosis, overall dry skin, skin roughness and dryness, total xerosis severity of the lower legs, xerosis severity for erythema, lichenification, desquamation, and body surface. Corneometry measurements showed decreased trans-epidermal water loss, in line with improvements in the skin barrier function. Patient-reported outcomes showed marked improvements, indicating enhancement in the overall patient perception of benefit and in the patients' quality of life resulting from treatment.

This study has provided strong evidence for the potential use of U10% emollient as a highly effective solution tailored to meet the unique needs of age-related xerosis and pruritus.