The cure with a sting: Eczema cream meant to soothe 'makes skin WORSE'

The cure with a sting: Eczema cream meant to soothe 'makes skin WORSE'

By Jenny Hope

Last updated at 9:32 AM on 19th October 2010

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For years people with eczema have been advised by doctors to use a cheap emollient cream to soothe their irritated skin.

But researchers have now discovered that aqueous cream BP can make the condition worse.

Tests show a detergent contained in the cream thins the skin and actually causes irritation.

Manda Tsang demonstrates the research process using a probe on the skin while Professor Richard Guy looks on. They found some ointments thin the skin

Although aqueous cream has been prescribed for millions of sufferers from childhood, it is the first time research has been carried out on an ingredient called sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS).

Previously it was thought the ‘stinging’ sensation affecting half of users was due to a preservative or antiseptic in the cream.

WHAT'S INSIDE A POT OF AQUEOUS CREAM...

Aqueous cream BP is a popular paraffin-based generic emulsion, with dozens of different types available.

It provides a layer of oil on the surface of the skin to prevent water evaporating from the skin surface.

It's been a mainstay for people with dry, chapped skin and eczema sufferers for generations, originally as a washing aid in place of soap which can worsen skin irritation.

In recent years patients have often been advised to use aqueous cream as a leave-on emollient to soothe their skin.

The basic wax contains the emulsifying chemical and detergent sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS).

But close examination of scientific evidence reveals SLS increases water loss from the skin - and it is often used as an skin irritant in studies.

Many eczema sufferers give up using aqueous cream because they find it so irritating - a study in children showed 56 per cent experienced a 'stinging' sensation when they used it.

Children said it caused more discomfort than any other product - and the latest research suggests SLS is the reason why.

In a study by Bath University researchers, aqueous cream reduced the thickness of healthy skin in volunteers by more than 10 per cent in just four weeks and water loss was increased.

Professor Richard Guy, professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Bath, said the remedy was likely to aggravate the dry, itchy rashes that plague eczema sufferers.

He said: ‘The skin has a protective barrier layer of lipids, around one eighth the thickness of a sheet of paper, that stops chemicals from getting into the body and keeps moisture in.

‘SLS is a detergent used to mix oils into water-based moisturisation creams to give a nice creamy texture. It’s also used widely in shower gels and other cosmetics.

'Our study has found that rubbing aqueous cream containing SLS into the skin thins this protective barrier, making the skin more susceptible to irritation by chemicals.

So to use this cream on eczemous skin, which is already thin and vulnerable to irritation, is likely to make the condition even worse.’

The study was published in the British Journal of Dermatology.

Aqueous cream is the most widely prescribed moisturiser for dry skin conditions.

It costs the NHS £1.86 for a 500g tub and is also available from pharmacies. The principal ingredients are liquid paraffin, white soft paraffin and purified water.

Other ingredients may vary, but some have irritant effects including the preservative chlorocresol and the antimicrobial phenoxyethanol.

Margaret Cox, of the National Eczema Society, said the charity did not recommend aqueous cream as a moisturiser.

Almost four million Britons have eczema, which is mainly treated with steroid creams.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1321559/Moisturiser-aqueous-cream-BP-cream-make-eczema-worse.html#ixzz12nQGN2pE