Comparing the effectiveness and wash-off resistance of skin barrier creams: a healthy volunteer study

Objective: Preventing moisture damage and breakdown of the skin can be a particular challenge for patients with incontinence. The level of protection offered by various skin protectant products can vary according to the chemical nature of the formulation and can decrease following wash procedures. The aim of this study was to compare five silicone-containing skin barrier creams indicated for use on incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD) in terms of their resistance to a standardised wash cycle in healthy volunteer subjects. Method: A skin surface hygrometer (Skicon 200EX) evaluated skin surface conduction non-invasively on 36 non-patient subjects using a high-frequency (3.5MHz) electric current. This provided an index of the degree of protection given by barrier products after a single application and also any reduction in barrier properties after a repeated wash procedure. Results: Medi Derma-S barrier cream (MDS), Cavilon barrier cream (CBC) and LBF barrier cream (LBF) all demonstrated statistically s...