Content - Volume 72, Supplement

Urea is a unique physiological substance. It has frequently been used in dermatological therapy for more than 20 years. The relevant properties of urea with regard to its use in dermatological preparations are discussed in this brief review. Urea's natural presence in the horny layer, its water solubility, dipolar character and relation to concentrated solutions of electrolytes, are highlighted. T ...

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common, chronically recurring skin disorder. Dry skin is a common finding in patients with AD, apart from the dermatitis. Although there are obvious clinical signs of an impaired barrier function of the skin, few investigators have studied this aspect of AD. The stratum corneum, where the barrier is located, has been studied with different techniques in patients with AD ...

Dry skin and scaling was studied in a group of 72 healthy volunteers by using subjective self-assessment and by clinical assessment by a dermatologist, as well as application of noninvasive bioengineering techniques to measure scaling and epidermal hydration. The study revealed that 67% of the volunteers had subjective complaints, while only 5.6% had definite clinical signs of dry skin at the time ...

The properties of urea as an irritant were investigated. Seventeen healthy volunteers were patch tested with 20% urea using petrolatum and water, respectively, as vehicles. Irritant effects of urea were assessed by clinical evaluation of patch test reactions as well as by various non-invasive methods. The inflammatory response was quantified by laser Doppler flowmetry measuring the superficial blo ...