Creams can make skin drier

Washington, Oct 26 : A new research has confirmed for the first time that normal skin can become drier from creams. The findings are based on Izabela Buraczewska's study, in which she looked at what happens to the skin at the molecular level and also what positive and negative effects creams have on the skin.

Her research has revealed that differences in the pH of creams do not seem to play any role.

She also studied different oils in a seven-week treatment period, but no difference was established between mineral oil and a vegetable oil. Both oils resulted in the skin being less able to cope with external stresses.

However, treatment with a more complex cream compound resulted in more resistant skin with no signs of dryness.

Tissues samples taken from the treated skin areas also show that the weakening of the skin's protective barrier can be tied to changes in the activity of certain genes involved in producing skin fats, among other functions.

The researchers concluded that the contents of creams impact these effects on the skin.

This knowledge enhances the potential to develop creams that reinforce the skin's protective barrier in a positive way, without making the skin drier.

"My findings show that creams differ and that knowledge of the effect of various ingredients is important for us to be able to tailor the treatment to various skin types," Science Daily quoted Buraczewska, as saying.

ANI