In a clinical study of adult and pediatric patients treated for atopic dermatitis twice daily over a three-week period with a low-potency topical steroid lotion, with or without a moisturizer cream, both regimens exhibited consistent reductions in signs and symptoms
of disease, although greater improvement was noted at treated sites where moisturizer was also used (25). Importantly, patients recognized the therapeutic benefit of moisturizer use as a component of the combination regimen with preference for the combination reported by 96% of patients.
The significance of repeated application of externally applied moisturizers should not be underemphasized. Factors such as the inherent limitations of product substantivity related to formulation characteristics, superficial loss of applied product due to external “wear and tear” effects prior to thorough skin penetration, and the natural consequence of continual corneocyte shedding mandate that repetitive moisturizer application on a daily basis is required for maintenance of barrier function and repair (3,19). In addition, individual moisturizers may vary in the persistence of their moisturizing properties after discontinuation of application based on regression phase analysis studies (20,24).