an association calls for more transparency on emollients

Products applied every day for the equivalent of one kilo per month

Eczema is a dermatological disease which, in the acute phase (flare-ups), is manifested by the appearance of red, dry patches with irregular edges, responsible for severe itching. Apart from flare-ups, it is essential to hydrate your skin well to restore the barrier function of the epidermis and thus limit the occurrence of new flare-ups. Patients must therefore use emollients, products with strong moisturizing power, every day and all over the body. They are found in the form of a cream, balm or gel. Each eczema patient would apply the equivalent of one kilo of emollient per month.

The information on the composition of these products, which do not rinse off, would not be clear enough according to theFrench Eczema Association. This is what it concludes after the publication of a survey carried out among its members. This reveals that only 22% of them are satisfied with the information on the composition of emollients appearing on the label and that only 42% understand the mentions which appear there.

What do emollients contain?

Marjolaine Hering, member of the Association asks manufacturers “more understandable information on the composition of the formula, the justification for the presence of each ingredient, their allergenic/irritant nature and short and long-term toxicity”. Additional information might be helpful such as whether the product has been tested and if so on how many people and for what results. Some brands play the game and include this information on the packaging or on their site. Others don’t. The French Eczema Association suggests the installation of a QR code on the product through which the consumer could access all the information on the emollient.

Suspicious patients

The survey by the French Eczema Association also reveals that patient-consumers are wary of the claims made by emollient manufacturers. “The survey reveals that some patients do not buy on the mention ‘for atopic skin’, because they do not know if it is just a marketing claim or not”says Marjolaine Hering.

Finally, the Association regrets that rating apps for cosmetic products are not adapted to patients. Some of them give low marks to emollients containing paraffin, a mineral oil derived from petroleum and suspected of being carcinogenic. However, emollients based on paraffin would be better tolerated by patients than those based on vegetable oil. In addition, some apps, such as Yuka, do not include cosmetics with medical device status (eg Dexeryl) in their list of rated products.