title: Barrier creams--skin protectants: can you protect skin?
abstract: Barrier creams (BC) are used in hand care to protect the user against damage from surfactants and other irritants; their clinical value remains debatable; some reports indicate that inappropriate BC application might induce a deleterious rather than a beneficial effect. Since many cosmetic formulations contain 'skin protectants', we review concept, application, and efficacy from the pertinent scientific literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: H I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Maibach