title: The effect of an emollient with benfothiamine and Biolin prebiotic on the improvement of epidermal skin function.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Complications of diabetes can damage internal organs and the skin. Diabetic skin, irritated and dry, is susceptible to skin infections. However little is known about influence of emollients on biophysical changes in skin during diabetes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate clinical skin changes after application of emollients with benfothiamine and Biolin prebiotic and to assess changes in biophysical parameters of the skin before and 4 weeks after daily application of an emollient.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 50 patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) or type 2 (DM2). All participants applied emollients on their left forearms and left shins for 4 weeks. The biophysical properties: pH, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), hydration of the stratum corneum and sebum content were measured and compared to those before enrollment to the study, after 1 h, 1 week and 4 weeks after application of an emollient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 4 weeks of treatment, there was an increase in skin hydration (40.61 ±19.03 vs. 48.83 ±15.51), pH (5.11 ±0.56 to 5.27 ±0.48) and sebum content (22.16 ±8.67 to 63.99 ±25.41) and a decrease in TEWL (12.54 ±5.6 vs. 9.85 ±5.69 g/m(2)/h) on forearms (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). On lower legs, significant changes in skin hydration (37.21 ±14.01 vs. 43.95 ±12.67), pH (5.04 ±0.57 to 5.31 ±0.49), sebum content (25.82 ±10.46 to 72.63 ±31.23) and TEWL (8.87 ±4.05 vs. 7.39 ±3.22 g/m(2)/h) were observed (p < 0.05 for all comparisons).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study provides an insight into changes in diabetic skin after application of an emollient. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the emollient containing benfothiamine and Biolin prebiotic and its influence on biophysical parameters of epidermis.
authors: Dermoklinika Medical Centre, Lodz, Poland.
authors: Joanna
authors: J
authors: Narbutt
authors: Dermoklinika Medical Centre, Lodz, Poland.
authors: Igor A
authors: IA
authors: Bednarski
authors: Dermoklinika Medical Centre, Lodz, Poland.
authors: Aleksandra
authors: A
authors: Lesiak
keywords: diabetic skin; emollient; skin dryness