INTRODUCTION

• Disruption of the skin barrier leads to skin dryness and is an underlying cause of eczema (dermatitis)
• Management of dry skin conditions involves the regular and liberal use of moisturisers (emollients)
• Moisturisers exhibit very different properties, yet there is limited evidence that one moisturiser is better than another
• In 2018 the UK National Health Service (NHS) prescribed 8 million moisturising creams at a cost of £50 million (GBP), of which 52% were simple emollient creams (see table)
• The CeraVe cream and lotion contain humectants and skin lipids with slow-release multi-vesicular emulsion (MVE) technology to deliver longer-lasting skin hydration

Danby S.G., Andrew P.V., Kay L., Pinnock A., Chittock J. , Brown K., Cork M.J.