Kenvue recently revealed that an over-the-counter (OTC) moisturizer containing 1% colloidal oatmeal was shown to be effective in improving Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) scores in Black children.
Colloidal oatmeal (Avena sativa), is a safe and effective ingredient that is used in a variety of skincare products. It is the only OTC skin protectant indicated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for the treatment of eczema symptoms. Oatmeal has many beneficial properties for the skin due to its variety of lipids that can help restore the skin barrier by promoting epidermal differentiation, lipid synthesis, ceramide processing, and reducing transepidermal water loss. It can also help to normalize the pH of the skin further enhancing the skin’s barrier function.
In the study, a total of 49 children aged 2 to 15 years with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis (AD), were randomized to 1% oatmeal cream or prescription barrier cream twice daily or as needed for three weeks.
By week three, the mean change from baseline in EASI scores was −2.4 (1.7) with 1% oatmeal cream and −2.1 (2.3) with barrier cream. As for the Investigator’s Global Atopic Dermatitis Assessment (IGADA) scores, at week three, the mean change from baseline was −0.6 (0.7) with 1% oatmeal cream and −0.7 (0.6) with barrier cream.
Researchers concluded that “OTC 1% oatmeal cream was at least as effective and safe as prescription barrier cream in this population, providing a novel, fast-acting, and cost-effective option for the symptomatic treatment of mild-to-moderate AD in Black/African American children”.
Kenvue Scientific Engagement Manager, Tonianne Lisante, stated in the press release,
“When products are not tested in a diverse population, there is a reluctance to accept them as solutions,” Lisante said. “A previously published randomized study, conducted in children with atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema, the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease, had already established the safety and efficacy of an OTC 1% colloidal oatmeal cream versus a ceramide-based prescription barrier cream in relieving eczema symptoms in children with mild to moderate eczema. Interestingly, the diverse population included in this study provided a new opportunity to conduct a sub-analysis among the group of Black subjects, who we know are more affected by eczema, to help advance community health and solve public health challenges.”
LiVDerm’s Diversity in Derm Digital Education Hub contains a variety of resources designed to help clinicians provide optimal care for their patients with skin of color, including CME activities, podcasts, slides from past sessions, and much more. Head over the the hub now, and also visit our LiVDerm On Demand page for access to our Pediatric Skin of Color Summit for more tips from the experts.
