Q. A 46 year-old lady asks, “Doctor, I have dry skin and I need to moisturize. What should I use on my body?”

ANSWER

You should use a cream or an ointment, not a lotion. Lotions do not prevent water loss as well as most dry
skin people require. Remember our Sponge Guy: After time, the lotion-covered sponge was dry inside while the cream covered sponge was wet inside. Why? The cream sealed water in and prevented water from evaporating into the air. A cream will protect your true moisture. Lotion is inadequate. A lotion will give you the temporary feeling of moisture, but will not provide you the long lasting occlusion to ultimately heal and stabilize your damaged depleted barrier.

 

Q. A 36 year-old female at-home mother of three asks, “There are so many creams at the drug store. I am confused. Which cream is best for my dry body?”

ANSWER

There are two basic types of skin barrier repairing moisturizing creams: Physiologic and non-physiologic. The best skin barrier repairing moisturizing creams contain both physiologic and nonphysiologic ingredients. Which cream is best for you depends on your age and your underlying skin condition.

If you are young with severe eczema and a dry skin rash, or if you have atopic dermatitis, you should benefit from any moisturizing cream containing ceramide or a ceramide substitute replacement like Questamide H. If you are older with severe eczema, the dry skin rash, or weather beaten skin, you should benefit from any moisturizing cream containing cholesterol or a cholesterol plant substitute, such as phytosterol. If you are young or old with
mild dry skin, if you’re unsure, or if you need daily dry skin prevention, you may benefit from using both types of lipid based moisturizing creams.
Thus, I do not claim that True Moisture® Creams cure eczema, but they are useful as dry skin moisturizers in eczema patients. True Moisture® Clinical Lipid Therapy® Cream A contains Questamide H. True Moisture® Clinical Lipid Therapy® Cream B contains phytosterol.