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Treatment News

Welcome to our  ‘Treatment news’ section, which will be updated online when new treatments become available or there is an update on an existing product or range.

Eczmol anti microbial emollient and soap substitute

Eczmol is a new cream in which a long established anti microbial, 1% chlorhexidine gluconate is mixed with moisturising agents (white soft paraffin and light liquid paraffin), surfactants and stabilisers to produce a soap substitute which can also be used as a leave on moisturiser.

Chlorhexidine kills bacteria quickly and Genus Pharmaceuticals Ltd, the manufacturer state that it is rare for resistance to build up .The level of chlorhexidine in Eczmol is said to produce a lasting antimicrobial effect against staph aureus on the skin surface, of up to six hours; 4 hours when Eczmol is used as a leave-on product, and for more than 2 hours when used as a soap substitute.

Eczmol comes in a squeeze bottle with a flip top and being quite a light cream it is easy to use. It is used in the same way as other soap substitutes and emollient creams. It can be used alongside your usual emollients. As long as you wait until your skin is dry, putting a different emollient on top will not remove the chlorhexidine from your skin. The formulation is designed to release the chlorhexidine rapidly on the skin so that high levels remain on the skin even after short contact takes place when the product is used as a soap substitute.

As with all emollients and soap substitutes it is sensible to patch test Eczmol and leave it for 24 hours before using it fully. In addition, although uncommon, reactions to chlorhexidine are not unknown and obviously you should not use Eczmol if you have previously reacted to chlorhexidine or any of the other ingredients, which include cetostearyl alcohol. Hypersensitivity to some of the ingredients of Eczmol may, we understand, be more common in patients with leg ulcer or gravitational (also known as stasis/ varicose eczema) dermatitis.

Eczmol is available on prescription and you can find out more at www.eczmol.co.uk

Balneum Cream - a new emollient cream for everyday use

500g & 50g Balneum Cream packshot web

Almirall, a European pharmaceutical company specialising in dermatology has developed a new emollient cream. Balneum cream is now available on prescription from your GP or dermatologist. Balneum cream is specially designed to help treat dry and very dry skin conditions, such as those associated with eczema. It is an effective moisturiser, which protects skin and restores the skin barrier due to additional ingredients. These are urea (a natural moisturising factor – NMF), ceramide, and lipids which are present naturally in normal skin. In eczema urea is deficit in the skin by up to 85% during  a flare.

Balneum cream replaces NMFs found naturally in skin. Urea acts as a NMF by preventing water loss from the skin, which in turn combats dry skin. The medical term for a substance that attracts and retains water in the skin is a humectant. Urea attracts and retains water in the skin cells (called corneocytes), keeping skin supple. Dermatology clinicians and patients believe that natural moisturising factors added to emollients is an advance in eczema treatment. Ceramide 3, together with other lipids, maintains a healthy skin barrier.

A wide choice of emollients is essential for people to find a product that suits them. In a clinical study patients with atopic eczema liked the fast absorption rate, consistency and pleasant feeling on their skin of Balneum cream. It was also well tolerated. Balneum cream is a cosmetically acceptable emollient, free from fragrances, colorants and preservatives, with excellent moisturisation qualities, as it hydrates the skin for four times longer than a standard cream.

Balneum cream comes in two sizes of handy pump dispensers, 50g and 500g.  Balneum cream is available on prescription and suitable for children and adults with eczema.  Again though make sure to patch test first and don’t not use if you have previously reacted to urea or any of the other ingredients.

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