Atopiclair: a miracle cure for itchy skin?

Kalli’s question: I have atopic dermatitis since I was 13. I usually just use a hydrocortisone cream to clear it up. I went to a new dermatologist yesterday and he also prescribed a moisturiser also (Atopiclair). What’s the difference between this cream and other creams on the market that target sensitive/atopic skin types (such as Avene, Aderma, Aveeno etc) Thank you!!

The Right Brain is itching to respond:

Very interesting question! At first we assumed that Atopiclair was different from the other products you asked about because it contains a prescription drug. But that’s not quite true..

What is Atopiclair?

Atopiclair is a cream that’s based on hyaluronic acid, telmesteine, Vitis vinifera, and glycyrrhetinic acid. However, none of these ingredients are drugs. In fact, there are no drug actives in Atopiclair at all. So why the need for a prescription? Because it’s classified as a medical device. That means that technically this product is considered to be some kind of medical dressing rather than a drug. Interesting, eh?

Does Atopiclair really work?

According to the European Journal of Dermatology:

A 5-week study in 30 adult patients with mild to moderate AD showed that MAS063D offered significant benefits over a vehicle-only control MAS063D improved the total body area affected (17.2% to 13.2%, p<.001), itch score (2.7 to 1.3 on a 10-point scale, p=.001) and EASI score (28.3 to 24.3, p=.024) after 22 days treatment compared to baseline. The patients’ opinion of Atopiclair (patients’ view of itch control, and view of study substance) was rated by participating patients as significantly better than control (p=.008, p=.042, respectively). Based on these preliminary results in a small scale study, it is suggested that Atopiclair is a possible new treatment option for improving signs and symptoms in adults with mild to moderate AD. (3) No peer-reviewed American studies have been published yet on Atopiclair. Atopiclair has no medically active ingredients–it was approved as a “medical device,” not a medication. Its ultimate utility has yet to be established. However, as large molecules such as those contained in Atopiclair can complex with large amounts of water, it should be able to effectively moisturize the skin or at the very least act as a medical wet dressing

 

The Beauty Brains bottom line

There appears to be enough evidence to suggest that Atopiclair is effective enough to be considered an option to treat your AD. The other products you asked about are cosmetics and have no medical test data at all so we doubt you’ll ever see side by side studies. If you want to learn more, you may want to check out this thread.

What do YOU think? Does anyone out there suffer from AD? What’s worked for you? Leave a comment and share with the rest of the Beauty Brains community

Reference: Belloni G, Pinelli S, Veraldi S. A randomised, double-blind, vehicle-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MAS063D (Atopiclair) in the treatment of mild to moderate atopic dermatitis. Eur J Dermatol. 2005;15:31-6.