Better barrier: Tetrix cream protects against irritants, allergens, studies show

Key Points

Launched in August, Tetrix Cream is a nonsteroidal, fragrance-free white emulsion containing aluminum-magnesium hydroxide stearate, dimethicone, cyclomethicone, cetyl dimethicone copolyol, polyglyceryl-4-isostearate, hexyl laurate, sodium chloride, phenoxyethanol and propylparaben, according to Coria Laboratories.

The same study showed the product to be safe and well-tolerated, and preclinical toxicology studies have shown that Tetrix Cream does not induce delayed hypersensitivity reactions or contact sensitization. Nor is it associated with systemic or subacute toxicity, its manufacturer says.

Similarly, in an open-label study involving 29 patients with known sensitivity to lactic acid, the cream provided statistically significant protection against the acid's stinging action for up to six hours (P<0.001).

Another study

A third study, conducted by Zoe Draelos, M.D., tested the cream's ability to withstand gentle hand washing. In this study, researchers used a cosmetic foundation to pigment Tetrix Cream and a market-leading comparator hand cream. They then applied an equal amount of each product to the back of subjects' hands, one product on either hand.

"We weighed the products to make sure we applied the same amount to both hands," says Dr. Draelos, who is president, Dermatology Consulting Services, High Point, N.C. Neither she nor study subjects knew which product was on which hand, she adds.

"We used a standardized hand washing technique that's used for testing soaps," Dr. Draelos tells Dermatology Times, "but in this case, we weren't so much testing the soap as the cream's ability to remain on the skin."

Next, researchers used digital photography to evaluate the amount of residual dye left on patients' skin, which reflected both products' ability to remain on the skin because the dye did not penetrate or stain the skin, Dr. Draelos says.

"The study cream uniformly stayed on better than the comparator hand cream," she says.

Although there was no practical way to weigh how much product remained on subjects' hands after washing, Dr. Draelos says her study's strengths include its use of standardized product application and hand-washing techniques.

Another study showed Tetrix Cream reduces itching and burning associated with hand eczema. In this study, 21 subjects who had been diagnosed with hand eczema applied the product twice daily for two weeks. By the study's end, subjects experienced about half as much burning and itching on treated hands compared to their untreated hands.

Disclosure: Dr. Draelos reports no relevant financial interests.

For more information: http://www.tetrixcream.com/