Blocking Aeroallergens: New topical formulations protect the skin

Key Points

Patients can be allergic to different substances; however, pollen allergens represent a common source of bother and significant distress for individuals allergic to pollen, and it can become a real issue for the predisposed patient from early spring to late fall seasons.

"Patients with this allergic diathesis can sometimes suffer significantly debilitating allergic symptoms. Eucerin pH5 Lotion and Eucerin pH5 Lotion F (Beiersdorf AG, Hamburg, Germany), for particularly dry skin, are two specific products that can very effectively protect the exposed skin of these individuals from these aeroallergens," says Juergen Lademann, M.D., professor of the department of dermatology at the Charite University Hospital, Berlin, Germany.

In extreme cases, masks may protect the respiratory tract, but aeroallergens can still enter unprotected skin, particularly through the hair follicle unit, causing allergic symptoms.

Patients allergic to pollens thoroughly wash their skin after exposure to these aeroallergens, but this is sometimes insufficient in ridding their skin from these allergens. According to Dr. Lademann, the hair follicle unit represents a potential "Achilles heel" for these allergens to penetrate deeper into the body and cause the havoc commonly seen in allergic individuals in terms of allergy symptoms.

"The dendritic cells located in the skin are highly concentrated around the hair follicle and are key in these allergic processes. The theory is that when allergens enter the hair follicles, they are stored there for a long time, simply because they cannot always be effectively removed despite meticulous washing of the skin.

"The dendritic cells located around the hair follicles confront these allergens and initiate the inflammatory cascade following exposure to a foreign substance, resulting in pruritus, erythema and other signs of inflammation and allergy," Dr. Lademann tells Dermatology Times.

The special formulations of Eucerin pH5 Lotion and Eucerin pH5 Lotion F can effectively reduce the penetration of these aeroallergens through the skin.

Clinical study

Dr. Lademann performed a study applying the specially engineered Eucerin lotions to pig ear skin and investigated the extent of penetration of aeroallergens.

Pig skin was used because results needed to be verified via multiple biopsies, making in vivo studies a non-option. Also, excised human skin was less than optimal for the study, because after removal, human skin contracts to such a degree that it does not allow proper penetration of the aeroallergens into the hair follicles and protection by the lotions.

Results

Histologic results showed that there was a significant reduction in the penetration of the pollen allergens after the application of the Eucerin products to the skin.

According to Dr. Lademann, the great success of the lotions is due to their ingenious formulations giving them the ability to effectively close off the hair follicle unit, blocking penetration of aeroallergens or any potential external insult.

"We saw that the special formulation of the Eucerin lotions not only have substantial protective effects but also agreeable physiologic properties that make the products very user-friendly. The Eucerin lotions effectively close up the hair follicle, blocking aeroallergens," Dr. Lademann says.

Target patients

Typical target patients for the specially formulated Eucerin lotions would be those with sensitive skin and those with an allergic diathesis involving pollen allergy. The Eucerin lotions should be applied to the skin before the patient leaves home.

Dr. Lademann says patients should also wear proper protective textile clothing, as well as hats, to protect themselves better from these aeroallergens.

According to Dr. Lademann, these specific Eucerin lotions are very effective solutions for protecting the skin from aeroallergens, and they can significantly help patients who suffer from these allergic conditions.

Disclosures: This study was supported by Beiersdorf AG.