Development and Clinical Analysis of a Novel Humectant System of Glycerol, Hydroxyethylurea, and Glycerol Quat

The clinical benefits of glycerol as a skin humectant are well understood; however, glycerol has intrinsic limitations. Investigation into novel moisturizers presents an opportunity to both supplement glycerol and provide hydration to layers of stratum corneum (SC) not currently addressed by available agents.

The objectives of this study were (1) to utilize quantitative modeling of humectant physicochemical properties to identify moisturizing molecules to complement glycerol and hydrate all layers of the SC; and (2) to assess the clinical performance of a novel humectant combination containing glycerol, hydroxyethylurea, and glycerol quat (a novel humectant) in increasing skin hydration.

Methods to assess hydration efficacy of the proprietary humectant mixture included visual grading, skin conductance and capacitance, transepidermal water loss, and confocal Raman spectroscopy.

Short-term and long-term studies revealed significantly greater improvements in skin hydration throughout the SC with the combination of humectants compared with glycerol alone. Additionally, the humectant mixture signific