Influence of the galenic form of a skin-protective preparation on the application pattern assessed by a fluorescence method

The efficacy of skin-protective preparations is still under debate. One aspect of efficient skin protection is dependent on the quality of application concerning the homogenous distribution of the skin-protective products. The periungual areas, the finger webs and tips are known to be frequently incompletely covered when a protective cream is applied. In a randomized study, a protective mousse and a standard commercially available protective cream were compared regarding their application adequacy and cosmetic acceptance. Thus, 2 groups of 50 subjects with healthy skin were recruited for a typical application of the cream or the mousse. Distribution was examined under long-wave UV light. Additionally, the cosmetic acceptance of both products was studied by means of a questionnaire. Results showed significant differences between the mousse and the cream. The mousse proved better coverage, particularly in the problem fields. Our results showed that a mousse can offer advantages in skin protection by virtue of its better distribution and acceptance.