EASI scores improved when Black subjects used an OTC moisturizer containing 1% colloidal oatmeal.

Oatmeal cream may help ease atopic dermatitis in Black children, according to research presented at the Science of Skincare Summit in Austin, Texas.

Black children are 1.7 times more likely to develop eczema than White children, and while colloidal oatmeal is the only over-the-counter (OTC) skin protectant indicated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for the relief of eczema symptoms such as itch and minor skin irritations, there is a lack of clinical evidence for its use or other potential solutions in Black children.

For the study, patients were randomized to 1% oatmeal cream or prescription barrier cream twice daily or as needed for three weeks. Assessments included Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) scores, Investigator’s Global Atopic Dermatitis Assessment (IGADA) scores, and patients’/caregivers’ assessment of eczema signs and symptoms.

When Black subjects used an OTC moisturizer containing 1% colloidal oatmeal, at least twice daily for three weeks, EASI scores in the colloidal oatmeal versus the prescription ceramide barrier cream groups improved by 2.4 and 2.1 points, respectively. 

“When products are not tested in a diverse population, there is a reluctance to accept them as solutions,” says study author Tonianne Lisante, Kenvue’s Scientific Engagement Manager, in a news release. “A previously published randomized study…had already established the safety and efficacy of an OTC 1% colloidal oatmeal cream versus a ceramide-based prescription barrier cream in relieving eczema symptoms in children with mild to moderate eczema. Interestingly, the diverse population included in this study provided a new opportunity to conduct a sub-analysis among the group of Black subjects, who we know are more affected by eczema, to help advance community health and solve for public health challenges."

The findings are also published in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment.