Emollients on the Polish Market: A Comprehensive Review of Ingredients, Compositions and Trends

Introduction
Emollients are the baseline stage of treatment in atopic dermatitis. Their regular use has been proven to reduce symptoms, such as itching and rashes, as well as maintain remission. The content of ingredients in various combinations may have an irritating, neutral or strengthening effect on the epidermal barrier.

Objective
A review of emollient preparations available on the Polish market in terms of content of moisturizing, sealing and occlusive ingredients.

Material and methods
The study included emollient preparations available in the four most popular Polish online pharmacies. Products were identified using the keyword “emollient”. Their compositions were analyzed based on publicly available data from the CosIng database and described according to the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients.

Results
531 products were included in the study. The most common moisturizing ingredients were glycerin 75% (n = 398), urea 13.9% (n = 74) and the combination of urea and glycerin 10.9% (n = 58). Among the sealing ingredients, triglycerides constituted 30.7% (n = 163), ceramides 9.4% (n = 50), and cholesterol 5.6% (n = 30). Among the occlusive ingredients, paraffin 24.3% (n = 129) was the most common. The above data indicate the predominance of humectants, sealing and occlusive ingredients. Other ingredients with desired functions were also tested. The most common ingredients were panthenol 23% (n = 122), sunflower seed oil 16.4% (n = 87) and cetearyl alcohol 31.6% (n = 168).

Conclusions
Thanks to the development of biotechnology, we can now learn about the mechanisms that cause itching, dryness and inflammation occurring in atopic dermatitis. The education of patients and doctors in the field of efficient emollient therapy is an important factor in ensuring soothing and therapeutic effects.