Conclusions No conclusive recommendations were possible due to wide variation in study quality , method ologies and outcome measures .
A synthesis of available literature suggests that treatments containing urea as a primary active ingredient have been the most research ed .
Background Xerosis , literally dryness of the skin , of the foot is a common condition encountered clinical ly , which can lead to discomfort and predisposition to infection .
Currently , there are no evidence -based recommendations on which moisturiser formulations best alleviate xerotic symptoms .
The aim of this review was to guide clinical practice in the treatment of primary and diabetes related foot xerosis , by identifying from the existing literature the most effective ingredient or formulation of topical treatments for symptoms of primary foot xerosis in the general population .
A prospective, randomized, controlled double-blind study of a moisturizer for xerosis of the feet in patients with diabetes.
Xerosis is frequently noted in the feet of people with diabetes . The presence of xerosis increases the risk of complications , including infection and ulceration , making it imperative to counteract its effects . A prospect i ve , r and omized , controlled double-blind study was conducted to compare the efficacy of a test moisturizer containing 10 % urea and 4 % lactic acid versus its emulsion base vehicle in the treatment of  xerosis of the feet in patients with diabetes . Forty patients ( mean age 62 + /- 11 years ) with diabetes and moderate-to-severe xerosis of both feet were enrolled .  Xerosis severity was assessed using a nine-point Xerosis Assessment Scale . The tested moisturizer was applied to one foot and the vehicle to the other , twice a day , for 4 weeks . The regression of xerosis also was evaluated 2 weeks following discontinuation of the treatments . Progress was noted weekly with photographs and examination . Feet treated with the vehicle cream ( control ) had an initial mean xerosis grading of 6.17 ( + /- 0.79 ) and a final xerosis grading of 4.38 ( + /- 2.20 ) . In the treatment group , mean xerosis grading diminished from 6.13 ( + /- 0.73 ) to 3.19 ( + /- 2.23 ) after 4 weeks ( P < 0.01 ) . The difference between control and treatment remained statistically significant following discontinuation of cream application . In this study , regular use of a moisturizer was found to be beneficial in the treatment of moderate-to-severe xerosis of the feet in patients with diabetes . The cream containing 10 % urea and 4 % lactic acid provided faster and better improvement with significantly less xerosis regression
Conclusions No conclusive recommendations were possible due to wide variation in study quality , method ologies and outcome measures .
A synthesis of available literature suggests that treatments containing urea as a primary active ingredient have been the most research ed .
Background Xerosis , literally dryness of the skin , of the foot is a common condition encountered clinical ly , which can lead to discomfort and predisposition to infection .
Currently , there are no evidence -based recommendations on which moisturiser formulations best alleviate xerotic symptoms .
The aim of this review was to guide clinical practice in the treatment of primary and diabetes related foot xerosis , by identifying from the existing literature the most effective ingredient or formulation of topical treatments for symptoms of primary foot xerosis in the general population .