ABSTRACT
Barrier creams (BC) may play an important role in the prevention of contact dermatitis (CD) (1-6), and various in vitro and in vivo methods have been developed to evaluate their efficacy. In practice, their use remains the subject of lively debate; some reports suggest that inappropriate BC application may exacerbate rather than prevent irritation (1-3,6-9). The accuracy of measurements depends on the use of proper methodology. This chapter reviews the investigative details of pertinent scientific literature, and summarizes the methodology and efficacy of BC.
