Efficacy of a tailored moisturizer for reducing chemotherapy-induced skin dryness in breast cancer patients: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Abstract Introduction: While up to 60% of breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy experience skin side effects reducing quality of life, it was unclear which individual product was beneficial. To evaluate the effectiveness of a tailored moisturizer with a high content (1.5%) of pseudo-ceramides on skin dryness due to chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. Methods: Randomized controlled trial conducted from February 2015 to October 2018. 204 breast cancer patients experiencing skin dryness after 1 cycle of chemotherapy were randomly assigned to 3 groups (tailored moisturizer with high pseudo-ceramide content; general moisturizer; and usual care). Skin dryness, dullness, quality of life, and changes in sebum level were assessed at baseline, 3 weeks, and 1 month after completion of chemotherapy. The primary objective of the trial was to compare the tailored moisturizer group to usual care.Results: At 1 month after completion of chemotherapy, the tailored moisturizer group was significantly less likely to report severe skin dryness compared to the usual care group (8.5 vs. 27.9%, respectively, P < 0.01). The tailored moisturizer group reported significantly lower levels of skin dullness and lower levels of impairment of dermatological quality of life compared with the other two groups. Conclusions: A tailored moisturizer with a high content of pseudo-ceramides improved skin dryness, dullness and dermatological quality of life compared to usual care in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.