Introduction to Atobarrier MD | Why You Can’t Tell If It’s Right for You Just by Looking at the Ingredient List

When we ask dermatitis patients what moisturizer they use, Atobarrier is one of the most frequently mentioned products. However, there are quite a few people who say that their itching worsened after diligently applying Atobarrier MD.

You searched for each ingredient online, read reviews carefully, and chose it thinking it would be safe because it’s a medical device grade product, so why isn’t it working for you?

First, we will introduce the Atobarrier MD lineup and test data for each product, and then explain the fundamental reasons why you cannot tell if a product is right for you just by looking at the ingredient list, and how to reduce trial and error.

Aestura MD Lineup

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The Aestura Atobarrier MD lineup includes a total of five moisturizer products, but the Itching Cream is excluded from this introduction.

• Aestura Cream MD — Has the strongest moisturizing power and is primarily used for the face. It is primarily considered for patients without acne and with low sebum secretion.
• Atobarrier Cream MD — Has the second highest moisturizing power after Aestura Cream and is primarily used for the face.
• Atobarrier AI Cream MD — AI stands for Anti-Inflammation. This product has a lighter moisturizing feel than Atobarrier Cream MD but contains enhanced anti-inflammatory ingredients, primarily used for the face.
• Aestura Atobarrier Lotion MD — The lightest formulation, it is easy to spread over large areas, making it suitable for the body. It is also less burdensome for patients with high sebum secretion.

A unique feature is that Atobarrier Cream MD contains granules.

As a result of patch tests conducted on 113 dermatitis patients at our clinic with the above 4 products, the proportion of patients showing an irritation reaction was lowest for Aestura Cream MD and highest for Atobarrier Lotion MD. The trend of stronger moisturizers causing fewer irritation reactions was commonly observed across various brands. This is presumed to be because lighter formulations have a higher water content, and thus a higher preservative content.

It is important to note that even Aestura Cream MD showed an irritation reaction in approximately 30% of patients in our data from patch tests.

Considering cases where high moisturizing power clogs pores and worsens acne, the proportion of patients who feel that this product “doesn’t suit them” would be even higher.

In other words, even excellent moisturizers like Aestura Cream are not suitable for everyone.

Why Moisturizers Can Irritate Dermatitis Patients

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So why can moisturizers be problematic? There is no doubt that moisturizers protect the skin. A Cochrane systematic review also showed that atopic patients who consistently used moisturizers had significant benefits in terms of recurrence and steroid usage.¹

However, for patients with a weakened skin barrier, the situation is different.

This is because when the barrier is strong, moisturizers remain on the skin surface and act as a protective film, but when the barrier is compromised, they can penetrate the skin and cause inflammation.

Therefore, dermatitis patients need a moisturizer that does not cause problems even if a small amount penetrates the skin.

Why Ingredient List Analysis Isn’t the Answer

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Many dermatitis patients analyze ingredient lists to find such moisturizers, but ingredient list analysis has limitations for the following reasons:

First, ingredients do not work in isolation. Even with the same ingredient, skin reactions vary depending on concentration, formulation, pH, and combinations of auxiliary ingredients. For ceramides, the barrier repair effect is achieved not just by their presence, but by the correct ratio between lipids.²

Second, there are differences in purification levels among raw material manufacturers. Even if the INCI names are the same, reactions can differ if the type and amount of impurities vary. Therefore, even if ingredient lists appear identical, skin reactions may not be the same.

Third, individual responses to the same ingredient vary. For example, atopic dermatitis patients exhibit significantly higher delayed allergic reactions to preservatives than the general population.³ No amount of ingredient analysis can account for these individual sensitivity differences.

Therefore, the only way to know if Atobarrier MD or any other moisturizer is right for you is to actually apply it to the affected area.

How to Reduce Trial and Error

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However, it is risky to find a suitable product by directly applying various moisturizers to the affected area, as unsuitable moisturizers can worsen dermatitis.

The method involves testing various moisturizers, including Atobarrier MD, on unaffected areas simultaneously, and then only applying samples of the products that pass this initial test to the actual affected areas.

Please refer to our MD Cream Guide to see how we assist with this process.

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References

1. van Zuuren EJ, Fedorowicz Z, Arents BWM. Emollients and moisturizers for eczema: abridged Cochrane systematic review including GRADE assessments. Br J Dermatol. 2017;177(5):1256-1271.
2. Elias PM. Optimizing emollient therapy for skin barrier repair in atopic dermatitis. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2022;128(5):483-491.
3. Shaughnessy CN, Malajian D, Belsito DV. Cutaneous delayed-type hypersensitivity in patients with atopic dermatitis: reactivity to topical preservatives. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014;70(1):102-107.