CLINICAL EVALUATION OF BABY OIL 231 Mean Symptom Severity Score 1 i Mean Symptom •%•"'• • ß ,Control Severity Score % •.....,... '--¸ .Baby Oil 0 1 2 3 4 Weeks (a) 2 -- •.......•.o•o ,Control -- '"'""--0 ,Baby Oil 0 1 2 3 4 Weeks (b) Mean Symptom Severity Score 1 -- .Control .Baby Oil Mean Symptom Severity Score 1 m ,Control ,Baby Oil 0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4 Weeks Weeks (c) (d) Figure 1. Reduction in mean symptom scores following application of baby oil to various anatomical sites: (a) heels (b) elbows (c) shins (d) knees Table II Mean Dermatologic Severity (Scores By Weeks) Week 2 Week 4 Baseline Score Mean Statistical Significance" Mean Statistical Significance" Elbows treated 1.9 1.1 0.001 1.0 0.001 untreated 2.0 2.0 0.311 2.1 0.066 Knees treated 1.6 1.0 0.001 0.9 0.001 untreated 1.6 1.7 0.543 1.7 0.245 Heels treated 1.9 1.4 0.001 1.2 0.001 untreated 2.0 1.9 0.538 1.9 0.588 Tibial Areas treated 1.5 1.2 0.001 1.1 0.001 untreated 1.5 1.6 0.213 1.7 0.001 Statistical significance of change from baseline-Wilcoxon Matched-Pair Signed Ranks.

232 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS Table III Mean Severity Ratings 24 and 48 Hours After Treatment as Compared to the Ratings for the Last Treatment Day • Mean Severity of Treated Sites Mean Severity of Untreated Sites Last day 24 Last day 48 Last day 24 Last day 48 of hours of hours of hours of hours treatraent after treatment after treatment after treatm•ent after Elbows 1.4 2.1 0.9 1.8 2.6 2.6 2.3 2.2 Knees 0.7 1.8 0.7 0.9 2.6 2.5 1.2 1.4 Heels 1.2 1.8 1.3 1.9 2.7 2.8 2.2 2.4 Shins 1.0 1.9 0.9 1.6 2.4 2.4 1.7 1.7 Two separate treatment groups composed of 10 subjects each were evaluated at 24 and 48 hours, respectively. carbon, as represented by the baby oil, can exert clearly demonstrable skin moisturizing action. This anomaly was even more impressively demonstrated photographically. Figures 2 and 3 illustrate contrasts between treated and untreated sites. Review of photographs from all 20 subjects allowed definition of similar de- grees of benefit. Conversely, the follow-up photographs taken at 24 and 48 hours later exhibited less remarkable differences. The photographs, like the ratings, indicate that deterioration is relatively rapid when applications of the baby oil are stopped. DISCUSSION An occ]usive film of a liquid hydrocarbon as afforded by the baby off, ac- cording to available evidence, provides a highly effective mechanism for re- tarding water loss even under extremes of low humidity in the environment. Such a product, then, can appropriately be termed a skin moisturizer despite its hydrophobic properties. In fact, occluding the skin may be a more effec- tive mechanism for maintaining moisture and protecting the stratum corneum than attempts to promote penetration and skin retention of hydrophi]ic sub- stances (e.g., amino acids and po]ypeptides) and/or o]eaceous ma- terials. The data obtained in the present study are clearly the most impressive that we have obtained in our clinic, although we have had the opportunity to evaluate many "moisturizers," of which several were apparently ef- fective. (Received October 10, 1974)