Colloidal Oatmeal

Measured on: investigator-graded dryness, scaling and roughness with subject-rated itch in dry or atopic skin.

The two-week studies do have an interim visit and it already shows the effect, so day 14 is a last visit rather than an onset: in Lisante's 1% cream study the day-3 assessment found 53.6% of patients at least 20% improved on EASI and 25.0% on the investigator's global assessment, rising to 82.8% and 62.1% by day 14, with the itch improvement recorded immediately after application. Reynertson's 1% lotion study in dry, itchy lower legs reports significant improvement in cracking, scaling, dryness and roughness at all evaluation timepoints, not only the last. The caveat is provenance rather than speed: both are single-arm manufacturer studies with no vehicle, and the only randomised trial is active-controlled - 90 children, 1% oat cream against a prescription barrier cream, non-inferior on EASI at week 3 - so nothing here separates oat from a competent emollient base. The itch half of the claim is a monographed skin-protectant action that works on application and has never been timed against a control.

PMID:28697218 (Lisante TA, Nunez C, Zhang P, Mathes BM. A 1% colloidal oatmeal cream alone is effective in reducing symptoms of mild to moderate atopic dermatitis. J Drugs Dermatol 2017) - single-arm, 29 patients, day 3 and day 14 assessments. PMID:25607907 (Reynertson KA et al., J Drugs Dermatol 2015) - 29 subjects, dry itchy legs, 14 days, significance at all timepoints. PMID:28366039 (Lisante TA, Nunez C, Zhang P. J Dermatolog Treat 2017) - randomised, double-blind, active-controlled against a prescription barrier cream, 90 children, week 3. US FDA OTC skin protectant monograph, 21 CFR 347, for the on-application anti-itch action.