A 5% urea cream for preventing eczema relapse

People whose eczema had been brought under control were randomly assigned to use either a 5% urea barrier cream or a reference moisturiser, with neither they nor the assessors knowing which. The study then measured how long each person went before their eczema flared again. Those using the urea cream had a 37% lower risk of relapse. The median time to a flare was 22 days against 15 days, and at six months 26% of the urea group were still clear compared with 10% of the comparison group. The cream was well tolerated. The first author is employed by the company that makes the cream, which is disclosed in the paper — worth knowing, though the design itself is sound.