Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024:1447:151-167.
doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-54513-9_14.

Nonprescription Treatment Options

Taylor Edwards  1 , Kayla Felix  2 , Sandy Francois  3 , Leah Cardwell  2 , Zakiyyah Rice  4
Affiliations

Nonprescription Treatment Options

Taylor Edwards et al. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2024.

Abstract

The pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD) is complex and multifactorial. However, recent advancements in the genetics and pathophysiology of AD suggest that epidermal barrier dysfunction is paramount in the development and progression of the condition (Boguniewicz M, Leung DYM, Immunol Rev 242(1):233-246, 2011). In addition to standard therapy for AD, there are a plethora of nonprescription treatment modalities which may be employed. Over-the-counter treatments for atopic dermatitis can come in the form of topical corticosteroids, moisturizers/emollients, and oral antihistamines. Though these treatments are beneficial, prescription treatments may be quicker acting and more efficacious in patients with moderate to severe disease or during flares. OTC agents are best used for maintenance between flares and to prevent progression of mild disease. Alternative and complementary treatments lack strong efficacy evidence. However, wet wraps, bleach baths, and other treatments appear to be promising when used in conjunction with conventional treatments. With the financial burden of atopic dermatitis ranging from 364 million to 3.8 billion dollars each year in the United States, we suspect this topic will gain further research attention.

Keywords: Atopic dermatitis; Bleach baths; Ceramides; Cost of emollients; Emollients; Epidermal barrier dysfunction; Hydrocortisone; Natural oils; Nonprescription treatments; Pathogenesis; Topical corticosteroids; Wet wraps.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Boguniewicz M, Leung DYM. Atopic dermatitis: a disease of altered skin barrier and immune dysregulation. Immunol Rev. 2011;242(1):233–46. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-065X.2011.01027.x . - DOI - PubMed - PMC
    1. Simpson EL, Chalmers JR, Hanifin JM, et al. Emollient enhancement of the skin barrier from birth offers effective atopic dermatitis prevention. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014;134(4):818–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2014.08.005 . - DOI - PubMed - PMC
    1. Gupta MK. Sunflower oil and its applications. Lipid Technol. 2014;26(11–12):260–3. https://doi.org/10.1002/lite.201400068 . - DOI
    1. Eichenfield LF, McCollum A, Msika P. The benefits of sunflower oleodistillate (SOD) in pediatric dermatology. Pediatr Dermatol. 2009;26(6):669–75. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1470.2009.01042.x . - DOI - PubMed
    1. Danby SG, AlEnezi T, Sultan A, et al. Effect of olive and sunflower seed oil on the adult skin barrier: implications for neonatal skin care. Pediatr Dermatol. 2013;30(1):42–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1470.2012.01865.x . - DOI - PubMed

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources