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Skin concern

Peeling and flaking

Primary source

Peeling and flaking: visible flaking or peeling of the skin surface, most often on the face, from a disrupted stratum corneum — the outermost barrier layer. It ranges from mild dryness to medication-induced scaling. The strongest evidence comes from a 2023 human trial covering acne patients using adapalene/benzoyl peroxide gel: In a double-blind randomized controlled trial of acne patients all using adapalene 0.3%/benzoyl peroxide 2.5% gel, adding a ceramide-containing cleanser and facial lotion for 12 weeks yielded significantly lower inflammatory lesion counts than a basic face-wash control, with significantly better TEWL and lower investigator scores for dryness, erythema and scaling. 2 ingredients have evidence for Peeling and flaking: Hyaluronic acid, Panthenol.

All six studies used facial dryness/desquamation endpoints: two were in acne-medication users, one measured an acute 10-minute-to-1-hour effect after mask-wearing, and one compared “moisturizer + serum” against moisturizer alone. Endpoints were dryness/desquamation scores and TEWL.

Where the definition comes from

Source wording

“The stratum corneum — the outermost layer of the epidermis — is the principal permeability and protective barrier of the skin.” — Fluhr et al., JEADV 2024 (PMID 38140732).

Epidermal barrier function in dry, flaky and sensitive skin: A narrative review Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (Fluhr JW)

Ingredients at a glance

2023 · Acne patients using adapalene/benzoyl peroxide gel · PMID 37276158

Ingredient Measured outcome Based on Certainty Year
— Skin effect Human trial Moderate 2023
— Skin effect Human trial Moderate 2024
Hyaluronic acid Skin effect Human trial Moderate 2024
— Skin effect Human trial Moderate 2025
Panthenol Skin effect Human trial Low 2026
— Skin effect Human trial Low 2011

Studies and results

  1. 1 Hyaluronic acid Skin effect
    Significantly Enhanced Improvement in Dryness, Roughness, Fine Lines and Radiance Following Daily Use of a Novel Multi-Weight Hyaluronic Acid Plus Antioxidant Complex-Based Lotion Compared to a Single-Weight HA Plus Ceramide-Based Lotion

    In a double-blind comparative study of 70 women with mild-to-moderate facial dryness, a multi-weight hyaluronic acid plus antioxidant lotion produced significantly greater improvements in clinician-graded visible dryness, roughness and fine lines over 8 weeks than a single-weight hyaluronic acid plus ceramide lotion, with improvements visible from week 2.

    Human trial · 2024 · 70 people · women aged 25-65 with mild-to-moderate facial dryness and fine lines · Clinician-graded facial dryness, roughness and fine lines over 8 weeks. · Both arms used active moisturisers with SPF30; the study was funded by the product manufacturer.

    PMID 39263267

    Read the full finding →
    Source:Significantly Enhanced Improvement in Dryness, Roughness, Fine Lines and Radiance Following Daily Use of a Novel Multi-Weight Hyaluronic Acid Plus Antioxidant Complex-Based Lotion Compared to a Single-Weight HA Plus Ceramide-Based Lotion
  2. 2 Panthenol Skin effect
    The efficacy of a bioactive moisturizer in mitigating side effects of acne therapies: a randomized, investigator-blind, split-face trial

    In a randomized, investigator-blind, split-face trial of 40 Asian acne patients, a moisturizer containing 4-t-butylcyclohexanol, licochalcone A, ceramide and panthenol improved facial hydration more than a traditional moisturizer (p=0.001) and produced lower dryness scores (p=0.021) over 4 weeks.

    Human trial · 2026 · 40 people · Asian acne patients using adapalene/benzoyl peroxide gel or oral isotretinoin · Facial hydration and investigator-rated dryness over 4 weeks. · All participants were on prescription acne therapy (including oral isotretinoin), so the dryness is drug-induced; both sides used a moisturizer, so this is a comparison between two moisturisers; acne lesion counts decreased equally on both sides.

    PMID 41891349

    Read the full finding →
    Source:The efficacy of a bioactive moisturizer in mitigating side effects of acne therapies: a randomized, investigator-blind, split-face trial

Study limits

Study conditions and measured outcomes.

  • ev-on-medication-ceramide-barrier-rct Human trial · 2023

    Lesion-count numbers or ceramide concentration; the intervention is a cleanser-plus-lotion combination; the background acne drug was used by both groups.

  • ev-peeling-mask-dryness-rct Human trial · 2024

    Acute, short-term effects (10 minutes to 1 hour) in a mask-wear setting.

  • Hyaluronic acid Human trial · 2024

    Both arms used active moisturisers with SPF30; the study was funded by the product manufacturer.

  • ev-peeling-pseudoceramide-scaling-rct Human trial · 2025

    Single-blind; the comparator is a commercial spray.

  • Panthenol Human trial · 2026

    All participants were on prescription acne therapy (including oral isotretinoin), so the dryness is drug-induced; both sides used a moisturizer, so this is a comparison between two moisturisers; acne lesion counts decreased equally on both sides.

  • ev-peeling-hydrating-serum-rct Human trial · 2011

    The comparator is a moisturizer alone.

Products with a basis for this

24 products · 3-Ceramide + Panthenol Moisture Barrier Cream · Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner · 2023 · Acne patients using adapalene/benzoyl peroxide gel · PMID 37276158

Research-backed approaches

These studies measured finished products and whole routines.

  1. 1 Skin effect
    Ceramide-Containing Adjunctive Skin Care for Skin Barrier Restoration During Acne Vulgaris Treatment

    In a double-blind randomized controlled trial of acne patients all using adapalene 0.3%/benzoyl peroxide 2.5% gel, adding a ceramide-containing cleanser and facial lotion for 12 weeks yielded significantly lower inflammatory lesion counts than a basic face-wash control, with significantly better TEWL and lower investigator scores for dryness, erythema and scaling.

    Human trial · 2023 · Acne patients using adapalene/benzoyl peroxide gel · Inflammatory lesion counts, TEWL, dryness, erythema and scaling during 12 weeks of acne treatment. · Lesion-count numbers or ceramide concentration; the intervention is a cleanser-plus-lotion combination; the background acne drug was used by both groups.

    PMID 37276158

    Read the full finding →
    Source:Ceramide-Containing Adjunctive Skin Care for Skin Barrier Restoration During Acne Vulgaris Treatment
  2. 2 Skin effect
    Efficacy of a moisturizing cream and facial mask for alleviating skin problems associated with medical mask use: A half-face, randomized controlled study

    In a half-face randomized controlled study of 64 women, a moisturizing facial cream applied after medical-mask wear improved the treated half-face's skin dryness score by -1.00 and TEWL by -2.95 g/h per cm2 within 10 minutes, versus 0.00 and -0.68 on the untreated half-face (both p<0.001); a cream-plus-mask combination gave larger improvements at 1 hour and later.

    Human trial · 2024 · 64 people · healthy women wearing medical masks · Clinician-graded facial dryness score and TEWL shortly after application. · Acute, short-term effects (10 minutes to 1 hour) in a mask-wear setting.

    PMID 38400600

    Read the full finding →
    Source:Efficacy of a moisturizing cream and facial mask for alleviating skin problems associated with medical mask use: A half-face, randomized controlled study
  3. 3 Skin effect
    Efficacy of Pseudo-Ceramide Absorption Into the Stratum Corneum and Effects on Transepidermal Water Loss and the Ceramide Profile: A Randomized Controlled Trial

    In a randomized, single-blind controlled trial of 54 Japanese women with dry, sensitive facial skin, 4 weeks of a pseudo-ceramide-containing facial spray improved scaling score, stratum corneum water content, TEWL and corneocyte area, while a commercially available spray.

    Human trial · 2025 · 54 people · Japanese women aged 20-49 with self-perceived dry sensitive skin and cheek TEWL >10 g/m2 per hour · Facial scaling score, stratum corneum water content and TEWL over 4 weeks. · Single-blind; the comparator is a commercial spray.

    PMID 39492723

    Read the full finding →
    Source:Efficacy of Pseudo-Ceramide Absorption Into the Stratum Corneum and Effects on Transepidermal Water Loss and the Ceramide Profile: A Randomized Controlled Trial
  4. 4 Skin effect
    Enhanced efficacy of a facial hydrating serum in subjects with normal or self-perceived dry skin

    In a randomized, evaluator-blinded study of 32 women, adding a facial hydrating serum to a moisturizer for 2 weeks produced statistically significant improvements in investigator-graded facial dryness and skin softness compared with using the moisturizer alone (P<0.02).

    Human trial · 2011 · 32 people · women aged 25-55 with normal or self-perceived dry facial skin · Investigator-graded facial dryness and softness over 2 weeks. · The comparator is a moisturizer alone.

    PMID 21386958

    Read the full finding →
    Source:Enhanced efficacy of a facial hydrating serum in subjects with normal or self-perceived dry skin

Common questions

Which ingredients have been studied for Peeling and flaking?
Ingredients with evidence for Peeling and flaking: Hyaluronic acid, Panthenol.
How many people were studied?
6 findings · 2023 · Acne patients using adapalene/benzoyl peroxide gel · PMID 37276158
What can I use for Peeling and flaking?
Hyaluronic acid, Panthenol · 2023 · Acne patients using adapalene/benzoyl peroxide gel · PMID 37276158

Other concerns

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