05.25.15
Diabetes is a leading cause of death in the US—a grim statistic that is well-known to medical professionals. What’s less publicized is the toll that the disease takes on the skin. Beiersdorf can’t do anything to alleviate the prevalence of diabetes, but it recently introduced a three-item product line under its Eucerin brand that is aimed at improving the condition of diabetic skin. And it’s a welcome addition to the health community’s toolbox to fix some of the issues surrounding diabetes.
Last month, Beiersdorf invited medical experts to discuss diabetes, the complications it causes and how topical treatments can alleviate some of these health issues. It coincided with the national introduction of Eucerin Diabetics’ Dry Skin Relief line, which includes body lotion, body crème and foot crème. The crèmes contain alpha hydroxy acid to exfoliate skin, urea to moisturize skin and dimethicone to smooth skin, while the body lotion contains AHAs, urea and ceramide-3, which is said to strengthen the skin’s barrier to lock-in moisturizer.
These ingredients are critical to help diabetics take care of their skin, explained Elizabeth Tanzi, a dermatologist and co-director of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery.
“Diabetes affects the supply of blood to the skin,” she said. “You need a good moisturizer; along with AHAs to help exfoliate skin and urea to keep skin supple.”
Tanzi also offered other ways that diabetics can maintain skin health:
• Avoid hot water. It strips skin of natural oils, making it drier and more sensitive.
• Don’t over do it. Only focus on washing parts of the body that absolutely need it, like underarms, groin, hands and feet. Cleansing other areas, such as arms, legs, stomach and back that don’t get as dirty, will leave skin dry and itchy.
• Lock in moisture. Moisturize skin with a thick crème after getting out of the bath or shower. Applying while skin is still damp will lock in the moisture.
• Break the “itch-scratch” cycle. Scratching the skin will only make dryness or irritation worse and set up a repetitive “itch-scratch” cycle.
• Invest in a humidifier. Put a humidifier in the bedroom during the dry winter months to get the most out of a moisturizer. Low humidity levels rob the skin of needed hydration while the added humidity gives a moisturizer the hydration it needs to “grab” and seal into skin.
• Make time for your skin. Don’t neglect skin. Good skin care doesn’t have to take a lot of time. A simple regimen of a gentle cleanser and moisturizer used daily, a humidifier and warm water temperatures will go a long way to keeping skin in good shape, according to Beiersdorf.
It’s Complicated
Unfortunately, there’s a fast-growing audience for the Eucerin Diabetics’ line of products. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2012 (the latest statistics available), 29.1 million Americans, or 9.3% of the population, had diabetes. Of that total, 8.1 million were undiagnosed. Moreover, 86 million Americans are considered to be pre-diabetic.
“It’s a huge health issue,” observed Matthew Petersen of the American Diabetes Association. “It runs in families and is impacted by lifestyle.”
Moreover, diabetes remains the seventh leading cause of death in the US. In 2010, 69,071 death certificates listed it as the underlying cause of death, and 234,051 death certificates listed diabetes as an underlying or contributing cause of death. And while the disease can strike anyone, especially those overweight and inactive, certain ethnic populations are more likely to suffer from diabetes. According to the CDC, based on the 2000 US Census, while 7.6% of non-Hispanic whites suffer from diabetes, the percentage climbs to 9.0% for Asian-Americans; 12.8% for Hispanics; 13.2% for non-Hispanic blacks and 15.9% for American Indians/Alaska Natives.
If diabetes alone isn’t debilitating enough, the disease often combines with other afflictions to make an already bad health situation even worse. For example, diabetes was listed as the primary cause of kidney failure in 44% of all new cases in 2011. That same year, 49,677 people of all ages began treatment for kidney failure due to diabetes.
From 2009–2012, of adults aged 18 years or older with diagnosed diabetes, 65% had blood LDL cholesterol greater than or equal to 100 mg/dl or used cholesterol-lowering medications. In 2010, after adjusting for population age differences, hospitalization rates for heart attack were 1.8 times higher among adults aged 20 years or older with diagnosed diabetes than among adults without diagnosed diabetes. In 2010, after adjusting for population age differences, hospitalization rates for stroke were 1.5 times higher among adults with diagnosed diabetes aged 20 years or older compared to those without diagnosed diabetes. In 2003–2006, after adjusting for population age differences, cardiovascular disease death rates were about 1.7 times higher among adults aged 18 years or older with diagnosed diabetes than among adults without diagnosed diabetes.
Taking a look at even older data, from 2005–2008, of adults with diabetes aged 40 years or older, 4.2 million (28.5%) people had diabetic retinopathy, damage to the small blood vessels in the retina that may result in loss of vision. During that same period, of adults with diabetes aged 40 years or older, 655,000 (4.4%) had advanced diabetic retinopathy—with conditions such as clinically significant macular edema and proliferative diabetic retinopathy—that could lead to severe vision loss.
But Petersen insisted that complications from the disease have actually fallen due to better awareness by patients.
“The amputation rate is down, in part, because people are hydrating their skin with lotion and noticing when something is wrong with their skin; we want to manage the skin issues associated with diabetes as soon as we can” he explained. “That is especially true with foot care. Good skin care has to be practiced every skin day.”
Unfortunately, due to nerve damage, some diabetics don’t realize that they have broken skin because they can’t feel it, which is why, through a regular skin care regimen, diabetics can discover skin ailments before things go from bad to worse.
What’s to Come?
While medical professionals praised the Eucerin formula, Beiersdorf executives say they continue to search for even more effective formulas.
“We are continually researching ingredients and improving our products. Each ingredient performs a specific function,” explained Alexandra Kowcz, VP-US R&D, Beiersdorf. “We are very selective in the specific types and quality of ingredients we utilize. We conduct numerous tests on them, develop formulations, test them, optimize the final products and conduct further testing before products are launched in the marketplace.”
More Research
In addition to incorporating ingredients such as AHAs, urea and ceramide-3 into the formulas, the Beiersdorf R&D team is always on the lookout to improve Natural Moisturizing Factor in skin, noted Kowcz. She explained that this naturally occurring collection of water-binding compounds is found in the stratum corneum.
“These substances are highly effective humectants. NMF is composed of urea, lactate, pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, salts and amino acids,” said Kowcz. “Effective products provide NMF components to improve the water-binding capacity of the stratum corneum and create an environment that promotes self repair of the barrier function.”
Repairing the barrier function is important for all consumers, but for diabetics, it can be a matter of life and limb.
Last month, Beiersdorf invited medical experts to discuss diabetes, the complications it causes and how topical treatments can alleviate some of these health issues. It coincided with the national introduction of Eucerin Diabetics’ Dry Skin Relief line, which includes body lotion, body crème and foot crème. The crèmes contain alpha hydroxy acid to exfoliate skin, urea to moisturize skin and dimethicone to smooth skin, while the body lotion contains AHAs, urea and ceramide-3, which is said to strengthen the skin’s barrier to lock-in moisturizer.
These ingredients are critical to help diabetics take care of their skin, explained Elizabeth Tanzi, a dermatologist and co-director of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery.
“Diabetes affects the supply of blood to the skin,” she said. “You need a good moisturizer; along with AHAs to help exfoliate skin and urea to keep skin supple.”
Tanzi also offered other ways that diabetics can maintain skin health:
• Avoid hot water. It strips skin of natural oils, making it drier and more sensitive.
• Don’t over do it. Only focus on washing parts of the body that absolutely need it, like underarms, groin, hands and feet. Cleansing other areas, such as arms, legs, stomach and back that don’t get as dirty, will leave skin dry and itchy.
• Lock in moisture. Moisturize skin with a thick crème after getting out of the bath or shower. Applying while skin is still damp will lock in the moisture.
• Break the “itch-scratch” cycle. Scratching the skin will only make dryness or irritation worse and set up a repetitive “itch-scratch” cycle.
• Invest in a humidifier. Put a humidifier in the bedroom during the dry winter months to get the most out of a moisturizer. Low humidity levels rob the skin of needed hydration while the added humidity gives a moisturizer the hydration it needs to “grab” and seal into skin.
• Make time for your skin. Don’t neglect skin. Good skin care doesn’t have to take a lot of time. A simple regimen of a gentle cleanser and moisturizer used daily, a humidifier and warm water temperatures will go a long way to keeping skin in good shape, according to Beiersdorf.
It’s Complicated
Unfortunately, there’s a fast-growing audience for the Eucerin Diabetics’ line of products. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2012 (the latest statistics available), 29.1 million Americans, or 9.3% of the population, had diabetes. Of that total, 8.1 million were undiagnosed. Moreover, 86 million Americans are considered to be pre-diabetic.
“It’s a huge health issue,” observed Matthew Petersen of the American Diabetes Association. “It runs in families and is impacted by lifestyle.”
Moreover, diabetes remains the seventh leading cause of death in the US. In 2010, 69,071 death certificates listed it as the underlying cause of death, and 234,051 death certificates listed diabetes as an underlying or contributing cause of death. And while the disease can strike anyone, especially those overweight and inactive, certain ethnic populations are more likely to suffer from diabetes. According to the CDC, based on the 2000 US Census, while 7.6% of non-Hispanic whites suffer from diabetes, the percentage climbs to 9.0% for Asian-Americans; 12.8% for Hispanics; 13.2% for non-Hispanic blacks and 15.9% for American Indians/Alaska Natives.
If diabetes alone isn’t debilitating enough, the disease often combines with other afflictions to make an already bad health situation even worse. For example, diabetes was listed as the primary cause of kidney failure in 44% of all new cases in 2011. That same year, 49,677 people of all ages began treatment for kidney failure due to diabetes.
From 2009–2012, of adults aged 18 years or older with diagnosed diabetes, 65% had blood LDL cholesterol greater than or equal to 100 mg/dl or used cholesterol-lowering medications. In 2010, after adjusting for population age differences, hospitalization rates for heart attack were 1.8 times higher among adults aged 20 years or older with diagnosed diabetes than among adults without diagnosed diabetes. In 2010, after adjusting for population age differences, hospitalization rates for stroke were 1.5 times higher among adults with diagnosed diabetes aged 20 years or older compared to those without diagnosed diabetes. In 2003–2006, after adjusting for population age differences, cardiovascular disease death rates were about 1.7 times higher among adults aged 18 years or older with diagnosed diabetes than among adults without diagnosed diabetes.
Taking a look at even older data, from 2005–2008, of adults with diabetes aged 40 years or older, 4.2 million (28.5%) people had diabetic retinopathy, damage to the small blood vessels in the retina that may result in loss of vision. During that same period, of adults with diabetes aged 40 years or older, 655,000 (4.4%) had advanced diabetic retinopathy—with conditions such as clinically significant macular edema and proliferative diabetic retinopathy—that could lead to severe vision loss.
But Petersen insisted that complications from the disease have actually fallen due to better awareness by patients.
“The amputation rate is down, in part, because people are hydrating their skin with lotion and noticing when something is wrong with their skin; we want to manage the skin issues associated with diabetes as soon as we can” he explained. “That is especially true with foot care. Good skin care has to be practiced every skin day.”
Unfortunately, due to nerve damage, some diabetics don’t realize that they have broken skin because they can’t feel it, which is why, through a regular skin care regimen, diabetics can discover skin ailments before things go from bad to worse.
What’s to Come?
While medical professionals praised the Eucerin formula, Beiersdorf executives say they continue to search for even more effective formulas.
“We are continually researching ingredients and improving our products. Each ingredient performs a specific function,” explained Alexandra Kowcz, VP-US R&D, Beiersdorf. “We are very selective in the specific types and quality of ingredients we utilize. We conduct numerous tests on them, develop formulations, test them, optimize the final products and conduct further testing before products are launched in the marketplace.”
More Research
In addition to incorporating ingredients such as AHAs, urea and ceramide-3 into the formulas, the Beiersdorf R&D team is always on the lookout to improve Natural Moisturizing Factor in skin, noted Kowcz. She explained that this naturally occurring collection of water-binding compounds is found in the stratum corneum.
“These substances are highly effective humectants. NMF is composed of urea, lactate, pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, salts and amino acids,” said Kowcz. “Effective products provide NMF components to improve the water-binding capacity of the stratum corneum and create an environment that promotes self repair of the barrier function.”
Repairing the barrier function is important for all consumers, but for diabetics, it can be a matter of life and limb.