Treatments Used in IchthyosisSome people are searching for treatment options and may encounter items not being prescribed, or removed from their prescription. We hope the following helps explain things:
The British National Formulary (BNF) is a national formulary in the UK which is updated every 6-12 months and available on-line for prescribers.
Local and regional formularies exist throughout the UK which are developed and up-dated by the local and regional Drugs and Therapeutics Committees. These committees select products from the BNF and place them on an agreed local/regional formulary for prescribers to follow.
A medical and non-medical independent prescriber has a qualification to be able to prescribe products listed in the British National Formulary (BNF) that is within their scope of practice.
It is expected that prescribers follow the recommendations of the local formulary ensuring efficacy and cost optimisation wherever possible. For example, 80% of medicines prescribed should be on the approved local/regional formulary. Deviation from the local formulary (i.e. 20% Off-formulary products) is at the discretion of the independent prescriber and individual clinical situation.
The most efficacious and cost effective emollient are the ones patients will apply regularly. It is not cost effective or clinically efficacious to prescribe products that the patients dislike or are reluctant to apply.
Many people with ichthyosis ask us about products containing urea.
Current Urea containing products listed in BNF are:
Source: BNF (last accessed 15 April 2025)
| — | Product | ||||||
| Balneum Plus cream | 5% | Almirall Ltd | £14.99 | ||||
| E45 Itch Relief cream | 5% | Karo Healthcare UK Ltd | £17.77 | ||||
| Aquadrate cream | 10% | Alliance Pharmaceuticals (100g x5) | £23.30 | ||||
| Eucerin Urea Repair Plus foot cream | 10% | Beiersdorf UK Ltd (100ml x5) | £28.75 | ||||
| Flexitol 10% Urea cream | 10% | Thornton & Ross Ltd | £12.54 | ||||
| Hydromol Intensive 10% cream | 10% | Alliance Pharmaceuticals Ltd (100gx5) | £23.30 | ||||
| Udrate Cream (Urea/Lactic Acid) | 10%/5% | Ennogen Healthcare International Ltd (100g x5) | £64.45 | ||||
| Flexitol Heel Balm cream | 25% | Thornton & Ross Ltd | £15.77 |
Some products available for use in treating ichthyosis are as follows:
Moisturisers Largest Product Size Available Manufacturer
Aqueous Cream 500g Proprietary
Aveeno Cream 100ml Kenvue UK Ltd
Cetraben range 500g Thornton and Ross
Dermol range 500ml Dermal
Dexeryl 250g Pierre Fabre
Diprobase Cream 500g Dendron Brands Ltd
Doublebase range 500ml Dermal
E45 Cream 500g Karo Healthcare UK Ltd
Emollin (Spray) 250ml CD Medical
Epaderm range 500g Molnlycke Healthcare
Epimax range 500g Aspire Pharma UK
Lipobase Cream 50g Karo Healthcare UK Ltd
Neutrogena Dermatological
Cream 100g Johnson & Johnson
Oilatum Cream 500ml Thornton & Ross
QV range 500g Ego Pharmaceuticals
Ultrabase Cream 500g Derma UK
Unguentum M Cream 500g Almirall
Vaseline Dermacare Cream 150ml Elida Faberge
White Soft Paraffin/
Liquid Paraffin (50/50) 500g Proprietary
Bath Oils Largest Product Size Available Manufacturer
Alpha Keri 480ml Westwood
Aveeno Bath Emollient 250ml Johnson and Johnson
Aveeno Collodial Sachets Kenvue
Balneum Bath Oil 500ml Almirall
Balneum Plus Bath Oil 500ml Almirall
Dermol 500ml Dermal
Diprobath 500ml Schering-Plough
E45 Bath Oil 500ml Crookes Healthcare
Emulsiderm 1L Dermal
Epimax 500ml Aspire
Hydromol 1L Alliance
Imuderm* 250ml Clinisupplies
Infaderm 250ml Ceuta
Oilatum range 500ml Thornton and Ross
QV range 500ml Ego Pharmaceuticals
Scalp Treatments Largest Product Size Available Manufacturer
Capasal 250ml Dermal
Cocois* 100g UCB
Dermax* 250ml Dermal
Nizoral Shampoo 120ml Thornton & Ross
Olive Oil Readily available
Polytar range 500ml Thornton & Ross
Salicylic acid preparations Consult your doctor
Sebco* 100g Derma UK
How Greasy are the Products?
Very Greasy Greasy Less Greasy Mild
White Soft Paraffin/ Ungeuntum Aveeno Cream Aqueous Cream
Liquid Paraffin (50/50) Merck Cream Dermol Lotion
Hydrous Ointment Neutrogena Diprobase Cream
Diprobase Ointment Dermatogical E45 Cream
Dermamist Spray* Cream Ultrabase Cream
Epaderm Oilatum Cream Lipobase Cream
Hydromol cream Cetraben Cream
Vaseline Alcoderm Cream/lotion
Dermacare Doublebase
Cream
Please note the products denoted with a * contain nut oil/s.
Sunscreens
Always use a high factor sunscreen product e.g. 25,25, 50. Those formulated for children and for sensitive skin are more suited for more ‘fragile’ skin. You should always patch test a product – ask the chemist if they have any samples you could try before purchasing a sunscreen product. A small number of the companies listed in this leaflet produce sunscreen products. Some brands are available on prescription e.g. E45 or Uvistat.
As with any products, moisturisers, bath oils etc are discontinued and new products manufactured constantly and this list is not an exhaustive list of all the products used in the treatment of ichthyosis. Product licences change resulting in different companies manufacturing and/or distributing products. Please ask your pharmacist about the range of products available.
This information is for advice only, please consult your doctor before altering any treatments.
Download The Treatments Used in Ichthyosis Factsheet
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