Moisturizers Raise Risk of Skin Cancer in Mouse Study

Ted_Hutchinson

Moisturizers Raise Risk of Skin Cancer in Mouse Study
Aug. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Moisturizing lotions such as Beiersdorf AG's Eucerin and Paddock Laboratories Inc.'s Dermabase may raise the risk of skin cancer, according to researchers who tested the products on mice.
Skin tumors grew faster and in greater numbers in mice that were exposed to ultraviolet light and rubbed with the creams than in nonmoisturized animals, a study released today by the Journal of Investigative Dermatology found. Healthpoint Ltd.'s Dermovan and Pharmaceutical Specialties Inc.'s Vanicream showed similar effects.
Cellular damage caused by ultraviolet light from the sun is linked to about 1 million cases of skin cancer in the U.S. annually, said the study's authors, led by Yao Ping-Lu, a cancer researcher at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Moisturizers, used by many people around the world to protect their skin, should be tested for cancer risk, said Allan Conney, director of the laboratory for cancer research at the Rutgers School of Pharmacy, who helped write the study.
``It waves a red flag'' he said in a telephone interview. ``It tells us that we should take a more careful look at this issue.''
Large studies comparing skin-cancer rates among sun-exposed people who use skin cream with rates among those who don't use it would help establish the link, he said. Until then, he said, people should probably keep using the lotions.
Mineral Oil
Mineral oil, a familiar ingredient in skin creams, has been linked to tumor formation, and sodium lauryl sulfate, another common ingredient, has been tied to irritation in the past. The researchers also tested a lotion, prepared for them by Johnson & Johnson, that didn't contain those two ingredients. The cream wasn't linked to an increase in tumor risk or growth, the authors said.
Beiersdorf, based in Hamburg, also makes Nivea skin creams. The company's shares fell 3 cents, to 39.77 euros, in Frankfurt, and have declined 22 percent in 12 months.
Vanicream has been used safely for 30 years, said Brian Leary, vice president of marketing for closely held Pharmaceutical Specialties, based in Rochester, Minnesota, in an e-mailed statement. The number of mice that developed tumors after Vanicream treatment wasn't significantly different from the number that grew cancers in the comparison group, he said.
The company is reviewing the study, which is ``of doubtful significance given the small number of samples and statistical methods used,'' he said.
No More Dermovan
Healthpoint stopped making Dermovan in 2006, said Mark Mitchell, vice president of regulatory compliance for the company's closely held parent, DFB Pharmaceuticals Inc., based in San Antonio. Sales had slowed for the product, which pharmacists used to make medicinal lotions, he said. He also questioned the study's validity.
``I think there's a lot of difference between irradiated mice and human cancer,'' Mitchell said today in a telephone interview.
Calls to Beiersdorf and closely held Paddock, based in Minneapolis, weren't immediately returned.
In the study, hairless mice were exposed to ultraviolet light twice a week, for 20 weeks, which increased their rate of developing tumors. They were then rubbed with skin creams once a day, five days a week, for 17 weeks. In some cases, moisturized mice had twice as many tumors.

The abstract for the science paper is here.
Tumorigenic Effect of Some Commonly Used Moisturizing Creams when Applied Topically to UVB-Pretreated High-Risk Mice.
I've read the full text version.
Interesting to see the work on moisturisers was done prior to finding out which would make the best carrier for caffiene as a potential skin cancer prevention/treatment.
They did a water application trial as well and not surprisingly applying water to skin does not increase skin cancer tumor formation.

PS Behind the Label: Nivea Moisturising Lotion A lot of Nivea products use Mineral Oil one of the suspects for increased tumour formation.