SAINT-GRÉGOIRE, France—Wheat extract oil (WEO) capsules were well-tolerated and after three months of treatment, a significant increase in skin hydration and an improvement in associated clinical signs were observed in women with dry skin (Int J Cosmet Sci. July 14, 2010). Previous studies demonstrated promising efficacy on skin hydration with a WEO and a wheat extract powder. To confirm these results, a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was carried out on 51 women aged 20 to 63 years with dry to very dry skin who received either 350 mg/d of WEO or placebo for three months.
Skin hydration was significantly increased between baseline and study end on the arms (P<0.001) and legs (P=0.012) in the WEO group compared with placebo. Even if no significant statistical differences between groups were observed for the dermatological evaluation, skin dryness and redness tended to be reduced in the WEO group. Moreover, from baseline to study end, the Visual Analogue Scale index had a tendency to increase in favor of WEO for the overall skin hydration (P = 0.084) indicating that participants perceived an improvement. The WEO capsules were perceived by participants as being more effective than placebo on all skin dryness signs.