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https://doi.org/10.4081/dr.2026.10496

Comparison of the effectiveness of 30% Aloe vera cream and 20% urea cream as topical treatment for xerosis cutis in chronic kidney disease: a randomized clinical trial

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Published: 24 June 2026
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Aloe vera, chronic kidney disease, skin abnormalities, urea

Authors

Nur Hikmah Fajriani
nurhikmahfajriani@gmail.com
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Makassar; Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Faculty of Medicine, Bosowa University, Makassar, Indonesia.
Khairuddin Djawad
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia.
Farida Tabri
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia.
Andi Alfian Zainuddin
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia.
Haerani Rasyid
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia.
Widya Widita
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia.

Xerosis is a prevalent skin disorder among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing hemodialysis (HD). While both Aloe vera cream 30% and urea cream 20% have been shown to improve skin hydration in cases of xerosis cutis, direct comparisons between the two are limited. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of both creams in treating xerosis cutis in patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis (CKD-HD). A randomized controlled trial was conducted involving 35 eligible CKD-HD patients. Each patient received either urea cream 20% or A. vera cream 30%, which was applied to both their left and right arms. Skin moisture was assessed weekly using corneometer readings and overall dry skin (ODS) scores over 4 weeks. The present study reveals that both treatments significantly increased corneometer readings and decreased ODS scores compared to baseline (p<0.05), but no significant difference was found between the two creams (p>0.05). In conclusion, A. vera cream 30% and urea cream 20% demonstrate similar effectiveness in improving skin moisture for patients with xerosis cutis associated with CKD-HD.

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1.
Fajriani NH, Djawad K, Tabri F, Zainuddin AA, Rasyid H, Widita W. Comparison of the effectiveness of 30% Aloe vera cream and 20% urea cream as topical treatment for xerosis cutis in chronic kidney disease: a randomized clinical trial. Dermatol Reports [Internet]. 2026 Jun. 24 [cited 2026 Jul. 21];. Available from: https://journals.pagepress.net/dr/article/view/10496
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