Consumer trends: how consumer expectations are reshaping topical pharmaceuticals

Efficacy you can feel 

Patients expect treatments that feel right, absorbing quickly, spreading easily and disappearing into the skin without residue. Sensory experience has become a powerful signal of performance, directly influencing patient compliance and outcomes. Today's winning formulations combine proven actives with vehicles engineered for comfort, elegance and ease of use. 

When it comes to patient compliance, how a treatment feels is inseparable from how well it performs. Evidence shows that non-compliance in chronic topical conditions such as psoriasis can exceed 75%, with formulation type playing a significant role.¹

Explore products helping you keep up with the trend: Efficacy you can feel

Crodamol ISIS Pharma – substantive non-occlusive emollient that provides superior moisturisation to the skin via internal occlusion. It has been shown to synergistically improve the skin's natural barrier function, boosting the hydration process. 

After one week of applying formulations containing either 10% Crodamol ISIS Pharma or 10% petrolatum, Crodamol ISIS Pharma is able to significantly reduce the amount of water lost by the skin in a Plastic Occlusion Stress Test (POST) versus both the control and petrolatum.  

Crodamol CCC Pharma – Non-irritating liquid that provides mild emollience with appealing sensory properties. Provides non-greasy, smooth application. 

Gentle doesn't mean weak

As the use of topical therapies shifts toward long‑term management of chronic conditions, patients and healthcare professionals alike are rethinking tolerability. Demand is growing for steroid‑sparing, low‑irritation formulations that deliver results without compromising skin health. In fact, in a head-to-head study, ~70% of acne patients preferred a lower-irritation lotion over a cream, reflecting the impact of formulation on tolerability and user experience.² 

The next generation of topical treatments is built around mildness by design supporting barrier integrity, reducing irritation, and enabling consistent use over time. In this landscape, formulation choices are central to therapeutic success. 

Explore products helping you keep up with the trend: Gentle doesn’t mean weak

Super Refined Oleic Acid - co-emulsifier, solubiliser and transdermal penetration enhancer. Proven reduction in cellular irritation while maintaining permeation efficacy.  

Super Refined Oleic Acid had a 32% decrease in the intercellular leakage when compared to compendial pharmaceutical grade oleic acid. The lower intercellular leakage with Super Refined Oleic Acid is attributed to its improved impurity profile and lower content of oxidation products.

Croquat L PE – highly substantive cationic hair conditioning agent based on hydrolysed collagen. Recommended for use in medicated hair care products as APIs can be harsh and leave the hair dry.

Croquat L PE is significantly more substantive to the hair than conventional proteins or derivatives at low concentrations. Unlike its parent protein, Croquat L PE achieves maximum substantivity at low concentrations (0.5 – 1%), after which the substantivity levels off. This plateau effect provides a self-regulating mechanism that protects hair from excessive build-up.

Medilan – Highly purified medical grade lanolin, acts as a long-lasting emollient, moisturiser and skin barrier repair agent.

Studies have indicated that certain types of purified lanolins available in the Medilan range possess attributes that make them superior to petrolatum. 

In an in vivo trial on the hands, Medilan reduced the clinical signs and symptoms of all evaluated parameters over the treatment period. Improvements in skin condition were assessed by the investigators and classified as follows: 

0 = unchanged , 1 = slight improvement, 2 = moderate improvement, 3 = very noticeable improvement, 4 = dramatic improvement  

Overall, treatment with Medilan was seen to dramatically improve clinical signs (score = 4), whereas the petrolatum treatment only gave moderate improvements against baseline (score = 2). 

Designed for real life

Topical therapies are increasingly used outside clinical settings, by diverse patient populations with different needs and abilities. Ease of application, simple routines, and intuitive formats are now recognised as critical drivers of adherence. Formulations designed for real‑world use, fast to apply, easy to dose, and suitable for self‑care, help ensure patients stay on treatment and achieve better outcomes. Convenience, in this context, becomes a clinical advantage. 

Studies show that simplified regimens can achieve adherence rates above 90%, compared to less than 60% for complex, multi-step routines.³  

For formulators, this creates a clear opportunity: Design products that fit seamlessly into patients’ daily lives, because convenience drives consistency, and consistency drives outcomes. 

Explore products helping you keep up with the trend: Designed for real life

Super Refined DMI – Offers formulators the option to increase the solubility and boost the penetration of actives, enabling targeted delivery for transdermal applications. 

Super Refined DMI has been proven to increase active solubility for both steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Improved solubility offers formulators the opportunity to combine multiple actives into a single product rather than multiple products as part of a multi-step treatment plan. 

Brij S2 Pharma and Brij S721 – Non-ionic emulsifiers used to support the formation of stable oil‑in‑water emulsions and dispersions. They: 

• Exhibit excellent tolerance to extreme pH conditions and high electrolyte concentrations  
• Are particularly effective when used in combination with each other to generate robust liquid crystalline oleosome emulsifying systems 

The formation of stable formulations is essential for ensuring products are suitable for real-world use. Patients are unlikely to accept products that separate, as this creates inconvenience, potentially requiring them to repurchase or revisit a healthcare professional. In addition, formulations that remain stable at room temperature offer greater practicality by eliminating the need for refrigeration, reducing both effort and barriers to adherence. 

Local action, meaningful impact 

Patients increasingly favour therapies that act where needed, without unnecessary systemic exposure. This preference aligns with a broader shift toward non‑invasive, localised treatment approaches placing topical and transdermal delivery at the centre of future care. For example, a study found that patients with osteoporosis preferred non-invasive transdermal anabolic therapies compared with invasive injectable.⁴ 

As this shift accelerates, formulation becomes the enabler of precision, controlling where actives act, how they penetrate, and how long they remain at the target site. 

Explore products helping you keep up with the trend: Local action, meaningful impact

Crodafos CES Pharma – Phosphate-based emulsifier that produces O/W emulsions with lamellar liquid crystal oleosomes. Increases formulation stability and enables localised delivery of actives to the epidermis.

In a study, hydrocortisone was incorporated into two simple formulations: one containing Crodafos CES Pharma and the other containing additional fatty alcohol.

Crodafos CES Pharma decreased hydrocortisone migration into the reception fluid at 24 and 48 hours while increasing the residence time of hydrocortisone within the epidermis at 24 and 48 hours. While many actives remain only on the skin’s surface, (having very little skin effect) the addition of Crodafos CES Pharma will help localise the active into the epidermis for maximum benefit. 

Proven to decrease migration: formulation containing Crodafos CES Pharma slowed the migration of hydrocortisone through the skin into a receptor fluid after both 24 and 48 hours.

Proven to increase residence time: formulation containing Crodafos CES Pharma slowed the migration of hydrocortisone into the epidermis after both 24 and 48 hours. Thus increasing the residence time of hydrocortisone within the epidermis.