Moisturizer is a major component of basic daily skin care, particularly in presence of epidermal barrier alteration and reduced epidermal water content. It is an important part of a dermatologist’s strategy to maintain skin health as well as treating various dermatoses which co-exist with skin dryness and are linked to impaired skin barrier function, such as in atopic disorders as well as other types of dermatitis. Mastering the knowledge regarding mechanism of action, application, dosage, adverse effects as well as specific clinical usage of moisturizers is a must for a dermatologist in order to support their use, particularly for evidence-based, therapeutic purposes. This review discusses the use of moisturizer both for skin health maintenance as well as a definitive or adjuvant therapy for many kinds of dermatitis.

A related trait, X linked dominant chondrodysplasia punctata (CDPX2, MIM 302960),²² is caused by mutations in EBP (emopamil binding protein) at Xp11.22–p11.23 that functions similarly in the late cholesterol biosynthesis, downstream of NSDHL.^{23, 24} In the past, a case of X linked dominant chondrodysplasia punctata showing unilateral involvement was mistaken as an example of CHILD syndrome.²⁵ Because abnormal sterol patterns suggestive of an EBP mutation were found, the investigators erroneously concluded that CHILD syndrome is genetically heterogeneous. In fact, their case had all the clinical features of X linked dominant chondrodysplasia punctata but none of the morphological criteria of CHILD syndrome.^{1, 22} Hence there is so far no case report of CHILD syndrome showing a mutation outside the NSDHL locus.