Ectoin 7% cream outperformed dexpanthenol 5% cream at preventing radiation burns from breast cancer treatment. People using ectoin experienced significantly less pain and itching by week 2, and both ingredients successfully prevented severe burns—though ectoin kept skin damage milder overall.

50 breast cancer patients were randomly assigned to use either ectoin or dexpanthenol cream twice daily during radiotherapy and for 2 weeks after. Researchers tracked skin damage, symptoms, and quality-of-life impacts weekly in a double-blind study.

Funding not disclosed in abstract