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Do your skin creams disrupt your microbiome? new study investigates

NCT ID NCT03437005

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of California, Davis Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study is testing whether two common topical medications—a steroid (desonide) and an antifungal (ketoconazole)—change the types and amounts of bacteria living on healthy skin. Twenty-four adults will apply the creams twice daily for two weeks, and researchers will compare skin bacteria before and after treatment. The goal is to understand how everyday skin products might affect the skin's natural microbiome.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Desonide 0.05% ointment and Ketoconazole 2% cream
What this could lead to
If successful, this could help doctors understand how common skin treatments affect the skin's natural bacteria, potentially guiding safer use.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-phase study in healthy people, so results may not apply to those with skin conditions. It only measures microbiome changes, not treatment benefits or risks.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 1

The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.

Participants

About 24 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jan 2013

Expected to finish

Sep 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

The inclusion criteria: • Adults at least 18 years of age. The exclusion criteria: * Individuals with known chronically active skin diseases, including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, other autoimmune and inflammatory skin conditions. * Patients with a history of skin cancer, multiple nevi, or other isolated lesions will not be excluded. * Individuals who have used topical, intravenous, intramuscular, or oral antibiotics within the last 6 months * Individuals with known allergies to any of the study medications. * Individuals younger than 18 years of age. * Adults unable to consent * Non-English speaking individuals. Given the complexity in the instructions that subjects will need to follow for proper sample collection, we will not seek to recruit non-English speaking individuals for this pilot study. * Prisoners

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As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Healthy

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

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  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of California, Davis, Department of Dermatology

    RECRUITING

    Sacramento, California, 95816, United States

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