Do your skin creams disrupt your microbiome? new study investigates
NCT ID NCT03437005
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
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Phase 1
The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.
- Participants
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About 24 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2013
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of California, Davis, Department of Dermatology
RECRUITINGSacramento, California, 95816, United States
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