Background: Although Hamamelis virginiana has long been used in the traditional treatment of skin diseases, there are few controlled clinical studies defining the extent of its anti-inflammatory action. Objective: The anti-inflammatory efficacy of pH5 Eucerin aftersun lotion with 10% hamamelis distillate, the vehicle and a prior aftersun formulation were tested in 30 healthy volunteers using a modified UVB erythema test as model of inflammation. Methods: Four UVB doses ranging from 1 to 2 MED were evaluated in each subject. Test fields on the back were treated occlusively for 48 h following irradiation. Chromametry and visual scoring were used to determine the degree of erythema in the treated fields and an untreated, irradiated control field 7, 24 and 48 h after irradiation. Results: Erythema suppression ranged from approximately 20% at 7 h to 27% at 48 h in the hamamelis fields. A suppression of 11–15% was recorded in the fields treated with the other lotions. Significant differences were noted between hamamelis and these lotions. Conclusion: These data provide evidence for an anti-inflammatory action of the aftersun lotion with 10% hamamelis and support the usefulness of the UVB erythema test with multiple UV doses for the testing of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents.

Keywords:
Hamamelis, Anti-inflammatory effect, UVB erythema, Aftersun lotion
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