Older adults who wear incontinence briefs, are bedbound or live in care facilities have skin that is in frequent contact with urine, stool, moisture and the friction of the brief. Caregivers usually cleanse gently and then apply a layer of protective cream at every change. Within the cosmetic scope, the cream's role is to form a film that protects skin from moisture, keep skin hydrated and reduce friction — not to address skin that is already damaged; when skin in this area is red, painful, eroded or weeping, ask a healthcare professional. Non-nano zinc oxide, petrolatum and dimethicone are the backbone of the formula; the texture must spread over thin skin without hard rubbing and wipe off easily at the next change. Butter-C offers full-service OEM/ODM manufacturing, from formula to a finished, labeled product with its cosmetic product notification.

Formula base

Zinc oxide cream with petrolatum and dimethicone as a moisture barrier

Adult brief-area creams are usually water-in-oil emulsions or anhydrous balms, so the film adheres to skin and is not washed away by urine straight away.

Zinc oxide

A white mineral powder that forms a covering film; non-nano grades are used, with heavy metals tested in the raw material.

Film formers

Petrolatum blocks moisture; dimethicone reduces friction and helps the cream spread and wipe off; beeswax improves adhesion in anhydrous balms.

Moisturizing and softening

Glycerin, panthenol, allantoin and a light oil (caprylic/capric triglyceride) keep the cream soft and easy to spread on thin skin.

Emulsification and preservation

Mild water-in-oil emulsifiers; a preservative system permitted for leave-on products, challenge-tested on the final formula; fragrance-free and color-free.

Key technical points

Four factors that define adult brief-area cream quality

Spreads over thin skin

Older skin is thin and can tear with friction or shear; the cream must spread into a thin layer without hard rubbing.

Easy to wipe off at the next change

The film adheres well enough yet wipes off with a soft cloth or cleansing lotion, without hard scrubbing.

Fragrance-free, minimal common allergens

A covered, damp skin area: fragrance-free and color-free by default; lanolin only at your request, as older adults are among the groups at higher risk of lanolin allergy.

Documented raw materials

Petrolatum needs a refining-history dossier to meet the condition in ASEAN Annex II (Ref 904); zinc oxide comes with a heavy-metal certificate for each lot.

Three formulation directions

Three common brief-area cream lines

Zinc cream for every change

Moderate zinc oxide in a soft water-in-oil emulsion; the daily-use line.

Concentrated anhydrous zinc balm

Higher zinc oxide in a petrolatum and beeswax base; a thick, long-lasting film that is harder to wipe off.

Zinc-free cream

Dimethicone and petrolatum, clear or lightly white, with no white cast — caregivers can see the skin easily at changes.

Packaging is designed together with the formula

Flip-top tubes that open with one hand; pumps only for soft creams; jars only for anhydrous balms with a robust preservative system.

Parameters we monitor

What our R&D lab measures on every sample

Below are the parameters Butter-C monitors during formula development and scale-up to production. Specific limits are agreed with you on the approved sample and then written into the product's in-house specification.

Zinc oxide content: Assayed in the finished product against the formula.
Emulsion stability: Freeze–thaw cycling and centrifugation; no oil separation, no powder settling.
Consistency, spreadability, wipe-off: Consistency measured; spreadability on skin and ease of wiping off with a soft cloth assessed.
Microbiology: Tested at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory.
Preservative efficacy: Preservative efficacy (challenge) test on the final formula.
Heavy metals: Tested in the zinc oxide raw material and the finished product.
Packaging compatibility: Monitored for tube, flip-top cap, pump and leakage after aging.

Claims

Writing claims within the cosmetic scope

With brief-area creams, the line between cosmetics and medical products is very close. Some markets classify skin protection products for this area as medical devices or drugs — regulatory affairs must determine the classification for each market. When the product is notified as a cosmetic in Vietnam, Butter-C reviews the wording on the label and marketing materials against Annex 03-MP of Circular 06/2011/TT-BYT while preparing the dossier.

Forms a protective film that shields skin in the brief area from moisture

Instead of: claims to prevent or act on skin conditions caused by incontinence.

Keeps skin moisturized and reduces friction

Instead of: heals sores or erosions.

Helps skin in the brief area feel less dry and rough

Instead of: claims about skin disease or fungal infection (listed as unacceptable claims in Annex 03-MP).

Fragrance-free

State only to reflect the actual ingredients.

Directions

Cleanse gently, pat the skin dry, then apply a thin layer at every brief change; wipe off the previous layer with a soft cloth without hard rubbing.

Warnings

For external use only; do not apply to open wounds. If skin is red, painful, eroded, weeping or blistered, stop use and ask a healthcare professional.

Medical context

The medical literature calls red, eroded skin in this area incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD). In 17 nursing homes in Berlin, dermatologists examined 314 care-dependent residents aged 65+ and found IAD in 21.0% (Völzer et al., 2023). A 2025 Cochrane review (15 trials, 1,020 adults) concluded that the evidence on skin cleansers and leave-on products for preventing IAD is of low and very low certainty, and that it is unclear whether any product performs better than any other (Graham et al., 2025). The cream therefore carries no prevention claim; recognizing and managing IAD is a matter for healthcare professionals.

Manufacturing specifications

Available capabilities

Format: Soft white cream, thick white cream, anhydrous balm, clear or lightly white zinc-free cream.
Packaging format: Flip-top tubes, pumps for soft creams, jars for anhydrous balms; large sizes for care facilities are possible. Net weight agreed when selecting packaging.
Minimum order quantity: Agreed per order.
Testing: Performed at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory; a certificate of analysis is supplied with each batch.
Documentation: Product Information File (PIF) including the petrolatum refining-history dossier and zinc oxide raw-material certificates; cosmetic product notification dossier prepared by Butter-C.
Packaging: Label design with large, high-contrast text; printing and packing run in parallel with formula development.

Fragrance-free zinc oxide cream for the adult brief area

A product concept to help you picture the possibilities, not a ready-made product for sale. The actual formula is developed to your brand positioning and price range.

Non-nano zinc oxide

A covering film over skin in the brief area.

Petrolatum and dimethicone

Block moisture, reduce friction, easy to wipe off at the next change.

Glycerin and panthenol

Keep skin moisturized.

100 g flip-top tube, fragrance-free

A large-print label that clearly states directions, warnings and the scope of claims.

Customization options

What you can specify

The same product type can target very different customers depending on the brand. Tell us your requirements in the areas below, and our team of pharmacists will develop a matching formula.

With or without zinc

A white covering cream or a zinc-free cream that lets caregivers see the skin.

Zinc level

A line for every change or a concentrated anhydrous balm.

Base

With petrolatum or mineral oil-free; lanolin-free (recommended) or with lanolin.

Featured ingredients

Panthenol, allantoin, glycerin, shea butter.

Scent

Fragrance-free (recommended).

Packaging

Flip-top tubes, pumps, jars; home-use sizes or large sizes for care facilities.

From idea to finished batch

Eight steps and three milestones signed off by both sides: approved sample, notification number, finished batch. Step-by-step details (in Vietnamese) →

01 Brief & direction 02 Formula development 03 Samples & adjustments 04 Stability & packaging compatibility 05 Final quotation & contract 06 Notification dossier & PIF 07 Packaging & labeling 08 Production, batch testing & delivery

1Approved sample after step 3 2Notification number after step 6 3Finished batch after step 8

Adult incontinence barrier cream OEM/ODM manufacturing