Skin protective creams are generally used in an integrative skin protection concept together with suitable skin care products and skin cleansing products (“3-pillar model”). The preferred area of application for skin protective creams is the prevention of irritant contact eczema and thus at workplaces with exposure to irritants and wet work. Skin protective creams provide no or only very limited protection against allergens, and corrosive, toxic, mutagenic or carcinogenic substances. The effectiveness of a skin protective cream is generally linked to the overall formulation and not to individual ingredients. Standard irritants are used to test efficacy. Effects against individual irritants cannot be transferred to other irritants. A general claim of protection for skin protective creams is therefore generally not justified.