Objective To evaluate the effect of topical glucocorticoid on skin barrier function of patients with senile xerosis. Methods A total of 32 patients were treated with 0.1% topical hydrocortisone cream on one side of the forearms (topical hydrocortisone group), once a day for 8 weeks, and the other forearms were taken as control (control group). Skin barrier function was evaluated at 0, 2, 4 and 8 weeks after experiment using Corneometer and Tewameter. Results The water content of stratum corneum in the topical hydrocortisone group peaked at 2 weeks, while the transepidemal water loss (TEWL) value was the lowest. Compared with the control group, topical hydrocortisone significantly increased the water content of the stratum corneum (P<0.01) and decreased the TEWL value of stratum corneum (P<0.01) after an 8-week treatment. Conclusion The application of topical glucocorticoid in patients with senile xerosis results in no impairment of skin barrier function after an 8-week treatment, and it can temporarily improve the skin barrier function after 2-week treatment.