Abstract: A topical pharmaceutical or cosmetic composition for treatment of irritation of mucous cells such as mucosal cells of the eye, nose, and vagina is disclosed. The composition comprises an aqueous solution of at least one polyol selected from the group consisting of xylitol, myoinositol and mannitol and at least one substance selected from the group consisting of glycerol and urea. The composition contains less than 0.01% inorganic salt and is free of any oil-in-water or wax-in-water emulsion. In particularly preferred embodiments, the composition comprises an aqueous solution containing 1.5-5% (w/v) xylitol and 0.9-2.0% (w/v) glycerol.