Evaluation and Measurement of Skin Moisturization

Abstract

Skin moisturization is one of the important subjects in dermatology and cosmetology. The skin surface hydration levels before and after the topical application of several vehicles were assessed using 3.5 MHz conductancemeter. In addition, three dimensional changes in hydration state of the stratum corneum were also assessed by stripping. Petrolatum was most effective in increasing the water content of the stratum corneum probably by forming lipid film over the stratum corneum; thus it possesses an ability to retain water from surface to deep layer, throughout the stratum corneum beneath its film. On the other hand vanishing cream induced a dehydrated state in the superficial horny layer, possibly by the absorption of water from the superficial horny layer and by the evaporation of the absorbed water to external air. The three dimensional analysis of the water in the stratum corneum using stripping is useful for the evaluation of the the function of skin moisturizers as water sorption-desorption test. © 1985, Meeting of Osaka Dermatological Association. All rights reserved.