Frictional properties of skin

Abstract

To gain a more fundamental understanding of the frictional properties of skin, various parameters (hydration, oils, surfactants, etc) affecting skin friction were evaluated using a rotational friction technique. The rotational device utilized a motor-driven wheel. The wheel and drive shaft were connected to the motor through a flexible rubber coupling in such a way that friction encountered by the wheel caused a lateral displacement of the drive shaft which was monitored by a photocell and recorded on a strip-chart recorder. The observations suggest that separate frictional events occur when materials are applied to the skin surface. Thus, the increase in friction observed upon wetting the skin involves 2 distinct phenomena - one is related to the surface tension of the aqueous phase, while the other, closely associated with hydration, is a consequence of physicochemical adhesion of the skin to the rotational friction probe.