Mechanistic investigation of skin barrier perturbation induced by surfactants in the presence of humectants

The stratum corneum (SC) of the skin functions as a barrier between the body and the environment. Surfactants such as Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) are used in skin cleansers and in skin-care formulations because of their ability to stabilize oil-water emulsions and clean the surface of the skin. However, they also have adverse effects on the skin barrier, including enhancing skin barrier perturbation which may lead to a disruption of the protective functions carried out by the skin barrier. On the other hand, humectants, such as Glycerol, which maintain the natural water content of the skin and preserve the skin barrier, have been shown to mitigate surfactant-induced skin barrier perturbation. The primary objective of this thesis was to develop a mechanistic understanding, including visualization and quantification, of: (i) how aqueous surfactant solutions, once in contact with the skin, can induce skin barrier perturbation, and (ii) how surfactant-induced skin barrier perturbation can be effectively mitigated through the addition of humectants to the aqueous surfactant contacting solutions. SDS monomers self-assemble to form micelles at a SDS concentration above the Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC). The SDS skin penetration and associated skin barrier perturbation is dose-dependent, that is, it increases with an increase in the total SDS concentration above the CMC of SDS.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Chemical Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2007

Author dc:creator

• Ghosh, Saswata

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Daniel Blankschtein.

• Chemical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/38983

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/38983