Skin barrier and skin protection

Determination of the skin barrier function

The gold standard for the determination of water loss via the skin is the measurement of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) by determining the degree of water evaporation (g/hm2) in a hollow cylinder which is placed onto the skin.

Examinations of transepidermal water loss of the skin are necessary in order to prove barrier-supporting efficacy. They can be applied for tests of washing and cleaning detergents to document how mild surfactants are via a protection of the barrier.

Skin Protection

In order to analyse the efficacy of skin protection the repetitive skin irritation test is used. Over a defined period of time a skin protection product and a skin-irritating substance are applied repeatedly. Reactions are evaluated by measurements of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and by measurements of erythema using a Chromameter. In addition, a visual scoring is conducted by an expert.