Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 29, 2026

Cultivating a Three-dimensional Reconstructed Human Epidermis at a Large Scale
Published on: May 28, 2021
A novel role for vernix caseosa as a skin cleanser
R Moraille1, W L Pickens, M O Visscher
1Division of Neonatology and Skin Sciences Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA.
Objectives:
Skin cleansing is a complex process involving endogenous and exogenous mechanisms. This study examines the role of vernix caseosa in the process of skin cleansing in the perinatal period.
Methods:
Vernix was evaluated as an exogenously applied skin cleanser using digitized image analysis which quantified residual carbon particles following a standardized cleansing assay. In addition, the detachment of vernix from human cadaveric skin and Gore-Tex supports was investigated following timed exposures to a variety of commonly used commercial surfactants. Detachment was quantified spectrophotometrically as increased turbidity at 650 nm.
Results:
Image analysis showed that exogenous application of vernix exhibited a cleansing capability comparable or superior to standard skin cleansers. Dose-dependent increases in solution turbidity (vernix detachment) were seen following exposure of vernix-covered Gore-Tex vehicles to sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, and cocamidopropyl betaine solutions. Similar results were seen with cadaveric skin.
Conclusions:
These results demonstrate a role for vernix caseosa as a skin cleanser. Previous views of vernix as a soil or skin contaminant at birth need to be reevaluated.
Related Concept Videos
Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells
Clinical Applications of Epidermal Stem Cells
Role of Skin in Vitamin D Synthesis
The solar UV B rays (290-315 nm) are absorbed by the skin, and 7-dehydrocholesterol (provitamin D3) photolyzes it to previtamin D3, which undergoes a rapid transformation to vitamin D3(cholecalciferol).
Surface Membrane Barriers
The outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, is a robust barrier comprising layers of closely packed keratinized cells. This dense arrangement prevents microbes from penetrating the body. The periodic shedding of epidermal cells...
The Skin Microbiota
Acne Infection

