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Surface Active Agents01:27

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Surfactants, named for their behavior at interfaces, positively adsorb at the interfaces of two phases, reducing interfacial tension. Their versatility as emulsifiers, detergents, and foaming agents stems from this ability. Surfactants, often termed amphiphiles, share the property of amphipathy, with molecules having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic portions. The hydrophilic part is called the head, and the hydrophobic part, including an elongated alkyl substituent, forms the tail.Surfactants...
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Micelle formation is an intricate process that hinges on the properties of amphiphilic or amphipathic molecules and the conditions of the system in which they are found. Amphiphilic molecules, which have both hydrophilic (water-attracting) and hydrophobic (water-repelling) parts, play a critical role in this process.In aqueous environments, these molecules arrange themselves such that their hydrophilic heads are turned towards the water phase, while their hydrophobic tails are oriented away...
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Surface tension is a fundamental property of fluids, occurring at the boundary between a liquid and a gas or between two immiscible liquids. This phenomenon arises from the cohesive forces between molecules at the fluid's surface, creating an effect similar to a stretched elastic membrane. Inside each fluid, molecules are equally attracted in all directions by neighboring molecules, but surface molecules experience a net inward force, resulting in surface tension.
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Surfactants have multi-fold effects on skin barrier function.

Emmanuelle Lemery1, Stéphanie Briançon2, Yves Chevalier2

  • 1Université de Lyon F-69008, Lyon, France; Laboratoire de Dermopharmacie et Cosmétologie, Laboratoire d'Automatique et de Génie des Procédés (LAGEP), UMR CNRS 5007, Faculté de Pharmacie, 8, avenue Rockefeller, 69373 Lyon cedex 08, France, Johnson & Johnson Santé Beauté France, Campus de Maigremont, 27100 Val de Reuil, France.

European Journal of Dermatology : EJD
|June 26, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Surfactants can damage skin barrier function by altering lipid organization and polarity. Different surfactant types exhibit varying effects on skin, with some causing significant barrier disruption while others have minimal impact.

Keywords:
contact angleinfrared spectroscopylipid extractionskin barrier functionsurfactants

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Area of Science:

  • Dermatology
  • Cosmetic Science
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • The stratum corneum (SC) provides skin barrier function, with intercorneocyte lipids crucial for regulating permeability.
  • Surfactants interact with SC components, potentially causing skin barrier damage upon contact.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the impact of various surfactant classes on skin barrier function at multiple levels.
  • To understand how different surfactants affect skin polarity, lipid organization, and overall barrier integrity.

Main Methods:

  • Human skin explants treated with six non-ionic and four ionic surfactants.
  • Assessed skin surface wettability and polarity via contact angle measurements.
  • Monitored SC lipid organization using infrared spectroscopy and evaluated lipid extraction with HPLC-ELSD.

Main Results:

  • Anionic and cationic surfactants altered skin polarity and lipid matrix organization.
  • One cationic surfactant showed detergency without barrier disruption; others disturbed lipid organization.
  • Non-ionic surfactants varied in effect, with some altering wettability and lipid matrix without lipid extraction, while two had no observable impact.

Conclusions:

  • Skin polarity, lipid matrix organization, and lipid composition are key factors in understanding surfactant-skin interactions.
  • Detailed analysis reveals how specific surfactants can compromise skin barrier function.