Correlation of thermodynamic activity and vapour diffusion through human skin for the model compound, benzyl alcohol

This work tested the potential for predicting percutaneous absorption rates of a volatile penetrant from any vehicle by using thermodynamic activity measurements. Benzyl alcohol was chosen as a non-ideal, hydrogen bonding, volatile model penetrant. A manual headspace gas chromatography method measured benzyl alcohol vapour concentrations and thermodynamic activities above binary mixtures with vehicles: butanol, butyl acetate, isopropyl myristate, isophorone, toluene and propylene carbonate. Benzyl alcohol vapour diffusion through human, abdominal skin was also measured in-vitro for these mixtures. The benzyl alcohol vapour flux was linearly related to the activity, suggesting that percutaneous absorption is controlled by thermodynamic activity when the vehicle has no effect on the stratum corneum barrier.