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Updated: Feb 24, 2026
Resolving Water, Proteins, and Lipids from In Vivo Confocal Raman Spectra of Stratum Corneum through a Chemometric Approach
Published on: September 26, 2019
Age related depth profiles of human Stratum Corneum barrier-related molecular parameters by confocal Raman microscopy
ChunSik Choe1, Johannes Schleusener2, Jürgen Lademann2
1Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Dermatology, Venerology and Allergology, Center of Experimental and Applied Cutaneous Physiology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Kim Il Sung University, Ryongnam-Dong, Taesong District, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
In this study, stratum corneum (SC) depth profiles of hydrogen bound water molecule types, intercellular lipid (ICL) ordering, concentration of natural moisturizing factor (NMF) and keratin folding/unfolding properties are investigated in vivo for older (mean 50 years old) and younger (mean 29 years old) human skin using confocal Raman microscopy. The results show that the SC of the older group is modestly thicker (p<0.1), has more hydrogen bound water molecules at the depth 10-30% of the SC thickness (p<0.05), has a higher ordered organization of ICL (p<0.1) and higher concentration of NMF (p<0.05) at the depth 20-40% of the SC thickness compared to the younger group. This study also reveals, that the hydrogen bonding state of water highly correlates with NMF and the lateral structure of ICL but not with keratin's folding/unfolding properties. The presented results let suggest, that the decreased trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) with increasing age cannot be sufficiently explained by only the increased SC thickness, but additionally by the increase of ICL ordering, higher NMF concentration and thus larger amount of hydrogen bound water molecules at the depth 20-40% of the SC thickness.
