Evaluation of the protective value of an antisolvent gel by laser Doppler flowmetry and histology

In a previous histological study, we observed the protective efficiency of an antisolvent gel (Antixol) against the skin irritation induced by epicutaneous application of n-hexane for 15 and 30 min. In the present study, we tried to evaluate the protective efficiency of the Antixol gel against the cutaneous irritation induced by the application of toluene for 10 min. The possible application of laser Doppler flowmetry as a new objective method to test skin irritation and to evaluate the protective efficiency of barrier creams and gels was confirmed by the histological findings.