Plasma jet and plasma treated aerosol induced permeation of reconstructed human epidermis

As plasma-treated liquids have many applications in plasma medicine, their cutaneous effects for cosmetic purposes are also considered as an alternative way to treat skin without the electric hazards and limitations correlated with the use of a direct plasma. Our previous work on human skin explants showed increased transdermal diffusion of cosmetic ingredients (caffeine, hyaluronic acid) after direct plasma treatment. Despite this proven efficacy, these protocols still face limitations dealing with toxicity, small treatment areas and uneven surface coverage. To overcome these limitations and broaden the scope of non-thermal-plasma-based technology for skin care, this study presents for the first time the development and assessment of a plasma aerosol device to nebulize plasma-treated liquids on skin models. This work demonstrates how plasma jet and plasma treated aerosol can temporarily enhance permeation in reconstructed human epidermis (RHE), using fluorescein as a probe, under safe plasma delivery conditions. Transepithelial electrical resistance measurements confirm the transient nature of the plasma-induced modulation, suggesting the possibility to control the duration of the enhanced permeation. Overall, the achieved results demonstrate the potential of plasma jet and plasma treated aerosol to safely control diffusion through skin for cosmetic and medical purposes.