Noninvasive assessment of skin barrier function: evaluating ceramide-based moisturizer using confocal Raman...

Confocal Raman spectroscopy (CRS) is a noninvasive technique that enables detailed biochemical analysis of the skin, providing insights into its structural and molecular composition. Atopic dermatitis and hand eczema, both characterized by impaired skin barrier function, require effective monitoring tools to assess treatment efficacy.

We aimed to quantitatively evaluate changes in skin physiological and biochemical parameters following the application of a ceramide-based moisturizer (test cream) compared with an aqueous moisturizer (control cream) in healthy volunteers and eczema patients.

Skin physiological assessments and CRS measurements were performed to evaluate water content and ceramide levels in both superficial and deeper skin layers after application of the two moisturizers.

CRS revealed a significant increase in water content following test cream application, indicating improved skin hydration, whereas physiological measurements detected no statistically significant changes, underscoring the greater sensitivity of CRS. The test cream also significantly enhanced ceramide levels in both superficial and deeper skin layers, whereas the control cream increased ceramide levels only in the superficial stratum corneum (SC).

These findings suggest that the test cream has a substantial positive impact on hand eczema, potentially improving both skin barrier function and biochemical properties.