The skin barrier, or Stratum Corneum, is one of the most vital element in the body when it comes to protecting the skin. It consists of skin cells called corneocytes acting like a wall, precisely as a barrier.
This is why cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies spend millions in scientific research to find the next best and most efficient cream or product to protect it doing its job when we neglect it and age.
The skin barrier serves a dual purpose: outward/inward and inward/outward.
The outward/inward function shields the skin from any external environmental factors such as toxins, viruses, chemicals, pollutants or allergens, but also from sun exposure, dryness and humidity.
The inward/outward function involves retaining moisture beneath the stratum corneum to keep the body hydrated and holding in water.
It goes without saying that this knight armor’s role is a constant battle to defend both sides of the skin.
When the fight becomes too intense, it may lead to damage or loss of corneocytes, as well as dehydration.
Indicators of Skin barrier damage include redness, itchiness, irritation, inflammation, infections, and dehydration will result in flakiness, dryness, lack of elasticity and wrinkles.
You are the best advocate of your skin barrier, and becoming aware of what you do to care for it is essential for its health and function. This means adopting a mindful skin care routine: wash your face with warm water, cleanse it, gently exfoliate —avoiding over-exfoliation to prevent skin barrier damage— moisturize, and apply sunscreen. Maintain the skin’s PH balanced, and if you notice any unusual changes on your skin, consult with a dermatologist.
Now, the most important question is how do I know what product is best to protect and maintain my skin barrier?
As I mentioned earlier, cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies invest millions in scientific research to study the skin and all its parameters, allowing them to develop and manufacture efficient creams and products.
Carrying out research by scientifically measuring and assessing the skin barrier requires state-of-the-art instruments with unique features. It ensures the researchers to obtain accurate and reliable results.
Measuring water loss and skin hydration combined with the VapoMeter and the MoistureMeter SC provides a comprehensive insight of the skin barrier's health.
VapoMeter Instrument
The VapoMeter measures TransEpidermal Water Loss (TEWL) and evaporation rate as g/m2h.
VapoMeter – What are its unique features?
What makes the VapoMeter unique on the market is that it measures TransEpidermal Water Loss (TEWL) in CLOSED CHAMBER.
With an open chamber device, ambient airflow impacts the measurements. However, with a closed chamber device, not only the airflow doesn’t affect the measurements, but they can be taken IN ANY POSITION, which is very restrictive with any other device. closed chamber Measurements are accurate up to 300 g/m2h, whereas open chamber measurements saturates at 80 g/m2/h.
OPEN CHAMBER AND CLOSED CHAMBER COMPARISON
VAPOMETER VS. LABORATORY SCALES & OPEN CHAMBER DEVICES
AT DIFFERENT EVAPORATION LEVELS
Versatile, the VapoMeter offers different adaptors for different applications. It can be used on skin, hair, nails and lips with the same accuracy. These adapters are available for in-vivo and in-vitro research.
VAPOMETER APPLICATIONS
TRANSEPIDERMAL WATER LOSS -TEWL
The VapoMeter measure and assesses the skin barrier function and skin irritation, validate penetration studies, the effect of care, treatment and nutrition. It can as well carry out product safety tests and calculate wound healing rate.
SKIN SURFACE WATER LOSS - SSWL
The VapoMeter measures and assesses the effect of occlusion by dressing, diaper, textile etc.
The VapoMeter measures and assesses nail health and the effect of care or treatment.
The VapoMeter measures and assesses sympathetic skin response, hyperhidrosis and the effect of antiperspirant.
The VapoMeter is compatible with diffusion cell equipment, measures and assesses the permeability of material and films, the water holding capacity of dressings, diapers etc., as well as the evaporation through skin craft or artificial skin.
MoistureMeterSC Instrument
The MoistureMeterSC measures and assesses the skin barrier hydration.
MoistureMeterSC – What are its unique features?
What sets the MoistureMeter SC apart on the market is its ability to measure skin barrier (stratum corneum) hydration WITHOUT BEING AFFECTED BY THE ELECTROLYTES present in the product (Cream, lotion, etc.). This means it ONLY measures the skin, while other devices measure both skin AND product.
Additionally, its PATENTED TECHNOLOGY enables measurements at various depths based on the thickness of the stratum corneum’s dry layer, and it more clearly detect interindividual variations, when others can only measure at a single depth.
MOISTUREMETERSC
CORNEOMETER COMPARISON
Hydration effect of three formulations measured
with the MoistureMeter SC and the Corneometer CM820
MOISTUREMETERSC
CORNEOMETER COMPARISON
Measured hydration values vs. assessed dryness of facial skin
very dry (N=6), dry (N=24) and normal skin (N=30)
MOISTUREMETERSC APPLICATIONS
The MoistureMeterSC is the perfect instrument in many application areas, including marketing and promotion of skin care products, efficacy testing, claims validation work, evaluation of skin care and treatment, product and formulation R&D in pharmaceutical, personal care and chemical industries, occupational health risk related to skin monitoring, scientific skin research studies, and assessment of skin type.
FUNDAMENTAL CRITERIA TO REMEMBER
Both the VapoMeter and the MoistureMeterSC have unique cutting-edge features that set them apart when it comes to TEWL and skin hydration measurements.
Combining the 2 of them together is a significant technological breakthrough to measure and assess the stratum corneum. It increases the possibility of very accurate results tenfold, enabling users to maximize the benefit of their products and their effects on the skin.
It is the ideal combination to make a difference in skin barrier research.
Publications
Applied Sciences
Influence of Paraprobiotics - Containing Moisturizer on SkinHydration and Microbiome: A Preliminary Study.
Skin Health and Disease
The multi‐factorial modes of action of urease in the pathogenesis of incontinence associated dermatitis.
Microorganisms
Correlating the Gut Microbiota and Circulating Hormones with Acne Lesion Counts and Skin Biophysical Features.
Cosmoderma
Skin moisturizing and anti-acne effect of acne moisturizer in healthy adult subjects with mild-to-moderate acne-an open label, single arm clinical study.
Microbiome
Gut microbiota of the young ameliorates physical fitness of the aged in mice.
Journal of Clinical Medicine
Prospective Placebo-Controlled Assessment of Spore-Based Probiotic Supplementation on Sebum Production, Skin Barrier Function, and Acne.
Comments