The Influence of Physiologic Lipid Containing Moisturizer on the Normal Skin Barrier

Lee, Sang Sin; Kim, Soo Yeon; Im, Myung; Lee, Young; Lee, Jeung Hoon; Seo, Young Joon

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Moisturizers are commonly used for the management of many skin problems and sometimes they are used to maintain healthy skin. Previous studies on the short-term treatment with moisturizers have shown that moisturizers can weaken or strengthen the skin barrier function.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the effect of long-term treatment with a physiologic lipid-containing moisturizer on the barrier function of normal skin.
METHODS
39 healthy volunteers applied the moisturizer on one forearm 3 times daily for 8 weeks and then they were followed-up for the next 2 weeks (the regression period). No moisturizer was used on the other forearm as a control. The TEWL, skin capacitance and skin lipid content were evaluated weekly during the 8 weeks treatment period and then daily during 2 weeks of the regression period.
RESULTS
During the treatment period, the skin capacitance and lipid content values of the treated side were significantly higher than that of the control side, and the TEWL values of the treated side were significantly lower than that of the control side. During the regression period, all the values of the treated side steadily became closer to those of the control side. These results suggest that long term treatment with moisturizer does not deteriorate the skin barrier function.
CONCLUSION
Long-term treatment with moisturizer containing physiologic lipid not only enhances the normal skin barrier, it does not suppress the endogenous lipid synthesis of the skin.