Reinforcement of barrier function - skin repair formulations to deliver physiological lipids into skin

Objective: The aim of the study was to develop formulations to deliver physiological lipids into skin in an attempt to repair defective barrier function.

Methods: Physiological cholesterol and linoleic acid were incorporated into basic cream and non-ionic cream to prepare skin repair formulations. Homogeneity and storage stability of the developed creams were examined by polarized light microscopy. Ex vivo evaluation was conducted using lipid-deficient skin samples and confocal Raman microspectroscopy. A 7-day in vivo study was performed on volunteers to study the repairing efficacy.

Results: Homogeneous texture was seen in the prepared skin repair formulations. The application of the creams led to substantially increased lipid levels compared to the reference in the lipid-deficient skin in ex vivo study. Twice-a-day application of the skin repair creams provided a reinforcement of the skin barrier as transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was significantly decreased.

Conclusion: The skin repair creams showed excellent efficacy in skin recovery. They have great potentials for treating impaired skin barrier associated with depletion of lipids in stratum corneum.