Water and Water Vapor Absorption of the Stratum Corneum of the Living Human Skin

¹ From the Kolmar Research Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

On living human skin the water content and liquid water absorption of untreated stratum corneum and stratum corneum from which the water-, alcohol- and ether-soluble components were removed was determined with a new method. The water vapor absorption and release of the untreated and extracted stratum corneum was also determined. It was found that the untreated stratum corneum absorbs liquid water and water vapor; the extracted horn tissue, however, is repellent to liquid water but absorbs water vapor. The extracted stratum corneum releases absorbed water vapors almost three times faster than the untreated corneum. It is concluded that the water- and polar-solvent soluble components of keratin structures are responsible for the liquid water uptake and the water- and moisture-holding capacity of the keratin and that the sebum regulates the evaporation rate and protects the water soluble compounds from being washed out.