The transient and cumulative effect of sodium lauryl sulphate on the epidermal barrier assessed by transepidermal water loss: inter-individual variation

The aims of the investigation were: 1) to study the inter-individual variation in time course of TransEpidermal Water Loss and of clinical manifestations after a 24-h single exposure to Sodium Lauryl Sulphate. This TEWL time course (expressed as the difference in TEWL between the day of patch removal and a subsequent day) reflected the epidermal barrier response to the damage caused by SLS; 2) to investigate the association between the TEWL time course after the single SLS exposure and the TEWL value after 4-day repeated SLS exposure (as a model for cumulative irritation). The 35 healthy subjects tested could be divided into four sub-groups according to the day of their maximum TEWL value after the single SLS exposure (days 2 to 5). For the whole group, inter-individual variation in TEWL course was most pronounced in the first days following the single SLS application. Moreover, there was an inverse relationship (R = -0.61) between TEWL course during the first days after the single exposure and the TEWL value after 4-day repeated exposures. It is concluded that this association illustrates the importance of an adequately responding barrier function against the continuous exposure to irritants in daily life.