The use of FT-IR for the determination of stratum corneum hydration in vitro and in vivo

Measurement of the water content of stratum corneum plays an important role in physiological and therapeutic inquiries in dermatology. There are many techniques available for non-invasive determination of skin hydration such as measurement of electrical, mechanical, thermal and spectroscopic properties of the skin. Most techniques, however, suffer from the fact that they do not employ a direct measurement of water content rather a property caused by skin hydration. Recently, Potts et al., (Arch. Derm. Res. 277, 489-495, 1985) developed an FT-IR method for the determination of water content of the skin both in vitro and in vivo. The method employed attenuated total reflectance infrared (ATR-IR) to measure a weak O-H stretch formed by the presence of water at 2100 cm-1. This absorbance is distant from interferences due to skin and most topically applied substances and therefore may be used in the quantitation of skin water content (hydration). This report describes the use of this technique in an investigation into the effect of occlusion on the water content of the skin. Method development and validation employing an in vitro system is also discussed.