Effect of polyoxyethylated materials on the interaction of surfactants with skin

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Abstract
The effect of surfactants on skin has been investigated by means of two experimental techniques, viz., by permeability studies using isolated neonatal rat stratum corneum membranes, and by studies on the reduction of the electrophysiological potential across freshly excised frog skin membranes. Permeability studies indicate that typical cationic and nonionic surfactants are weak penetrants, unlike anionic surfactants, as exemplified by sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), which readily penetrates and tends to destroy the integrity of stratum corneum membranes in a matter of hours. The addition of polyethylene glycols (PEG) or nonionic surfactants to solutions of SLS results in a considerable reduction in the last mentioned effects, the reduction tending to increase as the molecular weight and ethylene oxide content of the additive increase. By contrast with permeability, the electrophysiological measurements show that cationic surfactants can be extremely active: the typical surfactant, cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), at a level of 0.5% in Ringer solution, destroys the potential across frog skin in minutes, and, indeed, is comparable in this respect to SLS. Nonionic surfactants are comparatively inactive, and factant reduces the effect of the latter significantly. Preapplication of a solution of PEG to the membrane, rather than incorporation in the solution of the surfactant, affords better protection against the latter as judged by both permeability and potential criteria.

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