The Comparison of Surface Free Energy of Human, Yucatan Micropig, and Hairless Mouse Skins and Influence of Surfactant on Surface Free Energy of the Skin

Abstract

Surface free energy (SFE) is an important factor for evaluation of wettability or adhesion. Thus, the SFE of a Yucatan micropig (YMP) skin and a hairless mouse (HM) skin, which are commonly used in skin permeation studies instead of human skin, were compared with the human skin. Contact angles of water and 1-bromo naphthalene to skin were measured and the SFE was calculated using the Owens–Wendt equation. The SFE of the human abdominal skin was 40 mN/m and its polar component σ_s^p was as low as 2 mN/m, which was similar to that of the low sebum skin reported previously. In the case of the YMP skin, σ_s^p was high on the surface but similar to that obtained after the skin was tape-stripped twice. The HM skin showed similar SFE as that of the human skin. When the surfactant was applied on the skin, wiped, and dried, the remaining surfactant increased the SFE in σ_s^p; however, the original SFE was obtained after rinsing with water. The YMP skin and HM skin is similar to the human abdominal skin with a low sebum level. Thus, they are also good skin models for studying wettability or adhesion of a substance.

Graphical Abstract