Abstract
For the purpose of clarifing the correlation between the skin surface conditions and the water solble components (that is free amino acids, pyroglutamic acid (PCA) and urocanic acid (UCA)) in the stratum corneum, the variation patterns in these components were studied in the hyperkeratotic stratum corneum of human skin produced by the topical application of 3% aqueous sodium dodecylbenzensulfonate.
The conversions of PCA, Cit, Ala and UCA markedly decreased by artifically induced hyperkeratosis.
Dry and flecky skin condition are often induced in normal subjects by low ambient temperature and humodity in winter season.
In this type of dry skin, there remained many nuclei in the stratum coreum and the variation patterns of the water solble components were the same as those in the artifically induced hyperatotic stratum corneum.
These results suggest that the dry skin in winter is accompanied with not only the changes of the skin surface but also the changes of the keratinizing process.
