Research Summary
Restoring the lipid homeostasis of the stratum corneum (SC) is a common strategy to enhance skin barrier function. In this study, a ceramide-containing vernix caseosa (VC)-based formulation was used to accelerate barrier recovery in healthy volunteers. The recovery process was examined over 16 days by monitoring trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) following barrier disruption by tape-stripping. Four skin sites were used to assess both the treatment effects and the progress of barrier recovery.
After 16 days, samples were collected from these sites to examine the SC ceramide composition and lipid organization. Changes in ceramide profiles were identified using principal component analysis. In untreated sites, following barrier recovery, there were increased levels of ceramide subclass AS and ceramides with a 34 total carbon-atom chain length. Additionally, the mean ceramide chain length was reduced.
These changes were mitigated by treatment with the VC-based formulation, which concurrently increased the levels of formulated ceramides. Correlations were observed between SC lipid composition, lipid organization, and TEWL, suggesting that changes in ceramide subclass composition may indicate shifts in ceramide biosynthesis. These findings suggest that VC-based formulations enhance skin barrier recovery and could be promising candidates for treating skin disorders with impaired barrier properties.
—Boiten, W. A., T. Berkers, S. Absalah, J. van Smeden, A. P. M. Lavrijsen, and J. A. Bouwstra. "Applying a vernix caseosa-based formulation accelerates skin barrier repair by modulating lipid biosynthesis." *J. Lipid Res.* 2018. 59: 250–260.
key words: epidermis • clinical study • mass spectrometry • lipidomics • sphingolipids • lipid organization • barrier recovery • stratum corneum • treatment.
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