nouvelles-1 — skin

Research Summary: Skin reflects origin, lifestyle, age, and state of health. Skin color, tone and evenness, pigmentation, as well as skin surface characteristics, are signs of skin health. The cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries offer a vast armamentarium of skin care products and procedures to clean, soothe, restore, reinforce, protect, and treat our skin, helping to keep it in good condition. Skin care products are readily available in daily life and play a major role in health and nursing care.The promotion of skin care products, including their claims, is often based on an effect (e.g., moisturizing, antioxidant), evoked by an active...

Research Summary: Human skin has unique properties, with one of the most apparent being its role as a physicochemical barrier. The human integument is capable of resisting the penetration of many molecules. However, smaller molecules, particularly, can surpass the skin transcutaneously. These molecules are able to bypass the corneal layer, which is thought to serve as the main deterrent. We argue that the molecular weight (MW) of a compound must be under 500 Dalton to allow for skin absorption. Larger molecules are unable to penetrate the corneal layer. Arguments for this "500 Dalton rule" include: 1) Virtually all common contact...

Research Summary: The main function of the epidermis is to generate an impermeable outer layer, the stratum corneum. The stratum corneum can be considered morphologically and functionally as a two-compartment system composed of: 1) anucleate corneocytes (the bricks), largely made up of fibrous protein networks, and 2) the intercellular matrix (the mortar), predominantly composed of neutral lipids. Whereas much of the prior and current research on the stratum corneum has focused on the protein biochemistry leading to the formation of the keratinized corneocyte (“keratinization”), this paper is concerned with the formation, composition, and function of the intercellular matrix of the...

Research Summary: We are honored to present to the readers the book entitled *Carrier-Mediated Dermal Delivery: Applications in the Prevention and Treatment of Skin Disorders*, which is based on the systematic revision of the most recent findings. This book contains several contributions on new approaches for the management of skin aging and photocarcinogenesis, as well as topical formulations based on nanocarrier systems for skin disorders. These chapters discuss the structure and skin morphology in detail. Cosmeceuticals, laser and photodynamic therapy, and melatonin-based treatments are presented as important strategies for photoaging management. Photodynamic therapy and melatonin can also be used in...