STUDY OF THE PENETRATION-ENHANCING EFFECT OF 2 NONIONIC SURFACTANTS (CETIOL(R)HE AND EUMULGIN(R)B3) ON HUMAN STRATUM-CORNEUM USING DIFFERENTIAL SCANNING CALORIMETRY

Interaction of two nonionic polyoxyethylene surfactants and their 1:1 mixture with human stratum corneum was assessed using differential sca nning calorimetry (DSC). The surfactants under investigation were Ceti ol(R) HE (polyoxyethylene(7)glyceryl cocoate) and Eumulgin(R) B3 (poly oxyethylene(30)cetostearyl ether). It was found that Cetiol(R) HE infl uences the lipid thermal transitions of the stratum corneum, probably due to an insertion of the surfactant molecules in the lipid bilayers. In contrast. neither Eumulgin(R) B3 nor the surfactant mixture distur bs the stratum corneum thermal behaviour. A possible penetration-enhan cing action of Cetiol(R) HE is concluded.