DANSYL CHLORIDE LABELING OF STRATUM-CORNEUM - ITS RAPID EXTRACTION FROM SKIN CAN PREDICT SKIN IRRITATION DUE TO SURFACTANTS AND CLEANSING PRODUCTS

The irritation potential of surfactants and body cleansing products wa s determined by evaluating the removal of dansyl chloride from the ski n. Dilute solutions (2% active ingredient, w/v) of surfactants and soa p extract fluorescence from the skin within 30 min. This is probably a physicochemical effect as it is too rapid to be due to a modification of epidermal cell turnover rate. Such an extraction of the fluorescen t dye occurs without any clinical sign of irritation. However, it may represent an early phase of the skin irritation process, because it is related to the ranking of irritant products as determined by other as sessment methods. (C) Munksgaard, 1994.