Effects of CO2-enriched water on barrier recovery.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact of CO2-enriched water on barrier recovery of detergent-damaged skin compared to tap water employing bioengineering methods and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) analysis of stratum corneum (SC) lipids. Irritation of the skin was elicited on the forearms of 20 volunteers using 1% sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS). The degree of skin irritation was followed over 10 days in terms of skin colour reflectance (L*a*b*), transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and skin capacitance expressed as median values. For TLC analysis, SC lipids were extracted prior to and during the observation period. Clinical examination showed the efficacy of CO2-enriched water on barrier recovery. Compared to unenriched tap water, CO2-enriched water produced a significant (P < 0.01) increase in total SC lipids and in particular in the ceramide fraction. Furthermore, TEWL was significantly (P < 0.01) lower in skin treated with CO2-enriched water than in skin treated with unenriched water. These findings may indicate that rinsing with CO2-enriched water enhances (1) clinical regeneration of detergent-damaged skin, (2) epidermal lipid synthesis, and (3) barrier repair after detergent-induced perturbation.