Carbopols as factors buffering triethanolamine interacting with artificial skin sebum.

Triethanolamine is an ethanolamine applied as counter-ion for fatty acid soaps. Interaction between triethanolamine and free fatty acids is suggested to be useful for cleansing sebaceous follicles in acne prevention. Considering relatively high pH of aqueous triethanolamine solutions we investigated influence of different concentrations of anionic polymers--Carbopol 934P, Carbopol 974P and Carbopol 980 on pH, rheological behavior and, most of them, intensity of triethanolamine interaction with artificial skin sebum components. Triethanolamine buffered using Carbopols influenced artificial skin sebum. Intensity of this interaction was measured applying specific optical method. Penetration of triethanolamine into artificial sebum and its uplift induced by above mentioned interaction were measured. Respective penetration rates and uplift rates were calculated. We found significant differences between Carbopols. The values of the penetration rates amounted 2.94 x 10(-04) h(-1) to 4.12 x 10(-03) h(-1), whereas rates for the uplift process were from 1.97 x 10(-04) h(-1) to 3.28 x 10(-03) h(-1). The value of pH is reduced from 10.06 for pure 0.1 M aqueous triethanolamine solution to 7.67 with the increase of polymer to triethanolamine molar ratio in the preparations. It is considered that triethanolamin buffered with acrylic acid polymers--Carbopols could influence cleansing of pilosebaceous unit follicles and contribute to acne prevention.