The influence of a single topical corticosteroid application on the hydration state of the stratum corneum

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of a single corticosteroid application on stratum corneum hydration. Hydration of the skin was estimated by measuring the stratum corneum capacitance while colour measurements were employed for the estimation of the potency of die applied formulations. Two corticosteroids were tested: clobetasol-17-propionate and halcinonide. We used different halcinonide concentrations (ranging from 0.005% to 0.200%) to evaluate the influence of the active ingredient concentration. We also evaluated the influence of the quantity applied (3 and 10 mg/cm²), of the application time (2 and 12 h) and of a humectant in the formulation (5% urea). We found a significant drying effect after application of the clobetasol-17-propionate formulation, while the stratum corneum hydration remained unaffected after application of the different halcinonide formulations, irrespective of the concentration used, the applied quantity or die application time. The addition of urea to the formulation caused a significant increase in stratum corneum capacitance. The magnitude of the blanching response was only influenced by the application time.

Key Words:

• Corticosteroids
• Moisturizer
• Capacitance
• Skin colour
• Application time
• Applied quantity