Structural alterations of fully hydrated human stratum corneum

The diffusional barrier function of skin is associated with the superficial epidermal layer, the stratum corneum, a highly complex biomembrane consisting of a staggered corneocyte arrangement in a lipid lamellar continuum. One of the key elements for stratum corneum barrier function is its hydration state. In the present work, the membrane neutron diffraction method is employed to reveal important stratum corneum structural changes that emanate upon water uptake. Increasing stratum corneum water content was observed to lead reversibly to the progressive disruption of the highly ordered lipid configuration and the distortion of the system's barrier function