“The main purpose of the epidermis (the outer most layer of the skin) is to generate a barrier function which prevent external outflow of water from our body as well as preventing the influx of dangerous chemicals into our body, which primarily resides in the Stratum Corneum(SC)” said Prof. Randall Wickett, Emeritus Professor of Pharmaceutics and Cosmetic Science at James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati during his talk on “Fundamentals of topical delivery – The stratum corneum barrier” at NANOTEC on January 22.
Prof. Randall went on to say that the SC is a remarkable tissue given its minute thickness (no thinker than a sheet of paper) however, it cannot discriminate between the noxious compounds we want to keep out of our skin and the beneficial compounds we would like to get through the SC to have active drug or cosmetic effects. For this reason, it is important to understand the fundamental of SC in order that delivery of beneficial compounds gets through the SC effectively.
Dr. Randall is currently a visiting professor attached to the Nano Cosmeceutical Lab at NANOTEC. The duration of his stay is from January 16 to February 15. He is providing advice to NANOTEC researchers as well as helping the lab build international network and scientific skills.
