ABSTRACT
The epidermis of mammalian skin is a stratified squamous epithelium that provides the body with a barrier against influences from the environment. Important features of this barrier, which is located in the stratum corneum (SC), include protection against desiccation and the penetration of microbes and harmful agents. The outermost nonviable layer of the epidermis, the SC consists of flat, protein-rich corneocytes embedded in an intercellular lipid matrix. It has been shown that most agents that penetrate the skin need to pass this intercellular lipid matrix, since these lipids form an almost continuous domain in the SC [1]. Consequently, the intercellular lipid matrix, is an important topic in studies on (trans) dermal drug delivery systems [2-6], barrier function, desquamation, diseased skin, and reconstructed epidermis [7-11].
