ABSTRACT
Consumers are not typically exposed to surfactants under the occlusive application conditions that are found in patch tests and frequently used to determine the skin compatibility or irritation potential of surfactant-based products (1,2). Consumer contact with surfactants is generally repetitive and for brief periods such as for hand washing or personal hygiene. In this type of interaction, the part of the skin that is in contact with the surfactants is essentially the stratum corneum (SC).
