ABSTRACT
The stratum corneum is the outermost layer of the skin and is the principal barrier tissue preventing water loss from the body and providing mechanical protection. It is produced as the end product of epidermal terminal differentiation, a process which involves several coordinated biochemical processes. The final result is a tissue that prevents water loss by the formation of a continuous matrix of highly organized lipid lamellae, into which is embedded an extensive network of “dead” cells called corneocytes [1,2].
