ABSTRACT
Human skin consists essentially of three layers: the deep subcutaneous fatty layer, the dermis, and the epidermis. The outermost layer of the epidermis is the horny layer, or stratum corneum (SC). The barrier function of the skin resides almost entirely in the outermost portion in the SC [1]. It presents a system that prevents dehydration of the underlying tissues and excludes the entry of noxious substances from the environment [2,3]. The stratum corneum consists of 10-15 layers of flattened, anucleate, keratinized cells embedded in a lipidic matrix. Typically, the dry SC is approximately 10 /lm thick.
