ABSTRACT
Placing fabric over the skin surface without any downward or lateral movement of the fabric relative to the skin possibly cause changes in the skin. The intensity of the sensations defines the fabric feel ranges from soft to uncomfortable. For fabrics that remain in prolonged contact with the skin, two considerations are important with regard to their chemical composition: the inherent irritation potential of the material and a potential immune reaction promoting allergic reactions. The discomfort associated with reactive skin, in its restricted sense, corresponds to manifestations of a genuine exaggerated neural sensitivity and skin sensory irritation (SSI) to mechanical stimulations. A series of clinical and noninvasive biometrological assessments possibly document specific aspects linked to sensory irritation. This review encompasses measurements of transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin capacitance mapping, and squamometry. The ex vivo corneosurfametry and corneoxenometry bioassays deal with surfactant SSI and other xenobiotic SSI assessments.
