ABSTRACT
Held et al. (7) used a 24-hour patch pretreatment with 0.5% SLS to induce mild irritation on the upper arms and forearms to compare the effi cacy of several different moisturizer formulations. These investigators used a similar model to evaluate the effects of moisturizers on the susceptibility to irritants (8). Test subjects applied moisturizers to the upper arms and forearms three times daily for fi ve days. This was followed by a 24-hour patch of 0.25% SLS. Reactions were evaluated by a variety of methods, including visual scoring for erythema and TEWL. Zhai et al. (9) used a single pretreatment of test sites on the fl exor aspect of the forearms with a dimethicone protectant lotion or vehicle control. This pretreament was followed by a 24-hour occluded patch with 0.5% SLS. The effectiveness of the protectant lotion was determined by visual scoring, TEWL, skin color (a* value), and cutaneous blood fl ow volume.
