Effects of lotioned disposable handkerchiefs on skin barrier recovery after tape stripping.

Background/purpose: In the present work, it was studied whether repeated use of lotioned disposable handkerchiefs on tape-stripped forearm skin was able to improve skin barrier recovery.

Methods: Skin assessments included scoring of visual erythema and dryness/scaliness; and measuring of skin redness (Chromameter CR300), skin hydration (Corneometer CM825), and transepidermal water loss (Tewameter TM300). Four different lotioned paper handkerchiefs - randomly assigned to one of two subject groups (n=20) - were tested vs. the non-lotioned control handkerchief. The results were also compared with those obtained using a topically applied oil-in-water barrier cream (Dermalex).

Results: The three-day lasting protocol revealed that handkerchief wiping itself delayed skin recovery, but a significantly better performance was seen for the lotioned handkerchiefs containing fatty alcohols and mineral oils. This shows that the use of lotioned tissues helps to prevent skin damage inevitably caused by the wiping process.

Conclusion: The controlled pre-damaged forearm method with tape stripping appears to be a suitable model to study the effects of repetitive wiping on irritated skin with disposable handkerchiefs of different quality. More specifically, the model seems applicable to mimic the nasolabial skin damage observed during a common cold associated with frequent use of disposable handkerchiefs.