Levin Jacquelyn, Maibach Howard
Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85310, USA.
Skin Res Technol. 2008 May;14(2):121-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0846.2007.00271.x.
Skin surface acidity can be measured according to two criteria, its value given by pH and its strength determined by the ability of the skin to resist an acidic/alkaline aggression (i.e. acidic/alkaline resistance and neutralization tests). It is the quantitative extent to which the skin resists these changes that defines the term buffer capacity or acid/alkali resistance and neutralization capacity of skin. We review studies investigating the possible mechanisms contributing to the buffering capacity of the epidermis via alkali/acidic aggression tests. This paper discerns which components of the epidermis are most likely responsible for the epidermal buffering ability.