Celikoglu Murat, Raab Christian, Vollert Henning, Harder Jürgen, Liu Xiaolin, Baines John F, Fluhr Joachim W, Keck Cornelia M, Infante Victor H P, Meinke Martina C
Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany.
Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Center of Experimental and Applied Cutaneous Physiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
Sci Rep. 2025 Sep 15;15(1):32536. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-18487-9.
Ethanol is widely used in cosmetic formulations as a solvent, preservative, and penetration enhancer, yet its effects on atopic skin remain controversial. This study explores the impact of ethanol in skin care products on skin physiology, microbiome composition and subjective perception. A two-part investigation was conducted: (I) ex vivo analysis using porcine skin models exposed to varying ethanol concentrations, and (II) a double blinded, placebo controlled, randomized clinical pilot study on 9 patients with Atopic Dermatitis (AD) comparing creams with and without 12% ethanol. The ex vivo study revealed that ethanol concentrations above 15% negatively affected epidermal barrier integrity, increasing stratum corneum (SC) permeability and transepidermal water loss (TEWL). In the clinical trial, 12% ethanol demonstrated no significant adverse effects on SC hydration, erythema, pH, or TEWL over 30 days. Microbiome analysis revealed a localized increase in Xanthomonas species associated with ethanol use, while no significant community-wide changes were observed. The implications of increased Xanthomonas abundance in response to the application of a 12% ethanol cream for atopic dermatitis remain unclear. Subjective evaluations reported similar perceptions for both formulations, with no notable exacerbations in non-lesional AD skin. These findings indicate that ethanol in concentrations ≤ 12% is safe for atopic skin.
乙醇作为溶剂、防腐剂和渗透促进剂在化妆品配方中被广泛使用，但其对特应性皮肤的影响仍存在争议。本研究探讨护肤品中的乙醇对皮肤生理、微生物群组成和主观感受的影响。研究分为两部分：（I）使用暴露于不同乙醇浓度的猪皮肤模型进行体外分析，以及（II）对9例特应性皮炎（AD）患者进行双盲、安慰剂对照、随机临床试验，比较含12%乙醇和不含乙醇的乳膏。体外研究表明，乙醇浓度高于15%会对表皮屏障完整性产生负面影响，增加角质层（SC）通透性和经表皮水分流失（TEWL）。在临床试验中，12%乙醇在30天内对SC水合作用、红斑、pH值或TEWL均未显示出显著的不良影响。微生物群分析显示，与乙醇使用相关的黄单胞菌属局部增加，而未观察到显著的全群落变化。对于特应性皮炎患者，应用含12%乙醇乳膏后黄单胞菌丰度增加的影响尚不清楚。主观评价表明，两种配方的感受相似，非皮损性AD皮肤未出现明显恶化。这些发现表明，浓度≤12%的乙醇对特应性皮肤是安全的。
