Abstract: | On the Spreading of Lipids on the Skin The spontaneous spreading of liquid lipids on human skin is an important property for the use value of such products in cosmetic and pharmaceutical preparations. A comparative evaluation procedure based on an impression method is described, by means of which it is possible to determine the spreading rates in a reproducible manner. The standardized spreading values of a number of lipids are discussed in comparison with their chemical structure and physico-chemical data such as viscosity and surface tension. None of these data series correlates entirely with the spreading rates of all the lipids tested. However, it is possible to assess relative spreading rates within similarly structured groups of compounds. |