Elevated amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) are observed in the epidermis in different skin disorders. Thus, epidermal sensing of H2O2 should be useful to monitor the progression of skin pathologies. We have evaluated epidermal sensing of H2O2 in vitro, by visualising H2O2 permeation through the skin. Skin membranes were mounted in Franz cells, and a suspension of Prussian white microparticles was deposited on the stratum corneum face of the skin. Upon H2O2 permeation, Prussian white was oxidised to Prussian blue, resulting in a pattern of blue dots. Comparison of skin surface images with the dot patterns revealed that about 74% of the blue dots were associated with hair shafts. The degree of the Prussian white to Prussian blue conversion strongly correlated with the reciprocal resistance of the skin membranes. Together, the results demonstrate that hair follicles are the major pathways of H2O2 transdermal penetration. The study recommends that the development of H2O2 monitoring on skin should aim for pathway-specific epidermal sensing, allowing micrometre resolution to detect and quantify this ROS biomarker at hair follicles.Graphical abstract.
Keywords: Epidermal sensing; Hair follicles; Hydrogen peroxide; Prussian blue; Skin penetration.