scope:

Preface

The stratum corneum is the interface between the sometimes harsh environment and the internal milieu of the human body. Our understanding of the stratum corneum has grown over the last two decades from seeing it as an inert surrounding sheet to understanding it as a biological active compartment. The second edition of Bioengineering of the Skin: Water and the Stratum Corneum reflects ten years of progress not only of the noninvasive biophysical assessment of skin physiology parameter but also of the perfection of the available devices. Several new authors have added innovative aspects to this edition. The revised chapters reflect the progress in their respective fields. Bioengineering of the skin, or more precisely the biophysical assessment of skin physiology, is moving rapidly from a descriptive approach to a deeper understanding of biophysical and biochemical processes in the stratum corneum (e.g., on stratum corneum barrier function as well on stratum corneum hydration). The current research utilizing bioengineering methods offers reliable and reproducible approaches for product testing in the pharmaceutic and cosmetic industries and in basic research. Functional data can be acquired with low follow-up costs.

We are thankful to all the authors of both new and revised chapters, and we are grateful to Yvonne Herzberg and Erika Dery for assistance in the editorial process. We hope that this new edition of a successful book will enhance communication within the research community and will be useful for scientists starting in the skin bioengineering field.