Dry Skin and Moisturizers: Chemistry and Function PDF

Preface

In the five years since the first edition of this book was published, there has been an explosion in new information relating to the nature of dry skin and its treatment. Investigators from various disciplines, including dermatologists, pharmacists, chemists, biochemists, molecular biologists, physiologists, pharmacologists, and even psychologists have advanced our knowledge tremendously. We now understand that the stratum corneum has a surprisingly large number of functions in maintaining the physiologic stability and homeostasis of the skin and mind. This second revised and updated edition of Dry Skin and Moisturizers is therefore timely and most welcomed.

Our quality of life is influenced not only by the appearance and tactile feel of the skin surface, but also by the sensorial feelings inside the skin. The generic term "dry skin" denotes a diverse family of conditions with a variety of pathologies preceding each one of them.We also recognize the complex interactions between topically applied substances and the skin.

The chapters in this volume provide information to the health care professionals who would like to increase their knowledge about dry skin disorders and learn more about the effects of constituents in moisturizing creams and pharmaceutical preparations. Moreover, the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry will find information for an improved tailoring of moisturizers according to the underlying skin abnormality. Regulatory and safety issues are also covered. Furthermore, experienced researchers will get inspiring and fruitful ideas due to the easily accessible information about neighboring research areas, which will promote new discoveries. Readers who wish to go deeper into topics in which they have a special interest are able to do so via the numerous references provided.

We are indebted to the 60 renowned international specialists who have contributed excellent chapters for the book. We sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading the book as much as we have enjoyed planning and receiving the chapters from these authors. Suggestions for improvements for coming editions are appreciated.

We also wish to express our appreciation to Ms Erica Dery and Ms Helena Redshaw at CRC Press for accelerating the editorial process.