The Role of Lipids in the Epidermal Barrier to Water Diffusion**From the Departments of Dermatology and Biochemistry, Evans Memorial Department of Clinical Research, University Hospital and Boston University School of Medicine, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02118.

Winsor, 1944, Differential roles of layers of human epigastric skin on diffusion rate of water, Arch Int Med, 74, 428, 10.1001/archinte.1944.00210240018004 Berenson, 1951, Studies of diffusion of water through dead human skin: The effect of different environmental states and of chemical alterations of the epidermis, Amer J Trop Med, 31, 842, 10.4269/ajtmh.1951.s1-31.842 Onken, 1963, The water barrier in human epidermis. Physical and chemical nature, Arch Derm, 87, 584, 10.1001/archderm.1963.01590170042007 Mali, 1956, The transport of water through the human epidermis, J Invest Derm, 27, 451, 10.1038/jid.1956.118 Tregear, 1956, The structures which limit the penetrability of the skin, J Soc Cosmet Chem, 13, 145 Blank, 1952, Factors which influence the water content of the stratum corneum, J Invest Derm, 18, 433, 10.1038/jid.1952.52 Blank, 1967, The effect of temperature on the transport of non-electrolytes across the skin, J Invest Derm, 49, 582, 10.1038/jid.1967.184 Matoltsy, 1968, Studies of the epidermal water barrier. Part II. Investigation of the chemical nature of the water barrier, J Invest Derm, 50, 19, 10.1038/jid.1968.3 Downes, 1967, Studies of the epidermal water barrier. I. An improved in vitro method for determining the diffusion of water through the skin, J Invest Derm, 49, 230, 10.1038/jid.1967.128 Downing, 1969, Variability in the chemical composition of human skin surface lipids, J Invest Derm, 53, 322, 10.1038/jid.1969.157 Mustakallio, 1967, Lipids extracted by DMSO from full thickness sheets of epidermis, Scand J Clin Lab Invest, 19, 50 Fredriksson, 1969, Influence of solvents and surface active agents on the barrier function of the skin towards Sarin. II. Increase in rate of absorption, Acta Dermatovenor, 49, 55