HAGA, Japan—So what do fabric softeners and dry skin have in common? Well, according to a new study conducted by Kao Corp., it’s possible fabric softeners contribute to the state of moisturization of the skin and may work in collaboration with the application of moisturizers (Int J Cosm Sci. 2011;33(6):566-71).Scientific evaluation of fabric softener use on the friction of fabrics and on dry skin in real life is very limited so researchers decided to evaluate the effects and safety of fabric softener-treated T-shirts on subjects with dry skin in real-life conditions in the cold and arid environment. A total of 20 male volunteers with dry skin used T-shirts without softener for one week before day 0 and then wore softener-treated T-shirts for 14 days. Effects were evaluated by clinical grading, subjective symptoms, stratum corneum water content (SCWC) and transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
A significant decrease in the coefficient of friction of fabrics was detected. A significant improvement in SCWC was observed on the torso, waist and shoulder, but no improvement was found on the inner forearm. There was a slight change in TEWL. The visual grading of dryness improved significantly at all sites, but no significant change was found in subjective symptoms. The results suggest fabric softener provides benefits to individuals with dry skin because of the decreased friction of the garments against the skin.
