A mathematical approach to predicting the percutaneous absorption enhancing effect of sodium lauryl sulphate.

A study has been made of the effect of sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) at several concentrations from 0.24 to 5% (w/w) on skin permeability. Seven model drugs were selected for this study on the basis of their lipophilicity as represented by their logP(oct) values (from -0.95 to 4.2). Skin pre-treatment with aqueous solutions of SLS does not increase the permeability coefficient of the most lipophilic compounds (logP(oct)> or =3). For the other compounds assayed the increase in the permeability coefficients depends on the concentration of SLS used in the skin pre-treatment, and on the lipophilicity of the compounds tested.The correlation between the inverse of SLS efficacy as an enhancer (1/ER…