Skin hydration

The common dermatological issue is skin dehydration caused by low moisture retention, damaging the skin barrier. Traditional methods of moisturizing formulations depend on human or animal studies, which raises ethical issues and expenses. The present study aims to develop and study a collagen-gelatin artificial skin model and the hydration efficacy of an herbal gel made with leaf extract from Portulaca oleracea (purslane) and root extract from Imperata cylindrica (cogon grass). Artificial skin membranes (F1 and F2) were made from collagen and gelatin respectively, with glycerine as a plasticizer and glutaraldehyde as a cross-linking agent. Among these, formulation F2 showed high structural integrity due to the increased concentration of gelatin and was taken as the optimized membrane. The optimized artificial skin demonstrated an average thickness of 1.08 mm, with pH of 6.8, indicating compatibility with physiological skin conditions. Dryness was successfully induced by treating the membrane with 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate for 30 minutes. Herbal gel formulations (G1, G2, and G3) were made with Carbopol as gelling agent and was tested for physicochemical conditions. Among three formulations, G3 had optimized performance, with high moisture uptake, reduced water loss, and prolonged moisture retention. Overall, the developed artificial skin model proved to be reliable, cost-effective, and ethically acceptable in vitro method for preliminary screening of topical moisturizing formulations.