Why Gelatin? --The Skinny on Moisturizers

[Acorline]

Hi,

I am thinking about doing the project The Skinny on Moisturizers, but I am unclear on why gelatin should be used. Also, I was thinking about using untreated leather as a substitute for the gelatin. What do think about that?

Thanks,
Acorline

[jskanderson]

Hi,

I am thinking about doing the project The Skinny on Moisturizers, but I am unclear on why gelatin should be used. Also, I was thinking about using untreated leather as a substitute for the gelatin. What do think about that?

Thanks,
Acorline

Hi Acorline,

I assume that the gelatin is part of the JELL-O gelatin dessert, in which case, the background indicates that this is to be used as a model for skin (" a model of human skin using JELL-O®") to test what type of moisturizer would be most effective in preventing dry skin! The problem with untreated leather is that there won't be a guarantee that the leather will serve as a good replacement for JELL-O (since it's not similar to JELL-O).

Hope this helped,

JSK

[Acorline]

Hi,

I was wondering if you know why Jell-O is used as a substitute for human skin, as in how is like human skin and how is it different? Also, I was thinking of soaking the leather, and then applying moisturizer to see how much water was lost with different types of moisturizers (I would figure this out by weighing the leather). Do you think this would work even though the soaked leather is different from the Jell-O?

Thanks!

[Acorline]

Hey,
Does anyone have the answer to my question? I can't find anything online about how Jell-O is similar or different to skin. I kind of need this answer by tomorrow. Thanks.

[MrsDez]

Hi,

I was wondering if you know why Jell-O is used as a substitute for human skin, as in how is like human skin and how is it different? Thanks!

Hi,

The project background section is a good way to brainstorm the direction of your research about why gelatin is used. This information might lead you to the answer that you are looking for:

Gelatin is made from collagen, and collagen is found in human tissue.

"The skin model you will use will be JELL-O® in petri dishes. JELL-O is a gelatin dessert mostly made from water and gelatin, which is a substance derived from collagen. Collagen is a group of fibrous proteins found in many tissues in humans and other animals, where it helps connect and support tissues. It is commonly found in the skin and is particularly important in the dermis layer. While this gelatin dessert will be used as a model for human skin in this science project, it is clearly different from human skin. As with any model, keep in mind how your model is different from the real thing (i.e., human skin). Check out the KidsHealth® resource in the Bibliography to learn more about human skin."

[Acorline]

Thanks!