Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I'm currently working on "The Skinny on Moisturizers: Which is Works Best to Keep Skin Moist ?" The link is also below.
Link: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... #procedure

There's certain aspects of the project that are kind of confusion, Therefore I'm looking to see if anyone can help me out with these questions.

1. What is the chemistry between dry skin and the moisturizers ? I've googled this and did some research but I could find a reliable source that answers this question.

2. Why do you have to measure the height and weigh the petri dishes for data ? I don't get the point of doing that and I'm trying to find out exactly what's the point of measuring this.

If somebody could get back to me before March 30th, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you

Hello,

I think that moisturizers function mainly as barriers that limit water evaporation from the skin. The following links include information about how moisturizers work:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/newslett ... -they-work

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-do-m ... oth-2015-7

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moisturizer

https://www.scienceabc.com/humans/how-d ... -work.html

You might also try searching with Google Scholar if you want information of a more technical nature.

The project procedure calls for measuring the gelatin height in each Petri dish. This height is related to the amount of water lost from the gelatin. Any water lost from the gelatin will either transfer to the moisturizer or to the surrounding air. Water lost to the air will show up as a weight loss. Measuring both the height of the gelatin and the weight of the Petri dish allows you to track were the water goes.

I hope this helps. Please ask again if you have more questions.

A. Norman

Hey,

I feel as my introduction for the experiments needs more information but I'm not sure what It's missing.

I've discussed :
- skin (what it is, the layers, picture etc)
- dry skin (what causes it, dermatitis , etc)
- moisturizers (definition, how it works, main types, pictures, active ingredients etc)

Do you have any suggestions for what could be helpful information ?

- Thank you ! Please get back to me ASAP

Hi,

A discussion of the list of items you posted should make a good introduction.

One addition could be a discussion of how moisturizers are tested and how these tests compare with the one you used in this project. Also, you could add more depth and details about any of the areas in your list.

You might want to review the “research paper” section of the Project Guide:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ir-project

The research paper content guidelines also work for your introduction and you may get some ideas for additional information to include.

I hope this helps. Please ask again if you have more questions.

A. Norman