Glossary · Clinical

TEWL (transepidermal water loss)

What it means

The rate at which water evaporates through the stratum corneum, measured with instruments such as a Tewameter. A fall in TEWL shows the skin barrier is recovering, which supports barrier-repair claims.

Sources: 1

Why it matters

Clinical and instrumental data turn a marketing promise into a claim you can defend with regulators, retailers and consumers.

How Guires CSL applies it

Guires CSL formulation, testing, clinical and regulatory teams work with TEWL on client projects every week, from the first brief to the final product file.

Claims & clinical studies

References

  1. Peer-reviewed Rogiers V; EEMCO Group. EEMCO guidance for the assessment of transepidermal water loss in cosmetic sciences. Skin Pharmacol Appl Skin Physiol. 2001;14(2):117-128. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Regulations and standards are listed first, then peer-reviewed literature. Sources checked October 2026.

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