Skin penetration of flavonoids - influence of nonionic surfactants

These substances display strong antioxidant, free-radical-scavenging and metalchelating activity as well as many other activities [4,5]. It has been proven, that the process of lipid peroxidation can be effectively inhibited by flavonoids [6]. The skin is the first line of our defence against external agents. This organ plays a role of very effective barrier for compounds that have been applied onto its surface and are supposed to penetrate it [7]. In the skin flavonoids could play a very important role of free radical scavengers and anti-oxidising agents in the most upper layer of the skinstratum corneum [8]. Penetrating deeper, to the level of epidermis flavonoids are involved in many enzymatic reactions [9]. The dee-