Body Biofilm & Lotion: Healthier Skin
- Fragrances and body lotions may suppress a potentially unhealthy "human oxidation field" surrounding our bodies, according to recent research.
- The study, published in Science Advances, builds on earlier work that identified the oxidation field.
- Researchers found that body lotion acts as a barrier between ozone and squalene, a natural skin oil, hindering hydroxyl radical production.
New research reveals how lotions and perfumes actively reduce the potentially harmful human oxidation field, a phenomenon impacting air quality and human health. This study, published in Science Advances, explores a critical relationship: When skin oils react with indoor ozone, a reactive zone emerges. The recent analysis shows that these personal care products can act as shields.As a notable example, body lotions create a barrier, and the ethanol in fragrances reduces the field’s intensity.News Directory 3’s analysis further reveals the significance of this discovery for indoor air chemistry.What’s the next step? Discover what’s next as experts explore the additional compounds generated and their health implications.
Lotions and Perfumes Reduce potentially Harmful Human Oxidation Field
Updated May 29, 2025
Fragrances and body lotions may suppress a potentially unhealthy “human oxidation field” surrounding our bodies, according to recent research. This zone, created when skin oils react with ozone, can affect indoor air quality and human exposure to pollutants.
The study, published in Science Advances, builds on earlier work that identified the oxidation field. This field arises from the combination of skin oils, indoor ozone, and emissions from cooking, cleaning, smoking, and furnishings. The resulting hydroxyl radicals can significantly impact indoor air.
Researchers found that body lotion acts as a barrier between ozone and squalene, a natural skin oil, hindering hydroxyl radical production. Ethanol in fragrances also reduces the oxidation field’s strength.
manabu Shiraiwa, a chemistry professor at UC Irvine, led the development of a chemical kinetic model. Penn State researchers contributed a computational fluid dynamics model to simulate the accumulation of reactive components indoors.
“Our team took a unique approach to simulate concentrations of chemical compounds near humans in the indoor surroundings,” Shiraiwa said. He added that the model simulates reactions of ozone with skin and clothing,leading to the formation of hydroxyl radicals and semi-volatile organic compounds.
The findings have implications for indoor air chemistry,air quality,and human health,as the human oxidation field transforms chemicals in our immediate environment,the authors said.
“If we buy a sofa from major furniture company, it’s tested for harmful emissions before being put on sale. Though,when we sit on the sofa,we naturally transform some of these emissions as of the oxidation field we generate,” said lead author Jonathan Williams,of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry.
Williams added that this change can create additional compounds in our breathing zone with poorly understood properties.body lotion and perfume appear to lessen this effect.
What’s next
Future research will focus on better understanding the properties of the additional compounds created by the human oxidation field and how they impact human health in indoor environments.