High-quality instrument for analyzing wettability and spreadability of materials on the skin
Characterizing the shape of a drop of water on a surface and determining its contact angle is a well-known method to analyze wettability, skin’s free surface energy, its tension and its hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties. Wettability is the ability of a liquid to maintain contact with a solid surface. Wettability can be wanted or not (repellence or spreadability).
Method: When a defined droplet is applied to a solid 
medium (here: skin), the liquid forms a certain shape (drop shape). The point at which the skin, liquid and air meet determines the contact angle.
The larger the contact angle the lower the wettability and vice versa. For skin, higher wettability indicates more moisture at the skin surface.
The compact system features a very uniform diffuse LED light source, a flexible arm rest and a high-resolution camera, that takes the macro image of the drop on the skin from the side, which is then analyzed in the software.
A perfect addition for:
- Effect of products on the skin (degreasing, washing, moisturizing)
- Testing of spreadability of products
- Testing of water repellence of (cosmetic) products, for example lip gloss or nail polish
- Tissue engineering, e.g. skin grafts for scars (improved adhesion of cells with increased wettability)
