When a cosmetic product is applied to the skin, a balance is established between absorption into the epidermis, retention on the skin's surface, and the evaporation of volatile molecules. It has been shown that the headspace concentrations of volatile molecules evaporating from the skin differ from those evaporating from an inert ceramic support, which confirms that interactions with the stratum corneum take place. Other factors, such as skin surface roughness, porosity, and physicochemical properties, also play an important role in the release phenomena. To our knowledge, these aspects have received little attention in the cosmetic research literature and need to be studied to gain a better understanding of the link between surface physicochemistry and evaporation phenomena.

To explore this issue, we developed an innovative and robust device, designed to measure perfume release both in vitro and in vivo on human skin. This adaptation allows us to study both evaporation and penetration simultaneously, and to compare in vitro and in vivo behaviors. In addition to enhancing our understanding of the relationship between skin physicochemistry and fragrance evaporation, developing a model surface that mimics the release, and consequently, the olfactory perception of perfumes on the skin presents a significant challenge in both the biological and material science fields.