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Permeation Enhancers

Meaning

Permeation enhancers are chemical agents intentionally incorporated into topical or transdermal drug delivery systems to temporarily increase the permeability of the skin’s outermost layer, the stratum corneum. These compounds facilitate the passage of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) across the epidermal barrier and into the systemic circulation. In hormonal health, they are crucial for transdermal hormone replacement therapies, enabling sufficient delivery of lipophilic steroids like estradiol or testosterone to achieve therapeutic plasma concentrations. Effective permeation is essential for the clinical success of non-oral hormonal administration.