essential oils increase skin barrier fluidity, allowing deeper absorption of active compounds
Essential oils shift stratum corneum lipid CH₂ stretching frequencies to higher wavenumbers (blue shift), indicating a trans-to-gauche conformational change in lipid alkyl chains that increases membrane fluidity and drug diffusivity.
What this means for you
When the lipid layer of your skin becomes more fluid, it's more permeable — meaning beneficial compounds applied to the skin can actually reach deeper layers instead of sitting on the surface. This is why essential oils are often used alongside other topical actives: they may help your skin absorb more of what you put on it.
The published research
Development of essential oils as skin permeation enhancers: penetration enhancement effect and mechanism of action.
Pharmaceutical biology · 2017
This page describes a documented finding about the underlying wellness technology. It is not a marketing claim about any specific device. For information about HOCATT specifically, visit hocatt.com.