This article has been accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as doi: 10.1111/ICS.12643 This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved PROF. REINHOLD H DAUSKARDT (Orcid ID : 0000-0003-3989-362X) Article type : Original Article Effect of Emulsifiers on Drying Stress and Intercellular Cohesion in Human Stratum Corneum Farhan Ansari, 1 Christine McGuiness, 1,2, Barry Zhang 3 and Reinhold H. Dauskardt ,1,* 1 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA 2 Solvay USA Inc, 350 George Patterson Blvd, Bristol, PA 19007, USA 3 Solvay Inc, Jindu Road 3966, Xinzhuang Industrial zone, Shanghai, China. 201108 * Corresponding author: Reinhold H. Dauskardt (dauskardt@stanford.edu) Abstract OBJECTIVES: Emulsifier molecules, with their amphiphilic character, are ubiquitous in moisturizing creams and primarily serve to disperse the water-insoluble molecules such as emollients, oils, lipids, and fats in water. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of emulsifier molecules on the barrier and biomechanical properties of human stratum corneum (SC), and to compare the efficacy of emulsifier molecules when used in a fully formulated moisturizing cream. METHODS: We employed methods based on thin film mechanics to measure the drying stress and intercellular cohesion in the SC. The emulsifier molecules or moisturizing creams formulated with them were applied to a fully-hydrated SC adhered to a glass substrate. In-plane stress Accepted Article