Monte Carlo simulation of the effect of melanin concentration on light-tissue interactions in transmittance and reflectance finger photoplethysmography.

Photoplethysmography (PPG) uses light to detect volumetric changes in blood, and is integrated into many healthcare devices to monitor various physiological measurements. However, an unresolved limitation of PPG is the effect of skin pigmentation on the signal and its impact on PPG based applications such as pulse oximetry. Hence, an in-silico model of the human finger was developed using the Monte Carlo (MC) technique to simulate light interactions with different melanin concentrations in a human finger, as it is the primary determinant of skin pigmentation. The AC/DC ratio in reflectance PPG mode was evaluated at source-detector separations of 1 mm and 3 mm as the convergence rate (Q), a parameter that quantifies the accuracy of the simulation, exceeded a threshold of 0.001. At a source-detector separation of 3 mm, the AC/DC ratio of light skin was 0.472 times more than moderate skin and 6.39 than dark skin at 660 nm, and 0.114 and 0.141 respectively at 940 nm. These findings are significant for the development of PPG-based sensors given the ongoing concerns regarding the impact of skin pigmentation on healthcare devices.

Multi-Modal Spectroscopic Assessment of Skin Hydration.

Human skin acts as a protective barrier, preserving bodily functions and regulating water loss. Disruption to the skin barrier can lead to skin conditions and diseases, emphasizing the need for skin hydration monitoring. The gold-standard sensing method for assessing skin hydration is the Corneometer, monitoring the skin's electrical properties. It relies on measuring capacitance and has the advantage of precisely detecting a wide range of hydration levels within the skin's superficial layer. However, measurement errors due to its front end requiring contact with the skin, combined with the bipolar configuration of the electrodes used and discrepancies due to variations in various interfering analytes, often result in significant inaccuracy and a need to perform measurements under controlled conditions. To overcome these issues, we explore the merits of a different approach to sensing electrical properties, namely, a tetrapolar bioimpedance sensing approach, with the merits of a novel optical sensing modality. Tetrapolar bioimpedance allows for the elimination of bipolar measurement errors, and optical spectroscopy allows for the identification of skin water absorption peaks at wavelengths of 970 nm and 1450 nm. Employing both electrical and optical sensing modalities through a multimodal approach enhances skin hydration measurement sensitivity and validity. This layered approach may be particularly beneficial for minimising errors, providing a more robust and comprehensive tool for skin hydration assessment. An ex vivo desorption experiment was carried out on fresh porcine skin, and an in vivo indicative case study was conducted utilising the developed optical and bioimpedance sensing devices. Expected outcomes were expressed from both techniques, with an increase in the output of the optical sensor voltage and a decrease in bioimpedance as skin hydration decreased. MLR models were employed, and the results presented strong correlations (R-squared = 0.996 and p-value = 6.45 × 10-21), with an enhanced outcome for hydration parameters when both modalities were combined as opposed to independently, highlighting the advantage of the multimodal sensing approach for skin hydration assessment.

A review of the effect of skin pigmentation on pulse oximeter accuracy.

Objective. Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive optical technique used to measure arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) in a variety of clinical settings and scenarios. Despite being one the most significant technological advances in health monitoring over the last few decades, there have been reports on its various limitations. Recently due to the Covid-19 pandemic, questions about pulse oximeter technology and its accuracy when used in people with different skin pigmentation have resurfaced, and are to be addressed.Approach. This review presents an introduction to the technique of pulse oximetry including its basic principle of operation, technology, and limitations, with a more in depth focus on skin pigmentation. Relevant literature relating to the performance and accuracy of pulse oximeters in populations with different skin pigmentation are evaluated.Main Results. The majority of the evidence suggests that the accuracy of pulse oximetry differs in subjects of different skin pigmentations to a level that requires particular attention, with decreased accuracy in patients with dark skin.Significance. Some recommendations, both from the literature and contributions from the authors, suggest how future work could address these inaccuracies to potentially improve clinical outcomes. These include the objective quantification of skin pigmentation to replace currently used qualitative methods, and computational modelling for predicting calibration algorithms based on skin colour.

The Impact of Acetic Acid on Measuring Ethanol Concentrations in Water and Human Serum Using Short-Wave Infrared Spectroscopy.

Ethanol intoxication, although an elemental part of life in many places around the world, still presents several issues associated with excessive consumption. These issues range from drunk driving, violence, and antisocial behavior to self-harm, all exerting an increased cost on the society. Monitoring of intoxication levels can help to limit the impact of these issues by preventing the use of automobiles or heavy machinery and personal monitoring. Previous works on noninvasive measurement of ethanol tissue concentration for estimation of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) performed worst during the first hour of intoxication. Gas chromatography research of intoxication shows that levels of acetic acid rise together at a similar rate as those of ethanol after initial imbibement. In this research, short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectroscopy was utilized with the aim of establishing the interaction between ethanol and acetic acid in water and serum mixtures. The most consistent and clear correlation between ethanol and acetic acid was recorded at 2262 and 2302 nm wavelengths. Partial least-squares (PLS) analysis indicates that the most effective region for consideration in measurement of ethanol is the therapeutic window four (IV) due to high variance in vibration of carbon bonds. The behavior of spectra at different concentration ranges was examined and described in detail in relation to the consequence of alcohol measurement. The investigation concluded that ethanol shows distinctive regions of absorbance at wavelengths of 2262 and 2302 nm, with variations arising from increasing concentrations of acetic acid, whilst also showing that therapeutic window four is amongst the most influential regions of the spectrum for SWIR.

A paper-based colorimetric method for monitoring of lithium therapeutic levels.

Lithium remains the "gold standard" for both acute and maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder (BD), a serious life-long condition characterised by recurrent episodes of depressed and manic mood states. However, lithium has a very narrow therapeutic range (0.4-1.2 mmol L-1) and despite its effectiveness in preventing and reducing mood swings and suicidality, it is a potentially hazardous drug. While it is crucial to carefully monitor lithium plasma levels, the current techniques of lithium monitoring are cumbersome and require frequent blood tests with the consequent discomfort which results in patients evading treatment. Therefore, development of low-cost and facile lithium detection techniques that can be translated into point-of-care devices for personal monitoring will be a major advance in the management of BD. In the current study, we present colorimetric determination of lithium therapeutic levels utilizing test paper strips, based on its reaction with the chromogenic agent Quinizarin. Exposure of Quinizarin-dipped test papers to samples of interstitial fluid (ISF) or dH2O spiked with therapeutic concentrations of lithium resulted in colour changes that were monitored using optical spectroscopy. The acquired spectra from the test papers show spectral variations which are related to lithium concentrations in spiked samples of dh2O and artificial ISF with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.9 and 0.8, respectively. Altogether, the spectrophotometric and colorimetric analyses demonstrated strong correlations between the observed colour changes and the concentrations of lithium present in the sample. Therefore, this study has demonstrated that Quinizarin-treated cellulose-based papers are suitable for the precise detection of changes in lithium therapeutic levels. This method is simple and very convenient and serves as a foundation for the future development of a paper-based colorimetric sensor for monitoring of lithium therapeutic levels in ISF and other non-invasive biological fluids.

Measuring stress: a review of the current cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) measurement techniques and considerations for the future of mental health monitoring.

Psychological stress and its inevitable trajectory toward mental health deteriorations such as clinical and major depression has become an unprecedented global burden. The diagnostic procedures involved in the characterization of mental illnesses commonly follow qualitative and subjective measures of stress, often leading to greater socioeconomic burdens due to misdiagnosis and poor understanding of the severity of such illnesses, further fueled by the stigmatization surrounding mental health. In recent years, the application of cortisol and stress hormone measurements has given rise to an alternative, quantifiable approach for the psychological evaluation of stress and depression. This review comprehensively evaluates the current state-of-the-art technology for measuring cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and their applications within stress monitoring in humans. Recent advancements in these fields have shown the importance of measuring stress hormones for the characterization of stress manifestation within the human body, and its relevance in mental health decline. Preliminary results from studies considering multimodal approaches toward stress monitoring have showcased promising developments, emphasizing the need for further technological advancement in this field, which consider both neurochemical and physiological biomarkers of stress, for global benefit.

Optical determination of lithium therapeutic levels in micro-volumes of interstitial fluid.

BACKGROUND: Long-term management of bipolar disorder (BD), characterized by mood fluctuating between episodes of mania and depression, involves the regular taking of lithium preparations as the most reliable mood stabilizer for bipolar patients. However, despite its effectiveness in preventing and reducing mood swings and suicidality, lithium has a very narrow therapeutic index and it is crucial to carefully monitor lithium plasma levels as concentrations >1.2 mmol/L are potentially toxic and can be fatal. Current methods of lithium therapeutic monitoring involve frequent blood tests, which have several drawbacks related to the invasiveness of the technique, comfort, cost and reliability. Dermal interstitial fluid (ISF) is an accessible and information-rich biofluid, and correlations have been found between blood and ISF levels of lithium medication. METHODS: In the current study, we sought to investigate the optical determination of lithium therapeutic concentrations in samples of ISF extracted from porcine skin utilizing a microneedle-based approach. Monitoring of lithium levels in porcine ISF was achieved by employing a spectrophotometric method based on the reaction between the chromogenic agent Quinizarin and lithium. RESULTS: The resulting spectra show spectral variations which relate to lithium concentrations of lithium in samples of porcine ISF with a coefficient of determination (R2 ) of 0.9. This study has demonstrated successfully that therapeutic levels of lithium in micro-volumes of porcine ISF can be measured with a high level of accuracy utilizing spectroscopic techniques. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the future development of a miniaturized and minimally-invasive device for lithium monitoring in bipolar patients.

Review of Advances in the Measurement of Skin Hydration Based on Sensing of Optical and Electrical Tissue Properties.

The presence of water in the skin is crucial for maintaining the properties and functions of the skin, in particular its outermost layer, known as the stratum corneum, which consists of a lipid barrier. External exposures can affect the skin's hydration levels and in turn, alter its mechanical and physical properties. Monitoring these alterations in the skin's water content can be applicable in clinical, cosmetic, athletic and personal settings. Many techniques measuring this parameter have been investigated, with electrical-based methods currently being widely used in commercial devices. Furthermore, the exploration of optical techniques to measure hydration is growing due to the outcomes observed through the penetration of light at differing levels. This paper comprehensively reviews such measurement techniques, focusing on recent experimental studies and state-of-the-art devices.

Review of Ethanol Intoxication Sensing Technologies and Techniques.

The field of alcohol intoxication sensing is over 100 years old, spanning the fields of medicine, chemistry, and computer science, aiming to produce the most effective and accurate methods of quantifying intoxication levels. This review presents the development and the current state of alcohol intoxication quantifying devices and techniques, separated into six major categories: estimates, breath alcohol devices, bodily fluid testing, transdermal sensors, mathematical algorithms, and optical techniques. Each of these categories was researched by analyzing their respective performances and drawbacks. We found that the major developments in monitoring ethanol intoxication levels aim at noninvasive transdermal/optical methods for personal monitoring. Many of the "categories" of ethanol intoxication systems overlap with each other with to a varying extent, hence the division of categories is based only on the principal operation of the techniques described in this review. In summary, the gold-standard method for measuring blood ethanol levels is through gas chromatography. Early estimation methods based on mathematical equations are largely popular in forensic fields. Breath alcohol devices are the most common type of alcohol sensors on the market and are generally implemented in law enforcement. Transdermal sensors vary largely in their sensing methodologies, but they mostly follow the principle of electrical sensing or enzymatic reaction rate. Optical devices and methodologies perform well, with some cases outperforming breath alcohol devices in terms of the precision of measurement. Other estimation algorithms consider multimodal approaches and should not be considered alcohol sensing devices, but rather as prospective measurement of the intoxication influence. This review found 38 unique technologies and techniques for measuring alcohol intoxication, which is testament to the acute interest in the innovation of noninvasive technologies for assessing intoxication.

Advances in Therapeutic Monitoring of Lithium in the Management of Bipolar Disorder.

Since the mid-20th century, lithium continues to be prescribed as a first-line mood stabilizer for the management of bipolar disorder (BD). However, lithium has a very narrow therapeutic index, and it is crucial to carefully monitor lithium plasma levels as concentrations greater than 1.2 mmol/L are potentially toxic and can be fatal. The quantification of lithium in clinical laboratories is performed by atomic absorption spectrometry, flame emission photometry, or conventional ion-selective electrodes. All these techniques are cumbersome and require frequent blood tests with consequent discomfort which results in patients evading treatment. Furthermore, the current techniques for lithium monitoring require highly qualified personnel and expensive equipment; hence, it is crucial to develop low-cost and easy-to-use devices for decentralized monitoring of lithium. The current paper seeks to review the pertinent literature rigorously and critically with a focus on different lithium-monitoring techniques which could lead towards the development of automatic and point-of-care analytical devices for lithium determination.

In-silico investigation towards the non-invasive optical detection of blood lactate.

This paper uses Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the interaction of short-wave infrared (SWIR) light with vascular tissue as a step toward the development of a non-invasive optical sensor for measuring blood lactate in humans. The primary focus of this work was to determine the optimal source-detector separation, penetration depth of light at SWIR wavelengths in tissue, and the optimal light power required for reliable detection of lactate. The investigation also focused on determining the non-linear variations in absorbance of lactate at a few select SWIR wavelengths. SWIR photons only penetrated 1.3 mm and did not travel beyond the hypodermal fat layer. The maximum output power was only 2.51% of the input power, demonstrating the need for a highly sensitive detection system. Simulations optimized a source-detector separation of 1 mm at 1684 nm for accurate measurement of lactate in blood.

Comparison of Dual Beam Dispersive and FTNIR Spectroscopy for Lactate Detection.

Near Infrared (800-2500 nm) spectroscopy has been extensively used in biomedical applications, as it offers rapid, in vivo, bed-side monitoring of important haemodynamic parameters, which is especially important in critical care settings. However, the choice of NIR spectrometer needs to be investigated for biomedical applications, as both the dual beam dispersive spectrophotomer and the FTNIR spectrometer have their own advantages and disadvantages. In this study, predictive analysis of lactate concentrations in whole blood were undertaken using multivariate techniques on spectra obtained from the two spectrometer types simultaneously and results were compared. Results showed significant improvement in predicting analyte concentration when analysis was performed on full range spectral data. This is in comparison to analysis of limited spectral regions or lactate signature peaks, which yielded poorer prediction models. Furthermore, for the same region, FTNIR showed 10% better predictive capability than the dual beam dispersive NIR spectrometer.

Design and Analysis of a Continuous and Non-Invasive Multi-Wavelength Optical Sensor for Measurement of Dermal Water Content.

Dermal water content is an important biophysical parameter in preserving skin integrity and preventing skin damage. Traditional electrical-based and open-chamber evaporimeters have several well-known limitations. In particular, such devices are costly, sizeable, and only provide arbitrary outputs. They also do not permit continuous and non-invasive monitoring of dermal water content, which can be beneficial for various consumer, clinical, and cosmetic purposes. We report here on the design and development of a digital multi-wavelength optical sensor that performs continuous and non-invasive measurement of dermal water content. In silico investigation on porcine skin was carried out using the Monte Carlo modeling strategy to evaluate the feasibility and characterize the sensor. Subsequently, an in vitro experiment was carried out to evaluate the performance of the sensor and benchmark its accuracy against a high-end, broad band spectrophotometer. Reference measurements were made against gravimetric analysis. The results demonstrate that the developed sensor can deliver accurate, continuous, and non-invasive measurement of skin hydration through measurement of dermal water content. Remarkably, the novel design of the sensor exceeded the performance of the high-end spectrophotometer due to the important denoising effects of temporal averaging. The authors believe, in addition to wellbeing and skin health monitoring, the designed sensor can particularly facilitate disease management in patients presenting diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, malnutrition, and atopic dermatitis.

Comparison of wavelength selection methods for in-vitro estimation of lactate: a new unconstrained, genetic algorithm-based wavelength selection.

Biochemical and medical literature establish lactate as a fundamental biomarker that can shed light on the energy consumption dynamics of the body at cellular and physiological levels. It is therefore, not surprising that it has been linked to many critical conditions ranging from the morbidity and mortality of critically ill patients to the diagnosis and prognosis of acute ischemic stroke, septic shock, lung injuries, insulin resistance in diabetic patients, and cancer. Currently, the gold standard for the measurement of lactate requires blood sampling. The invasive and costly nature of this procedure severely limits its application outside intensive care units. Optical sensors can provide a non-invasive, inexpensive, easy-to-use, continuous alternative to blood sampling. Previous efforts to achieve this have shown significant potential, but have been inconclusive. A measure that has been previously overlooked in this context, is the use of variable selection methods to identify regions of the optical spectrum that are most sensitive to and representative of the concentration of lactate. In this study, several wavelength selection methods are investigated and a new genetic algorithm-based wavelength selection method is proposed. This study shows that the development of more accurate and parsimonious models for optical estimation of lactate is possible. Unlike many existing methods, the proposed method does not impose additional locality constraints on the spectral features and therefore helps provide a much more granular interpretation of wavelength importance.

Identification and Quantitative Determination of Lactate Using Optical Spectroscopy-Towards a Noninvasive Tool for Early Recognition of Sepsis.

Uninterrupted monitoring of serum lactate levels is a prerequisite in the critical care of patients prone to sepsis, cardiogenic shock, cardiac arrest, or severe lung disease. Yet there exists no device to continuously measure blood lactate in clinical practice. Optical spectroscopy together with multivariate analysis is proposed as a viable noninvasive tool for estimation of lactate in blood. As an initial step towards this goal, we inspected the plausibility of predicting the concentration of sodium lactate (NaLac) from the UV/visible, near-infrared (NIR), and mid-infrared (MIR) spectra of 37 isotonic phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) samples containing NaLac ranging from 0 to 20 mmol/L. UV/visible (300-800 nm) and NIR (800-2600 nm) spectra of PBS samples were collected using the PerkinElmer Lambda 1050 dual-beam spectrophotometer, while MIR (4000-500 cm-1) spectra were collected using the Spectrum two FTIR spectrometer. Absorption bands in the spectra of all three regions were identified and functional groups were assigned. The concentration of lactate in samples was predicted using the Partial Least-Squares (PLS) regression analysis and leave-one-out cross-validation. The regression analysis showed a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.926, 0.977, and 0.992 for UV/visible, NIR, and MIR spectra, respectively, between the predicted and reference samples. The RMSECV of UV/visible, NIR, and MIR spectra was 1.59, 0.89, and 0.49 mmol/L, respectively. The results indicate that optical spectroscopy together with multivariate models can achieve a superior technique in assessing lactate concentrations.

Investigations into the Effects of pH on Quantitative Measurements of Lactate in Biological Media Using ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy.

Quantification of lactate/lactic acid in critical care environments is essential as lactate serves as an important biochemical marker for the adequacy of the haemodynamic circulation in shock and of cell respiration at the onset of sepsis/septic shock. Hence, in this study, ATR-FTIR was explored as a potential tool for lactate measurement, as the current techniques depend on sample preparation and fails to provide rapid response. Moreover, the effects of pH on PBS samples (7.4, 7, 6.5 and 6) and change in solution conditions (PBS to whole blood) on spectral features were also investigated. A total 189 spectra from five sets of lactate containing media were obtained. Results suggests that lactate could be measured with more than 90% accuracy in the wavenumber range of 1500-600 cm-1. The findings of this study further suggest that there exist no effects of change in pH or media, when estimating lactate concentration changes in this range of the Mid-IR spectral region.

A Method for Rapid, Reliable, and Low-Volume Measurement of Lithium in Blood for Use in Bipolar Disorder Treatment Management.

GOAL: Lithium preparations are considered the most reliable mood stabilizers for patients with Bipolar Disorder (BD), and are the most effective at reducing the risk of suicide. However, maintaining blood lithium concentration within the narrow therapeutic range of 0.4-1.2 mEq is crucial but extremely difficult. The aim of this work is to develop a personal lithium blood level analyzer using a novel method of combined optical and electrical impedance spectroscopy to test micro volumes of spiked samples of human blood. RESULTS: Impedance measurements alone showed a limit of detection of less than 0.1 mEq within the therapeutic range, whereas optical measurements could verify the presence of lithium and provide a degree of lithium content. Optical specificity to lithium was further verified in qualitative assessment of lithium spiked blood samples with varying concentrations of sodium. Moreover, analysis of multiple linear regression yielded a prediction model of R2 = 0.322716 and RMSEP = 0.223602 for optical measurements only using feature wavelengths, which were found to appear at minima 560 and 605 nm. Combined with impedance measurements, prediction of lithium concentration in samples with unknown lithium content was significantly increased to R2 = 0.876438 and RMSEP = 0.513554. CONCLUSION: The combination of optical and impedance modalities for determinations of blood lithium resulted in significant improvement to the sensitivity and accuracy of measurement. SIGNIFICANCE: Results are complementary of the proposed opto-impedance method, and future work will now focus on the technical development of an integrated and miniaturized system for measurement of lithium levels in blood with a high level of accuracy and sensitivity.

Methodology for rapid assessment of blood lithium levels in ultramicro volumes of blood plasma for applications in personal monitoring of patients with bipolar mood disorder.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a common mental health condition, characterized by extreme changes in mood, energy, and behavior. BD is often managed through mood-stabilizing medications, of which lithium formulations remain the most reliable and effective at reducing the risk of suicide. To achieve adequate and consistent efficacy, lithium concentrations need to be maintained within a narrow therapeutic range (0.4 to 1.2 mmol / L). Because of its narrow therapeutic index, long-term lithium therapy is associated with serious side effects and risks of toxicity. It is believed that the availability of a personal blood lithium analyzer would benefit patients who are on lithium treatment. We detail the results of a spectrophotometric method performed on ultramicro volumes to determine blood plasma lithium concentrations as compared with reference measurements of flame photometry, and validated in samples of unknown lithium content. Applying multiple linear regression, lithium concentrations could be determined in a rapid manner using full-range spectra or triwavelength data. Both techniques highly correlated with reference standards and could predict lithium levels accurately (R2 = 0.794214 and RMSEP = 0.209584, and R2 = 0.863921 and RMSEP = 0.167524, respectively). Therefore, this method can be a useful for rapid assessment of blood lithium in nonlaboratory settings i.e., general practices, hospital clinics, and community health centers by healthcare professionals and/or by patients. Future work will now focus on completion of a miniaturized and integrated system that will deliver a portable and personal lithium-monitoring device.

Reflectance near-infrared measurements for determining changes in skin barrier function and scattering in relation to moisturizer application.

Skin moisture relates to the state of multiple skin constituents and aspects, but unfortunately, a device which could provide comprehensive and in vivo analysis is not available. Nevertheless, several reports have demonstrated accurate estimations of dermal water content using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and the potential of employing this technique in skin analysis. We aim to investigate whether NIRS could detect changes in skin barrier function through evaluation of skin water uptake in relation to moisturizer application. NIR and capacitance data were collected from 20 volunteers at both forearms, prior to and after seven days of regular moisturizer use. Results indicated lower peak intensities at the 1940-nm minima and higher intensities at the 1450-nm equivalent minima with moisturizer abstinence, while the opposite was true with regular moisturizer application. As the light beam would have traveled deeper into the skin at 1450 nm, it has been concluded that long-term, frequent moisturizer use had limited the penetration of extrinsic water. Partial least squares analysis showed that separation of sample's scores increased with abstinence of moisturizer use. Thus, NIRS can provide valuable information not only on dermal water contents but also on additional parameters such as skin barrier function.

Use of reflectance near-infrared spectroscopy to investigate the effects of daily moisturizer application on skin optical response and barrier function.

A number of noninvasive techniques and instruments have emerged over the years allowing much progress toward clarifying the structure and function of human skin and studying the effects of various applied substances. All of this research has provided great insight into the interactions between skin and various products through quantitative and qualitative measurements. Such methods include near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), a technique which has gained popularity over the years and has often been employed to accurately determine the moisture levels and water content of skin based on its sensitivity to hydrogen bonding. NIRS has also been applied in many studies to report the efficacy of moisturizing products and assess their benefits to the skin. However, many of these studies have reported an increase in skin water content following moisturizer application while some have challenged the benefits of long-term moisturizer use, particularly on normal skin, and even suggested that it can increase the skin's susceptibility to irritants. This paper reports the results of a pilot in vivo study carried out on the skin of 20 healthy volunteers, categorized into groups depending on their skin type and frequency of moisturizer use, in order to investigate the optical response of human skin after direct short-term contact with water followed by application of a moisturizer. The measurements were obtained using a highly advanced spectrophotometer in the region of 900 to 2100 nm equipped with a customized reflectance fiber optic handheld probe. Scatter graphs of group results and second derivative spectra have shown an interesting pattern between frequent users of moisturizers and individuals who do not use moisturizers, suggesting that long-term daily moisturization may have an effect on skin barrier function. The results also raise some questions regarding the optical characteristics of different skin types, as well as the varying response between different water bands in the NIR region. Future work will focus on gaining more knowledge about these subjects and obtaining results from a larger population, as well as performing statistical analysis through regression methods in order to further improve optical skin measurements.