The Origin of Free Fatty Acids in Sebum II Assay of the Lipases of the Cutaneous Bacteria and Effects of pH*

An assay has been established for the quantitative determination of the production of extracellular lipases by C. acnes and coagulase negative cutaneous cocci. The pH dependency of lipolytic activity has been assessed. It has been shown that at the low pH of the cutaneous surface, lipase activity is markedly suppressed, although production of lipase is not inhibited if bacterial growth occurs. The implication of these effects for the production of free fatty acids on the skin surface are discussed