The aim of this paper is the characterization of the skin tolerance to several desinfectants. For that reason, guinea pig epidermis was treated for 1, 7 and 14 days with conventional working dilution of peracetic acid-containing and phosphoric acid-containing desinfectants. In addition, buffered desinfectants were applied. In all cases, the exposure to desinfectants causes a disappearance of histochemically detectable Langerhans cells in the treated epidermis. The lowest number of Langerhans cells was encountered after the application of Wofasteril. The buffering of the working dilution causes significantly lower (p = 0.01) damages in the Langerhans cell population. Possibilities for improving the skin tolerance of this desinfectant in normal use could result.