The cutaneous tolerability of detergent formulations can be improved by means of suitable additives. They complex the surfactant molecules lowering the concentration of their free monomeric species. Proteins derivatives used as additives for detergency are usually prepared by partial hydrolysis of plant reserve proteins. The main purpose of the hydrolytic cleavage is to make them water soluble and suitable for liquid products. Water solubility and stability are obtained by means of complexation with surfactants which also increase their actual hydrophobicity, an important parameter affecting cosmetic properties of proteins. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and electric capacitance (EC) have been adopted as investigation technigues to evaluate the skin integrity/damage in vitro tests, The performance of native wheat protein / surfactant complexes has been compared with traditional protein hydrolysates as detergent additives. The results show a noticeable reduction of skin irritation in surfactant formulations with addition of native wheat protein.