Putative skin-protective formulations in preventing and/or inhibiting experimentally-produced irritant and allergic contact dermatitis

The effectiveness of skin protective formulations was evaluated in a previo usly-described in vivo human model. All formulations failed to inhibit ammo nium hydroxide and urea irritation. Only paraffin wax in cetyl alcohol stat istically (p<0.01) reduced Rhus allergic contact dermatitis. 3 commercial f ormulations markedly (p<0.001) suppressed sodium lauryl sulfate irritation. Paraffin wax in cetyl alcohol was quantitatively the most effective formul ation. These results suggest that some formulations may provide protective effects against certain, but not all, irritants or allergens.