Studies on Ointments

Dermatopharmacology of Salicylic Acid

“…The use of DAE 244 as solvent in series II consequently more than made up for the 3:1 difference in the con centration and skin surface dose of SA in the two series of experiments. Various authors, notably including Siebert [8], on the basis of his empirical findings, and later Moncorps [5] and Strakosch [9], by virtue of their experimental observations in man, have called attention to the fact that the keratolytic effect of SA depends to a very large extent on the vehicle in which it is applied (various details of the highly differentiated statements made by Moncorps have not remained entirely undisputed [1,9], Similar findings have incidentally also been reported with regard to the percutaneous ab sorption of SA [1,3,5,6,9], In the light of the foregoing results, it is now evident that the epidermal antihyperplastic effect of the substance is likewise very much dependent upon the type of vehicle in which it is applied.…”

“…The fact that these authors found that concentrations of 2-12% of SA exerted no activity what ever (apparently not even an irritant effect) when applied in a cream formula tion, yet did display a dose-related effect when applied in an ointment for mulation, is to a certain extent at variance with our present-day knowledge of the (topical) pharmaceutics and dermatopharmacology of SA [3,5,6,9], providing, of course, that the cream base was, in fact, chemically compatible with SA and suitably formulated to ensure its release. Unfortunately, M arks et al [4] also omitted to make independent determinations, in a group large enough to afford statistically credible results, of the intrinsic epidermopoietic effect of the skin massage inevitably associated with any inunction [10,13,17], and that of the cream and ointment bases themselves [13,17] in exactly the same areas of the skin.…”