Anti-irritants I: dose-response in acute irritation

• Published in: Contact dermatitis Vol. 55; no. 3; pp. 148 - 154
• Main Authors: Andersen, Flemming, Hedegaard, Kathryn, Petersen, Thomas Kongstad, Bindslev-Jensen, Carsten, Fullerton, Ann, Andersen, Klaus Ejner
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.09.2006; Blackwell
• Subjects: 24-h occlusive test; Acute Disease; Administration, Cutaneous; Adult; Allergic diseases; anti-irritant; Biological and medical sciences; bisabolol; Canola Oil; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; Dermatitis, Irritant - drug therapy; Dermatitis, Irritant - pathology; Domestic and cosmetic products toxicology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Double-Blind Method; Fatty Acids; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated - administration & dosage; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated - therapeutic use; Female; glycerol; Glycerol - administration & dosage; Glycerol - therapeutic use; Humans; Immunopathology; in vivo; Irritants; Male; Medical sciences; nifedipine; Nifedipine - administration & dosage; Nifedipine - therapeutic use; nonanoic acid; Reference Values; Sesquiterpenes - administration & dosage; Sesquiterpenes - therapeutic use; Skin allergic diseases. Stinging insect allergies; skin care formulations; skin irritation; Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; sodium lauryl sulfate; Surface-Active Agents - administration & dosage; Surface-Active Agents - therapeutic use; Toxicology; Water Loss, Insensible - drug effects; Cosmetic; Skin disease; Toxicity; Calcium antagonist; skin care formulations; 24-h occlusive test; Dose activity relation; Dihydropyridine derivatives; canola oil; skin irritation; Irritation; Human; sodium lauryl sulfate; Acute; Glycerol; nonanoic acid; Antiarrhythmic agent; Lauryl sulfate; Nifedipine; Rapeseed oil; In vivo; Treatment; anti-irritant; Skin; bisabolol
• ISSN: 0105-1873; 1600-0536
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0536.2006.00752.x

The term ‘anti‐irritant’ (AI) was coined in 1965 by Goldemberg to describe a diverse group of topical product ingredients, which were able to reduce the irritation potential of other more irritating ingredients in the same product. ‘AIs’ are being added to cosmetic formulations in order, allegedly, to benefit tolerability of the products and allow claims such as ‘soothing’ and ‘healing’ ingredients. Limited documentation in favour of the efficacy of AIs is published. We studied the dose‐related effect of 4 alleged AIs (nifedipine, (–)‐α‐bisabolol, canola oil and glycerol) on experimentally induced acute irritation in healthy volunteers. Each AI was used in 3 concentrations. Acute irritation was induced by occlusive tests with 1% sodium lauryl sulfate and 20% nonanoic acid in N‐propanol. The irritant reactions were treated twice daily with AI‐containing formulations from the time of removal of the patches. Evaluation of skin irritation and efficacy of treatments were performed daily for 4 days using clinical scoring, evaporimetry (transepidermal water loss), hydration measurement and colourimetry. Only glycerol showed dose–response and effects potentially better than no treatment. There was no significant effect and no difference between the three other AIs.