New liquid skin cleansers for workers exposed to mineral oil.

The importance of providing adequate cleansing facilities for industrial workers, and in particular for those whose skin is constantly or frequently exposed to contamination with potentially harmful lubricating oils, is now well recognized. The removal of lubricating oils from the skin, although superficially an apparently simple matter, is, in fact, usually difficult to accomplish without using harsh abrasive cleansers or oil-solvents such as kerosene or white spirit. Traces of lubricating oils are tenaciously retained, particularly in the hair follicles, and are a potential source of danger. Whilst abrasive and solvent cleansers are very popular with workmen because of the ease and speed with which they can be used, both must be condemned, the one because of the damage to the epidermis resulting from frequent use, and the other because of its excessive defatting action, which may lead to dermatitis. In considering the ideal type of cleanser, therefore, due account must be paid to its effectiveness in the removal of oily and particulate soils, to the absence of abrasion or excessive defatting effect, to ease of application, and speed of action. The last two factors are important if the worker is to be persuaded to use the cleanser. It follows then that cleansers supplied to the workers must be chosen carefully, and in making this choice it is desirable that the industrial medical officer should be consulted. Fortunately the assessment of the efficiency of a cleanser is a simple matter, as has been shown by Cruickshank (1948). In order to see whether any lubricating oil is left on the skin after washing, it is sufficient to examine the hands and arms of the worker in ultra-violet light, when the presence of the merest residual traces ofsuch oil will be disclosed by a bright, pale blue fluorescence. Using a special washing technique and then applying this test for residual lubricating oil, Cruickshank compared a wide variety of cleansers and found the most effective to be a mixture of Powdered soap * .. .. .. .. 50% Mild organic absorbent such as wood flour .. .. .. .. .. 42% Borax .. .. .. .. .. 2% Sodium pyrophosphate .. .. .. 6% We have found, however, in extensive trials, that the regular use of this cleanser tends to be rather drying to the skin of some individuals, pariicularly in cold weather and with elderly workers, and that this can be rectified by omission of the pyrophosphate without any noticeable loss of efficiency in removing dirt and oil. Cruickshank found the next most effective cleansers to be those based on soap or sulphonated oils in conjunction with white spirit or a mixture of white spirit and light lubricating oil together with minor ingredients and water. These liquid cleansers rapidly loosened the dirt and oil from the hands, but during rinsing some of the lubricating oil was re-deposited on the skin and in ultra-violet light could be seen as a fine, fluorescent film; a second wash, preferably with soap and water, was found to be necessary in order to remove the oil completely from the skin. We carried out wide scale industrial t-rials under ordinary conditions of use and confirmed these findings.