412 ß JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS female genital tract. However, ac- cording to Fried and Goldzieher (7), estrogenic hormones stimulate also other epithelial structures, such as those of the mucous membranes of the nose and eyes thus it was shown that the epithelial changes in keratoconjunctivitis sicca (SjSgren's disease) are affected favorably by topical estrogen therapy. Morti- mer, Wright and Collip (8), as well as Ruskin (9), reported spectacu- lar therapeutic results in atrophic thiniris and ozena of the aged, fol- lowing topical application of estro- gens. Goldzieher (3) found that the effect of estrogens applied topically goes further in the restoration of the physiological function of the epider- mal cells, including correction of the abnormal process of keratinization which is characteristic of the senile skin and which accounts for its dryness and scaling. There was also an improvement in the clinical man- ifestations of these processes, no- tably in senile pruritus (of both sexes). A high potency hormone cream was used by Shapiro (10) in treating a number of resistant cases of acne, with promising results. A combina- tion of parenteral, oral and topical modes of administering estrogens was found by Drant (11) to be ef- fective in the control of chronic, re- calcitrant eruptions of a psoriasis- like character recurrence of the cu- taneous lesions, if treated at their inception, could be checked by topi- cal application of a high-potency estrogen cream. Ziskin (12) found topical estro- gen therapy of value in treating cer- tain atrophic changes in the buccal and gingival mucous membranes Van Minden (13) used estrogenic hormones successfully.in the treat- ment of chronic desquamative gingi- vitis. The action of estrogenic hormones has been observed also on the skin of animals. Working with infantile and senile rats, Kun (14) found an increase in the thickness of both the epidermis and the corium there was also an increase in the number of the oil glands. The blood vessels appeared dilated and the blood flow intensified. A dilatation of the blood vessels of the corium was ob- served also by Selye (15) on "rhino" mice, in addition to certain other local effects. The experiments by Reynolds and Foster (16) on the peripheral vascular action of estro- gens, as observed in the ear of the ovarectomized rabbit, belong in this chapter. TOPICAL VERSUS SYSTEMIC ACTION or' HORMOSE COSM•.TICS All these findings indicate the log- ical need of assuming the existence of a direct action upon the skin of topically applied estrogenic hor- mones. Since the avidity of the different organs for materials of this type varies (the female genital sys- tem having the greatest capacity for attracting estrogen), it may well be assumed that the skin does not receive its due share following, e.g., intramuscular injection. This observation may be combined

COSMETIC ASPECTS OF ESTROGENIC HORMONES 413 Figure 3.--Absence of cutaneous effects of systemically absorbed estrogen. ,4, Anterior surface of thigh after inunction of 484 international units of estrogen per gram. Regeneration and thickening of the epidermis have taken place B, skin of opposite thigh after inunction with estrogen-free ointment only. There is no perceptible change, showing that neither estrogen-free ointment nor systemically absorbed estrogen has any cutaneous effect. (Reproduced from the paper by' Eller and Eller in the ,4rchi•es of Dermatology and $yphilology, 59, 449 (1949).) with that referred to previously, v/z., that a major part of the estro- genic hormone applied percutane- ously is not available for those or- gans which are primarily susceptible to estrogenic medication. It follows from these considera- tions that if the hormone dose is be- low the threshold value for systemic action in the potential case of com- plete absorption, topical applica- tion is bound to result in an entirely local utilization, i.e., leaving prac7 tically nothing over for any systemic effect. Since the hormone potency of the properly formulated cosmetic