228 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS II. III. IV. eon, J. W., Soap Sanit. Chemicals, 25, No. 5, 83 (1949). (8) Powney, J., and Feuell, A. J., Research, 2, 331 (1949). (9) Schwartz, A. M., and Perry, J. W., "Surface Active Agents," New York, Interscience Publishers, Inc. (1949), p. 316. (10) Sisley, J.P. (translated by Wood, J.P.), .aim. Dye- stuff Reptr., 36, 457 (1947). (11) Utermohlen, W. P., Jr., and Wallace, E. L., Textile Research •., 17, 670 (1947). (12) Van Zile, B. S., Oil & Soap, 20, 55 (1943). (13) Woodhead, J. A., Vitale, P. T., and Frantz, A. J., Ibid., 21, 333 (1944). Lambert, J. M., and Sanders, H. L., Ind. Eng. Chem., 42, 1388 (1950) 5 t. Am. Oil Chemists' Soc., 27, 153 (1950). Crowe, J. B., Am. Dyestuffs Reptr., 32, 237 (1943). (1) Chwala, A., "Textilhilfsmittel," Vienna, Julius Springer (1939), pp. 101, 438. (2) Furry, M. S., Mc- Lendon, V. I., Aler, M. E., Am. Dye- stuff Reptr., 37, 751 (1948). (3) Mc- Bain, J. W., "Advances in Colloid Science, I," edited by Kraemer, E. O., New York, Interscience Publishers, Inc., (1942), p. 99. (4) Preston, W C., •. Phys. & Colloid Chem., 52, 84 (1948). (5) Rhodes, F. H., and Brainard, S. W., Inc., Ind. Eng. Chem., 21, 60 (1929). (6) Williams, E. T., Brown, C. B., and Oakley, H. B., "Wetting and Detergency," 2nd edition, New York, Chemical Publishing Co.. of New York, Inc. (1939), p. 163. VII. VIII. V. (1) Ackley, R. R., Ann. N.Y. Acad. &i.,46, 519 (1946). (2) Armstrong, L. J., et aL, Am. Dyestuff Rept•., 37, 596 (1948). (3) Clark, J. R., and Hol- land, V. B., Ibid., 36, 734 (1947). (4) Gruntfest, I. J., and Young, E. M., y. Am. Oil Chemists' Soc., 26, 236 (1949). (5) Harris, J. C., A.&T.M. Bull., 140, 76 141, 49 (1946). (6) Schwartz, A.M., y. Am. Oil Chemists' Soc., 26, 212 (1949). (7) Utermoh- len, W. P., Jr., and Wallace, E. L., Textile Research J., 17, 670 (1947). (8) Utermohlen, W. P., jr., Fischer, E. K., Ryan, M. E., and Campbell, G. H., Ibid., 19, 489 (1949). (9) Vaughn, T. H., and Smith, C. E., •. Am. Oil Chemists' Soc., 2,5, 44 (1948). (10) Vaughn, T. H., Hill, E. F., Smith, C. E., McCoy, L. R., and Simpson, J. E., Ind. Eng. Chem., 41, 112 (1949). (11) Vaughn, T. H., Vittone, A., Jr., and Bacon, L. R., Ibid.,3& 1011 (1941). (12) Wiegand, W. B.,Ibid.,29, 953 (1937). VI. (1)Leonard, E. A., and Beck, L., Am. Dyestuff Reptr., 38, Apr. 18 (1949). (2) Leonard, E. A., and Winch, A. R., Rayon, Jan. (1949). (3) Leonard, E. A., and Winch, A. R., Am. Dyestuff Reptr., 37, Mar. 22 (1948). (4) LaFleur, K. S., Ibid., 39, 385 (1950). (5) Wool Scouring Com- mittee, Ibid., 39, 813 (1950). Weitkamp, A. W., y. Am. Chem. Soc. 67, 447 (1945). Lundgren, H., Manuscript in prepa- ration. COLD WAVE LOTIONS THEIR CUTANEOUS AND SYSTEMIC EFFECTS* By HOWARD T. BEHRMAN, M.D. .4ssistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology, New York University College of Medicine, New York, N.Y. A COSMETIC IS A preparation which is applied to the skin or its appendages in order to alter its appearance, to protect it, to beau- * Presented at the December 8, 1949, Meeting, New York City. tify, or to promote attractiveness (1). It is because of this external application that manufacturers are prone to believe that the rules and regulations governing the manufac- ture and sale of cosmetic products

COLD WAVE LOTIONS CUTANEOUS AND SYSTEMIC EFFECTS 229 should not be as stringent as those governing the manufacture and sale of pharmaceuticals for internal consumption. Physiologically speaking, the skin and hair on the exterior of the body are organs of the body, just as much as the liver, lungs, or kidneys. These cutaneous organs must be kept healthy because they have im- portant functions to perform. And when considering any product for application to the skin or hair, it is most important to subject it to an intensive investigation in order to make certain that such a product will not in any way impair not only the health of the skin or hair, but the health of the body as well. The obvious reason for this is that we are not only concerned with the skin, but with the absorption of ex- ternal applications through the skin and their possible systemic effects. Only too often, products of a cosmetic nature are placed on the market after only a cursory investi- gation-an investigation made merely to meet the requirements of administrative bodies such as the Food and Drug Administration. These investigations are not neces- sarily made to protect the user, but rather to protect the manufacturer. I have taken tl•e time to point out the necessity for the careful evaluation of any products de- signed for use on the skin because I believe it is incumbent upon a manufacturer of any product to think in terms of the safety of the product to the user. To illustrate this point I intend to describe the manner in which my colleagues and I attacked a problem dealing with the cutaneous and systemic effects of a cold permanent wave lotion. Prior to our study, numerous papers had been published reporting alleged manifestations of skin sensi- tivity and even of systemic effects from these lotions. Various in- dividuals and groups had obtained copies of these reports and subse- quently attempted to distort the conclusions for their own benefit. In order to clarify this situation, we made an exhaustive and care- fully controlled study, which is being presented as an example of the type of study designed not only for the benefit of the manufacturer, but for the protection of the users as well. Published literature reports the use of solutions of thioglycolic acid or of its salts--not actual waving lotions--yielding results which are primarily of academic interest. A large amount of work has been done reporting the toxicity of thiogly- colares. Because this study is limited primarily to clinical con- siderations, the review of the litera- ture will be limited to the clinical and systemic considerations, as well as to some of the theory involved. There is ample evidence that the sulfhydryl group is of great physio- logicalimportance. It may act as a detoxifying agent. The metabolism of certain drugs and toxic substances involves a combination with sulf- hydryl groups, present in the pro- teins of the tissues available as glutathione, cystine, methionine,