THE INTERFERENCE OF NONIONIC EMULSIFIERS 283 TABLE 6--EFFECT Or 5% ALCOHOL PLUS 0.2% METHYL p-HYDROXYBEI'/ZOATE ON A 2% SOLUTIO•r Or G-3720 dspergillus P seudomonas Bacillus Alcohol niger aeruginosa subtills Methyl - G G Ethyl - - - n-Propyl - - - Isopropyl - - - n-Butyl -- -- -- sec-Butyl -- G G TAI•LE 7--EFFv CT or 10% ALCOHOL O• • 2% G-3720 SOLUTION' ztspergillus Pseudomonas Bacillus Alcohol niger aeruginosa subtills Methyl - -- - Ethyl - - - n-Propyl - - - lsopropyl - - - n-Butyl - - -- sec-Butyl - -- G T^BLE 8--ErrEe'r or 10% ALCOHOL PLUS 0.2% METHYL p-HYDKOXYBENZOATE ON' A 2% G-3720 SOLUTION' zt spergi llus P seudomonas Bacillus Alcohol niger aeruginosa subtills Methyl Ethyl n-Propyl Isopropyl n-Butyl sec Butyl *The results reported in Tables 1-8 reflect the effect of various additions to nutrient or Czapek DoT media as described under "Experimental" herein. ALCOHOLS Simple aliphatic alcohols were thought to be possibly better preserva- tives than the polyols because the introduction of more than one hydroxyl group into a compound to form a polyol, results in a decrease of physiologi- cal activity. The bactericidal action of the normal primary alcohols in- creases with an increase in length of carbon chain to about six carbon atoms. This study takes in alcohols methyl through sec-butyl, because amyl alco- hol is only slightly soluble in aqueous solution, and alcohols higher than amyl are still less soluble. Tables 5 and 6 record the results of the effect of 5 per cent alcohol on a 2 per cent nonionic solution with and without methyl p-hydroxybenzoate. Examination of Table 5 reveals that the bactericidal action of the lower all phatic alcohols does, indeed, increase with increase in molecular weight, ex- cept in the case of sec-butyl alcohol, which is as effective as ethyl alcohol.

284 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS The addition of methyl p-hydroxybenzoate to the solutions containing the ethyl, n-propyl and isopropyl alcohols displayed the same type of additive effect as found with the polyols. Tables 7 and 8 duplicate the above tests except that 10 per cent alcoho was used throughout. The results clearly indicate that the alcohols possess better preservative activity in nonionic solution than do the polyols. Most of the polyols tested effectively inhibited microbial growth at a 10 per cent concentration in combination with 0.2 per cent methyl p-hydroxybenzoate, while the alcohols were effective at the 5 per cent level. Both polyols and alcohols, however, displayed an additive effect or synergism with methyl p-hydroxybenzoate in a nonionic surfactant solution made up in the ap- propriate medium. REFEKENCE (1) Poprzan, J., and deNavarre, M. G., J. Soc. COSMETro CHEMTs'rs, 10, 81 (19597. THE SYSTEMIC EFFECT OF TOPICALLY APPLIED COSMETICS* By FREDERICK REISS, M.D.• Presented November 29, 1960, New York City Tins p•tESE•,^T•O• will concern mainly the systemic effect of topically applied cold wave lotion and black hair dye (1). Our investiga- tion was stimulated by a survey which was conducted in 1958 on the inci- dence of cosmetic dermatitis (2). It was revealed from over 1000 replies that sensitization was produced in the following order: Nail lacquer .................. 36% Hair dyes ..... 23.8% Permanent wave lotion ...... 25.2% Lipsticks ...... 14.4% A few physicians assumed that there might be a relationship between the application of cosmetics and blood dyscrasias. None, however, of- fered an acceptable clinical or experimental proof on animals. Because experimental proof in humans is practically impossible, guinea pigs were chosen as the most appropriate experimental animals, since it is well known that these animals are highly susceptible to cutaneous and systemic sensitization. - ½ P-art of this investigation was carried out with a grant from the Lawrence Richard Bruce !ncorporated Foundation. • Associate Clin. Professor of Dermatology, New York University, Postgraduate Medical School, New York, N.Y.