J. Soc. Cosmetic Chemists, 17, 115-122 (1966) Aqueous Topical Adhesives Spray-on Bandage II. WINTHROP E. LANGE, Ph.D., and VICTOR S. FANG, M.S.* Presented December 2, 1963, New York Uity Synopsis--The research and development of protective films for cosmetic and dermatological uses have been of interest to many groups in recent years. Many of these preparations in pressurized packaging are known as "spray-on bandages." They usually deposit film on the skin which cannot be readily washed off. Thus the development of a preparation con- taining water-washable resins was considered advantageous. A combination of polyvinyl alcohol with either polyvinyl acetate or acrylic resins pro- duced aerosol concentrates with good stability and film-forming properties. Incorporation of the concentrates into quick-breaking foam formulations gave products with good stability and bandage properties. The products when sprayed on the skin dried to transparent, tack- free films in approximately 10 minutes. INTRODUCTION The research and development of medicated films for cosmetic and dermatological uses have been topics of great interest in recent years. Many of these preparations in pressurized packaging are known as "spray-on bandages." They are generally two-phase aerosols con- taining plain or medicated resin dressings, an organic solvent, and a propellant. Although these products have been widely accepted be- cause of their convenience, they have some shortcomings. They usually deposit a film on the skin which cannot be washed off. The organic solvent systems prevent the incorporation of drugs which are soluble only in water. * Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, Boston, Mass. 115

116 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS Because of their film-forming property, the water-soluble resins have been satisfactorily employed in cosmetic formulations. The use of water-soluble resins for protective films has been investigated by several workers. Sperandio and co-workers have prepared an ointment base (1) and a film-forming base (2, 3) with polyvinyl alcohol as the water-soluble plastic. Preparations containing water-soluble resins as skin protectants in film-forming bases were reported in Part I (4) of this series. It was the purpose of this investigation to develop a spray-on bandage with water-soluble resins as the main ingredient and water as the solvent. It is probable that such a product would be better in some respects than the conventional type of spray-on bandages which use organic solvent systems. EXPERIMENTAL The starting point for the development of a spray-on bandage was the formulation of the aerosol concentrate. The major ingredient in the concentrate is the resinous film-forming agent. Several resins were investigated with different plasticizers. The basic formula for the concentrate was as follows: Resins Plasticizers Solvent system Benzoic acid 0.05% Sodium nitrate 0.05 Antifoam 0.1 Nonionic surfactant 0.2 Distilled water With water as the solvent in the concentrate the need for a preservative against mold growth and an inhibitor of corrosion of the metal con- tainer were required. A surface active agent to prevent gelling of the resins and a defoaming agent were also added to all formulations. The concentrate preparations were evaluated for two qualities: The stability of the preparation and the properties of the film formed. The stability tests included viscosity measurements, color, odor, emul- sion creaming, and mold growth. The period of observation lasted 9-10 months. The film properties were evaluated by studying the drying time of the film, the tackiness of the film, the film strength, the resistance of the film to water, and the ease with which the film could be moved. To determine the film properties the concentrate was ap-