PHOTOSENSITIZATION POTENTIAL OF DEODORANT SOAPS 363 dry summer of 1966, during which this area experienced an unusual number of clear sunny days. The subjects were allowed to go about their usual summer activities, which included visits to the beach. The test procedures employed were as follows: J/Iodified Schwartz-Peck Human Patch Test Test Samples: Soap A, * a white bar containing 0.75% 3,4'5-tribromosalicylanilide} Soap B, * a green bar containing 0.75% of a mixture of 4',5-dibromo- and 3,4 ', 5-tribromosalicylanilide •: Soap C, * a coral bar containing 0.75% of a mixture of 4',5-dibromo- and 3,4', 5-tribromosalicylanilide •: Soap D,* a white bar with no soap bacteriostat Panel: One hundred males and females, ranging in age from thirteen to sixty-five, without any known allergies were used. Procedure: Two per cent solutions of each of the test products were applied (0.1 ml on gauze) to the skin of the upper back, covered with "Elastoplast" coverlets and left in contact with the skin for fortys eight hours. The test areas were examined immediately after removal of the patches and again in fifteen minutes or more for evidence of delayed reaction. The skin sites were irradiated with a marginal erythemic dose using a Hanovia ultraviolet lamp of a wavelength range up to 3600 A. The light source was 26 cm from the skin area which was irradiated for two minutes. The skin sites were examined for possible erythema de- velopment on the following day. Simultaneously, open patches were made using the skin sites near the right ear, left ear, inside right elbow, and inside left elbow. After a rest period of fourteen days, the subjects returned for a second application of the test products applied as open and closed patches as described above. The skin sites were again irradiated and examined twenty-four hours later. Modified Draize-Shelanski Human Patch Test Test Samples: Same as for the modified Schwartz-Peck test. Panel.' Fifty subjects, ranging in age from twenty-four to sixty- eight, without any known allergies were used. * Soaps A, B, and C are sold commercially under the name of Lifebuoy. Soap D is Ivory. t Temasept II, Fine Organics, Inc., Lodi, N.J. ++ Temasept I, Fine Organics, Inc., Lodi, N.J.

364 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS _Procedure: Two per cent solutions of each of the four test products were applied both as open and closed patches, as described for the Schwartz-Peck test, with repeated applications on different skin sites made every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until a total of ten applica- tions had been performed. Each patch was in contact with skin for twenty-four hours. Following the tenth patch, there was a rest period of twelve to fourteen days, at which time a final or challenge insult was applied as open and closed patches. The skin sites after contact with the closed patches were irradiated with the Hanovia ultra-violet lamp after the first, fourth, seventh, tenth, and challenge treatments. The irradiated sites were always read twenty-four hours after exposure. RESULTS No erythema development was observed on any of the skin sites ex- posed to repeated closed patches, open patches, and after marginal erythemic doses of UV-irradiation. DISCUSSION Commercial deodorant soaps containing polybrominated salieylani- lides were found to be very mild in tests conducted on 150 people using the Schwartz-Peck and Draize-Shelanski human patch tests, modified to include UV--exposure of the patch sites. During the test periods (ap- proximately two months), the subjects regularly used one of the soaps (green Lifebuoy) for personal hygiene. The two polybrominated salicylanilides employed in soaps--3,4',5- tribromosalicylanilide (TBS) alone and in combination with 4',5-dibro- mosalicylanilide (PBS)--evidently behave differently on skin from tetra- chlorosalicylanilide (TCSA) which was reported in 1961 to be a signifi- cant photosensitizer by Wilkinson (10). Vinson and Flatt (11) demon- strated that subjects photosensitized to soap containing TCSA were not cross-sensitized to soap containing TBS. Recently, Vinson and Borselli (12) have described a new guinea pig test for assessing photosensitizing potential of topical germicides. They were able to demonstrate that TCSA and bithionol are photosensitizers but that TBS and PBS are not. * * The manufacturer of the Temasepts, brands of PBS and TBS, has issued a dermatological report on his plant workers who have handled these chemicals (as 100% active) for years. N o cases of dermatitis or photosensitivity were encountered (13).