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J. Soc. Cosmet. Chem. 26, 205-215 (1975) ¸ 1975 Society of Cosmetic Chemists of Great Britain Percutaneous absorption of Triclosan from toilet preparations J. G. BLACK and D. HOWES* Presented on 26-30th August 1974 in London at the IFSCC VIIIth International Congress on 'Cosmetics--Quality and Safety' organized by the Society of Cosmetic Chemists of Great Britain. Synopsis The absorption of [all) TRICLOSAN (lrgasan © DP300) through RAT SKIN treated with SHAMPOO containing 0.05•o (w/v), and with AEROSOL DEODORANT containing 0.1% (w/v), has been measured. The products were applied in a manner designed to simulate consumer use, and the penetration was calculated from the amount of radioactivity excreted by the animals. From the shampoo, the penetration was 0.197 t•g cm -2 which increased as the concentration of [aH] Triclosan was increased but which was independent of duration of contact with the skin for a given concentration of [all] Triclosan. BLOOD LEVELS at 48 h after treatment were proportional to concentration of applied [aH] Triclosan and for 0.05 •o (w/v) were less than the equivalent of 0.1 •g ml -•. From the aerosol deodorant the penetration was 6.85 •g ml -x and the blood level reached a maximum, equivalent to 0.26 •g ml -•, at 6 h after a single application. The calculated absorption by the human is an extremely low proportion of the no-effect level in rats. INTRODUCTION It has previously been established that small amounts of the germi- cide, hexachlorophene, can penetrate through intact skin (1) and can also be identified in blood, adipose tissue, brain and other body organs (2, 3). The compound 2-hydroxy, 21,4,41-trichlorodiphenyl ether, now called Triclosan and formerly known as Irgasan © DP300 (Ciba Geigy Ltd), has some chemical features in common with hexachlorophene and has been shown to be effective in reducing both Gram positive and Gram negative * Environmental Safety Division, Unilever Research Laboratory, Colworth House, Sharnbrook, Bedford, MK44 1LQ. 205