title: Comparison of the effect of glycerol and triamcinolone acetonide on cumulative skin irritation in a randomized trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  So-called anti-irritants are added to cosmetic formulations because of their alleged beneficial effect on irritated skin. Documentation for these claims is often limited. However, glycerol has shown anti-irritant properties in experimentally induced irritation from sodium lauryl sulfate and nonanoic acid (NON). This study was designed to further substantiate that glycerol added to cosmetic formulations has an anti-irritant effect on experimentally induced skin irritation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to compare glycerol with triamcinolone acetonide as treatments for cutaneous irritation in human volunteers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Irritation was induced by 3 daily arm washes for a week with 10% sodium lauryl sulfate on one arm and 30% NON on the other. To maintain irritation, for the next 12 days volunteers washed their arms twice daily with the irritants. Treatments were applied immediately after washing. The treatments (including vehicle and no treatment) were randomized to sites using a Latin square design. The reactions were evaluated clinically and instrumentally.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study was designed to only detect potent anti-irritants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Glycerol reduced the irritant effect of both sodium lauryl sulfate and NON, whereas triamcinolone acetonide appeared to have beneficial effect only on the irritation induced by NON. The study provided experimental documentation for the claim that glycerol has anti-irritant effect in a cosmetic formulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergy Center, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark.
authors.forename: Flemming
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hedegaard
authors.forename: Thomas Kongstad
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bindslev-Jensen
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fullerton
authors.forename: Klaus Ejner
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Andersen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003124:Colorimetry; D003358:Cosmetics; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005990:Glycerol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects*; D023422:Skin Irritancy Tests; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014870:Water Loss, Insensible
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D003358:Cosmetics; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide; D005990:Glycerol