EMOLLIENTS

Emollients are bland oily substances which sooth and soften skin. They form an occlusive film over the in, preventing evaporation, thus restoring elasticity of cracked and dry skin. They are also used as vehicle for topically applied medicaments. Various substances are : Vegetable oils, Woolfat, soft, hard & liquid paraffin. Protectives are finely powdered, inert & insoluble solids capable of binding to their surface noxious and irritant substances. By doing so they afford physical protection to the skin or mucosa. Dermal protectives are : Mag. stearate, zinc stearate, Talc, Calamine, Zinc xide, Starch, Boric acid. Occlusive protectives : Collodion, Dimethicone. Thus they provide protection against irritation, napkin rash, sore areas, bedsores.