HIGH BENEFIT/RISK OF TOPICAL HYDROGEN PEROXIDE EMULSIONS

Presentation, Poster Session, June 15, 1995
Dermal Clinical Evaluation Society
Marriott Airport Hotel
Newark, NJ
Dr. Harry Elden, Ph.D. and Ted Kalli, AURA Research, Ltd.

SUMMARY
 

HUMAN SKIN CELLS ARE AT THE END OF BLOOD CIRCULATION, AND BECOME INCREASINGLY ANOXIC WITH AGING. OXYGENATION CAN BE INCREASED, HOWEVER, BY TOPICAL HYDROGEN PEROXIDE EMULSIONS. THE POSTER SUMMARIZES STUDIES SHOWING INCREASING ANOXIA OF SKIN CELLS DUE TO DEPLETED BLOOD VESSELS. COMMENT IS MADE ON HYPERBARIC OXYGENATION TREATMENT AS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO REGAIN NORMAL SKIN OXYGEN. HOWEVER, DELIVERY OF OXYGEN BY STABILIZED HYDROGEN PEROXIDE EMULSION IS OFFERED AS MUCH MORE CONVENIENT, COST EFFECTIVE AND PHYSIOLOGICALLY BENEFICIAL WITH LOW RISK.

THE FOCUS OF THIS PRESENTATION SHOWS THAT VITAMINS C AND E ADDED TO EMULSIONS MARKEDLY DECREASES RISKS OF LIPOPEROXIDATION AND OTHER FREE RADICAL MEDIATED REACTIONS.

FACT 1. TRANSCUTANEOUS OXYGEN MEASUREMENTS SHOW A WIDE RANGE IN SKIN SURFACE OXYGEN TENSION. SOME PEOPLE ARE BORDERLINE ANOXIC WITHOUT CLINICAL INDICATIONS.

FACT 2. SKIN BLOOD PERFUSION DECREASES WITH AGING, JUDGED BY REACTIVE HYPEREMIA MEASURED BY LASER DOEPPLER VELOCIMETER. SKIN BLOOD VESSELS DECREASE WITH AGING.

FACT 3. COMPRESSIVE LOADING OF SKIN AND ELEVATION OF LIMBS AGAINST GRAVITY IMMEDIATELY DECREASE BLOOD FLOW/OXYGENATION OF SKIN SURFACE.

FACT 4. WHEN SKIN CELLS ARE COMPRESSED FOR LONG PERIODS, AUTONOMIC SYSTEMS CAUSE VASODILATION TO COMPENSATE FOR DEPRIVATION OF OXYGEN. BUT, EFFICIENCY OF THIS COMPENSATION DECLINES WITH AGING.

FACT 5. WHILE LIGHT COMPRESSION DECREASES SKIN BLOOD FLOW, IT IS SUFFICIENT TO RAISE THRESHOLD FOR TANNING WHEN SUCH SKIN IS EXPOSED TO UVA. IF SKIN SITES ABOUT TO BE COMPRESSED, AS BY RECLINING ON PLASTIC IN A TANNING BED, ARE TREATED WITH DILUTE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE EMULSION FOR JUST 2-MINUTES, SUBSEQUENT EXPOSURE OF COMPRESSED SITES TO UVA ALLOW NATURAL (OXIDATIVE) TANNING.

FACT 6. CIGARETTE SMOKE DIRECT AND INDIRECT CAUSES VASOPRESSIN TO BE SECRETED INTO THE BLOOD. THIS HORMONE PROMPTLY INDUCES VASOCONSTRICTION AND DECREASED BLOOD FLOW TO SKIN. TRANSCUTANEOUS OXYGEN MEASUREMENTS SHOW THAT CIGARETTE SMOKE MARKEDLY DECREASES SKIN OXYGEN LEVELS.

FACT 7. HYPERBARIC OXYGEN TREATMENTS ARE USED REGULARLY TO INCREASE SKIN OXYGEN LEVELS; OVER 400 CENTERS IN THE U.S. PROVIDE TREATMENTS FOR VARIOUS CLINICAL CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, TREATMENT OF SKIN WITH STABILIZED HYDROGEN PEROXIDE EMULSION, IDENTICAL TO THAT OFFERED FOR COSMETIC PURPOSES, IS EQUIVALENT TO 4 ATMOSPHERES HBO TREATMENT.

FACT 8. ON SAFETY ISSUES, A NUMBER OF STUDIES SHOW THAT VITAMINS C & E BLOCK PRODUCTION OF LIPOPEROXIDES IN VITRO STUDIES AND IN VIVO LIVE CELL STUDIES.

FACT 9. SCIENTISTS AT OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY HAVE STUDIED TUMOR PRODUCTION BY BENZOYL, LAUROYL AND HYDROGEN PEROXIDE.

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE DOES NOT INITIATE NOR PROMOTE TUMORS; DILUTE SOLUTION ARE NOT IRRITATING. IN CONTRAST, BENZOYL PEROXIDE IS A MARKED IRRITANT NOW UNDER EXTENSIVE STUDY BY FDA FOR TUMOR PROMOTION.

BENZOYL PEROXIDE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM CLASS I SAFE AND EFFECTIVE CLASS BY THE FINAL MONOGRAPH ON ANTI-ACNE PRODUCTS BECAUSE OF SAFETY ISSUES.

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE REMAINS CLASS I SAFE AND EFFECTIVE AS TOPICAL ANTI-INFECTIVE AGENT, AND IS USED ON OPEN WOUNDS WHERE IT GENERATES OXYGEN IMMEDIATELY UPON CONTACT.

THESE FACTS AND FINDINGS ARE SUBSTANTIATED BY REPORTS WHICH ARE AVAILABLE AT THE POSTER FOR YOUR REVIEW.