Deodorants and Depilatories

Abstract

T HE National Food and Drug Act to a large extent protects the public against adulterated and impure foods and drugs. But the law limits the definition of a drug to one used in the treatment of disease. Cosmetics are not sold as medicines, so the public is not protected by the Federal law against the presence of dangerous substances, and false statements made for them. Taken by and large it is creditable to many manufacturing concerns that they have put few dangerous products upon the market. The deodorants fall into a number of groups: First, many of the powders and liquids contain mild antiseptics such as boracic acid, a small amount of salicylic acid, or a trace of thymol, or benzoic acid, put up in the form of a lotion, ointment, or powder. In a second group is found the presence of astringents such as alum, or tannic acid; and a third group consists of various oxidizing agents such as the biborates, including borax, potassium permanganate, and zinc peroxid. At this point it should be remarked that we have found the most effective and agreeable deodorant to be one dram of zinc peroxid to an ounce of cold cream. The application of a small amount of this every other day will usually destroy body odors, and produce no irritation. However, nearly all of these preparations are safe, even if not effective. A fourth group consists of some bland toilet powder, usually employed after a bath. At this point it is well to remark that the majority of body powders are probably harmless, but that occasionally one containing orris root may prove irritating to a sus-.