Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Alternative to DMSO solvent.

D4RR3N - 1-9-2011 at 06:27

I want to experiment with making a herbal lotion but want it to be absorbed into the skin, no good if the herbs just sit there on the surface layer.

Traditionally oil or alcohol is used in such herbal based products however alcohol dry out the skin whilst oil is, too oily and often won’t be absorbed without excessive rubbing.

DMSO would be perfect but the FDA banned it and it can’t now be used in any products for humans (although I have seen a few).

What can I use as an alternative to DMSO?

I would prefer if the alternative was as “natural” as possible.

I was reading about how fulvic acid increases the absorption of minerals by cells. This got me thinking that a fulvic acid base might work as an alternative?

solo - 1-9-2011 at 07:08

......Human Use of Humic and Fulvic Acids as ... property allows the molecule to be absorbed through skin tissue and reduce free radicals within the body as well. ...

source,

http://www.gtxag.com/hu13.html


...now the question is will the herbal oils mix well with the Fulvic Acid, something to test and evaluate, ....by the way,it's a good topic....solo

[Edited on 1-9-2011 by solo]

Panache - 1-9-2011 at 18:39

why did the fda ban it? If the reasons for this ban are irrelevant to your situation just use it, assuming its just for yourself.
Otherwise an oil containing your active, sweet almond oil and saturated with msn can be effective. Getting these compositions right is of course difficult, lots of physical chemistry involved both with formulating the mix and with assessing its efficacy. Solvation, inhibitition of crystalliation, and of course the important diffusivity as well as the stuff steve mentioned, gets really complicated quickly if you want to be sure that what you're claiming is true. If you don't care come to Australia where we have the most pathetic piece of legislation in the 'therapeutic goods acts' that serves only the manufacturers right to lie about anything they want.

magnus454 - 1-9-2011 at 22:49

You can usually find DMSO at a health food store (not chains like VITAMIN SHOP, or GNC). They keep it around for those with sore joints, but they won't sell it like that, it says industrial solvent use only on the bottle.

D4RR3N - 3-9-2011 at 10:51

Quote: Originally posted by Panache  
why did the fda ban it? If the reasons for this ban are irrelevant to your situation just use it, assuming its just for yourself.
Otherwise an oil containing your active, sweet almond oil and saturated with msn can be effective. Getting these compositions right is of course difficult, lots of physical chemistry involved both with formulating the mix and with assessing its efficacy. Solvation, inhibitition of crystalliation, and of course the important diffusivity as well as the stuff steve mentioned, gets really complicated quickly if you want to be sure that what you're claiming is true. If you don't care come to Australia where we have the most pathetic piece of legislation in the 'therapeutic goods acts' that serves only the manufacturers right to lie about anything they want.


I don’t know why they actually banned it as far as I can see its harmless however I don’t want to use a product that is banned.

I had read about MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) being similar to DMSO however I don’t see this personally.

The reasoning given is always that the only difference is that one oxygen molecule is added, therefore it must have similar properties.

Using the same reasoning we could say that H2O and H2O2 are similar (just one oxygen atom added), however if you drank a glass of pure H2O2 you would probably explode!

MSM might have similar properties but I have never seen any evidence for this.


[Edited on 3-9-2011 by D4RR3N]

antibody - 6-9-2011 at 07:55

In some countries it is even illegal to possess DMSO, but it isn't very difficult to import, IMHO.

The problem with it is governments don't want Joe Blow using it for transdermal drug administration. Which is what a lot of people are using it for. If people that are using it that way, are not meticulous is their hygiene, then whatever other substances are on their skin will also get carried through the skin.

DMSO makes the bodies best defense permeable. Someone using it that way should take the same precautions an IV user would.