Effect of the application of an anionic detergent combined with FABRY's tincture and its components on human skin resident flora. Part 1: Dermofug solution combined with either FABRY's tincture or 50 v/v% isopropanol.

The aim of the study was to investigate the antimicrobial longterm efficacy of the combined application of an anionic detergent (Dermofug) either with 50 v/v% isopropanol or FABRY's tincture (3 w/v% salicylic acid, 1 v/v% liquefied phenol containing 50 v/v% isopropanol) on the resident flora of the human forehead skin after repeated applications using the forehead skin test. The test results show that both combinations tested are able to penetrate the infrainfundibulum of the sebaceous glands. The combined application of 10 v/v% Dermofug solution (D) and FABRY's tincture (F) showed better antibacterial efficacy than the combination of D and 50 v/v% isopropanol (I) against the coagulase-negative-staphylococci in the stratum corneum/acroinfundibulum as well as in the infrainfundibulum of the sebaceous glands. Against Propionibacterium spp., D and F showed better efficacy than D and I in the stratum corneum/acroinfundibulum, and equal efficacy in the infrainfundibulum of the sebaceous glands. It remains to be clarified in further investigations, which of the components of FABRY's tincture leads to the better antibacterial efficacy of the combined application of D and F in comparison to D and I, the salicylic acid or the phenol acid component.