Effect of some anionic polymers on pH of triethanolamine aqueous solutions.

One of the suggested approaches in the management and prophylaxis of acne involves binding of free fatty acids in the form of soap with alcoholamines. Due to a possible irritating effect of alcoholamines associated with a relatively high pH of their aqueous solutions, complexation of alcoholamines with acid polymers is advocated. Triethanolamine is one of the best recognized alcoholamines. It was conventionally neutralized with Carbopols, Eudragits, alginic acid and pectin. During neutralization of polymer dispersions with triethanolamine, variations in the course of the neutralization curve have been observed among individual macromolecular compounds. The pH of 0.1 mol/l triethanolamine solution reaches 10.51, while following a complete neutralization with anionic polymers, such as Carbopols, Eudragits, alginic acid and pectin, pH ranges from 3.88 for systems neutralized with alginic acid to 8.50 for the system neutralized with Eudragit S-100. Complexation of triethanolamine with anionic polymers decreases its pH, and it is possible to find such pH range in which pH of the preparation containing the polymer and triethanolamine will correspond to the physiological pH of the skin.