Do body lotions enter into bloodstream of people? And how do they do it?

Question

I found this

very disturbing: bombastic tabloid-style writing in capital and the content is doubtful. If it was correct or close "does it really take something like 26 seconds for a body lotion to enter into bloodstream?", you select a lotion with very high level of fat -- now your heart will pump blood with a very high-level of fat, possible source for heart failure. If you have a dry skin and you put 40%-fat lotion to your skin, it makes it more flexible. I am very-very skeptical whether any fat gets into your bloodstream. I am new to things such as blood lipids (blood fats) and mechanisms how the body lotions really penetrate into the skin. How? And which factors determine the time and does any get actually into bloodstream and after which kind of processes by the body? Is this just a hoax?

Surely they go in, that is the principle by which topically applied drugs work! — nico, Aug 04 '13 at 12:12

score 4 · Answer 1 · edited Aug 04 '13 at 19:53

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Lotions, like any other drug, can effectively enter the blood system. However, the fraction of the applied lotion that actually enters is really small, and it only achieves a significant concentration in the zone near the application. The skin, if healthy, offers a very high resistance to the passage of substances. Moreover, the bloodstream actually dilutes even more the little fraction it achieves to enter, further reducing its effects. If the skin is damaged the penetration is greater, though you'll never be able to get drunk by dropping booze in an injury.

edited Aug 04 '13 at 19:53

Rory M

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answered Aug 04 '13 at 09:50

Miguel Ángel Naranjo Ortiz

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To complete, I would add that the issue here is that the skin is composed by a mix of hydrophilic (="water-loving") and hydrofobic (="fat-loving") layers, so a water-based lotion will pass easily through the former and much less easily through the latter, and the opposite is true for a fat-based lotion. PS: just a little note on your first sentence: lotions are not drugs, they are formulations, like a pill or a spray. You can use lotions as a formulation for drugs. – nico Aug 04 '13 at 12:16

Do body lotions enter into bloodstream of people? And how do they do it?

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