Using Carrier Oils Mixed With Ethanol Vehicle To Deliver Topicals

[Homie]

Question. I've always used ethanol/PPG (or glycine) mixes (sometimes thowing in DMSO or other penetration enhancers) to try and deliver topicals like finasteride, flutamide, etc.

However, these have always dried my scalp and caused hairs to fall out, with skin often flaking off.

Recently, however, I tried using mixes of 50% carrier oils (sometimes including a bit of essential oils) and 50% the ethanol, etc. drug mix. I must say, my hairs falling out has dropped to almost nothing. I can't seem to get this result by applying the two separately, even in close proximity - the ethanol mix seems to do its drying, etc. damage very quick.

Any reason not to just combine them as I've started doing? I don't think any of the drugs should come out of the solution because there is still the same amount of ethanol etc. in there before. I've stuck my finger to the bottom of the mix to see whether I ever feel anything granular like a drug came out of the solution, but never had.

Any reason not to keep doing this? Obviously I'll have to do it twice as much to get the same effective dosage of the underlying topical drug.

Thanks.

 

[Homie]

Bump!

 

[Losingmyhair1234]

So I'm in the same sitution as you where PG/ethanol vehicles just drys the scalp too much and I get pretty bad dandruff and lose more hair I feel like. I've been looking for a way to get around this. Do you use this combination for minoxidil? What about RU?

I don't see anything wrong with it other than could the carrier oil have a negative effect on skin penetration of the underlying topicals?

And what do you mean when you say you have to use twice as much?

 

[Suswang]

I cannot use PG at all, and ethanol above a certain concentration, will probably do many people more harm than good.

But is minoxidil soluble in oils?

 

[Losingmyhair1234]

Question. I've always used ethanol/PPG (or glycine) mixes (sometimes thowing in DMSO or other penetration enhancers) to try and deliver topicals like finasteride, flutamide, etc.

However, these have always dried my scalp and caused hairs to fall out, with skin often flaking off.

Recently, however, I tried using mixes of 50% carrier oils (sometimes including a bit of essential oils) and 50% the ethanol, etc. drug mix. I must say, my hairs falling out has dropped to almost nothing. I can't seem to get this result by applying the two separately, even in close proximity - the ethanol mix seems to do its drying, etc. damage very quick.

Any reason not to just combine them as I've started doing? I don't think any of the drugs should come out of the solution because there is still the same amount of ethanol etc. in there before. I've stuck my finger to the bottom of the mix to see whether I ever feel anything granular like a drug came out of the solution, but never had.

Any reason not to keep doing this? Obviously I'll have to do it twice as much to get the same effective dosage of the underlying topical drug.

Thanks.

Which carrier oils do you use specifically? Do you use a mix or just one?