Products
Creams (High German: Cremes) are commercially available as medicinal products, cosmetics and medical devices. Creams are available in numerous variations, for example as hand creams, day and night creams, sun creams and fat creams.
Structure and properties
Creams are semi-solid preparations usually intended for application to the skin or mucous membrane. They are multiphase preparations consisting of a lipophilic phase and an aqueous phase. The pharmacopoeia distinguishes between hydrophilic creams (oil-in-water) and lipophilic/hydrophobic creams (water-in-oil). Creams often contain active pharmaceutical ingredients. Emulsifiers are needed to combine the oil and water phases. These include, for example, wool wax alcohols, sorbitan esters and polysorbates. Other ingredients include, for example (selection):
- Fats
- Fats oils, fatty acids, fatty acid derivatives.
- Waxes
- Hydrocarbons
- Macrogols (PEG)
- Thickener
- Purified water
- Preservatives, antioxidants, vitamins.
- Alcohols, polyols: propylene glycol, glycerol.
- Excipients for the adjustment of the pH
- Dyes
- Flavors
- Essential oils
Effects
Creams have skin-caring, soothing, regenerating, wound-healing and hydrating properties. Unlike the more oily ointments, creams are usually quickly absorbed into the skin. Their nourishing and protective effect is therefore less persistent.
Fields of application
Creams are used in medicine mainly for the prevention and treatment of skin diseases. They also serve as vehicles for the administration of active ingredients.
Adverse effects
Precautions and adverse effects depend on the active ingredients.