[Sca-cooks] Tiger Balm ingredients

[UlfR]

Laura C. Minnick <lcm at efn.org> [2001.11.02] wrote:
> However, I really have to wonder- the examples ox toxicity given have
> been for people INGESTING the herbs/chemicals in question. I want to
> know- how much camphor, for instance, honestly penetrates the skin, gets
> into the bloodstream, and then crosses the placenta? I would warrant it
> is not nearly as much as would be in the bloodstream if you ate the
> stuff. And frankly, anyone who EATS Tiger Balm is pretty sick anyway!

Generally speaking oils will pass though the skin just fine. There was
another article where they had looked at the skin of people who used
tiger balm and various similair things, and some of them definitiely had
affected the skin. IIRC some of the other balms/oils had induced
abortions in pregnant mice.

MY pesonal conclusion, without reading those arcticles, just the
abstract that medline gave me, is that they would be fine for occational
use, but perhaps not something I would want to use every day, and
restraint would be the watchword for pregnant women. A sort of off the
cuff impression based on skimming the subject.

/UlfR

--
UlfR                                                 parlei at algonet.se
Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum.