Natural Reducers
In dermatology, a “natural reducer” refers to a naturally occurring compound that can help reduce certain dermatitis by both lowering inflammation and slowing abnormal skin growth. The most commonly used natural reducers are Mineral Tar, Sulfonated Ichthammol, Salicylic Acid, and Colloidal Sulfur. These can serve as alternatives to the topical use of cortisone on the skin.
Sulfonated Ichthammol
Sulfonated Ichthammol should not be confused with Ichthammol or Ammonium Sulfoichthyolate; the latter is used in dermatology as a counterirritant to promote the healing of abscesses.
Sulfonated Ichthammol, derived from marine sediments trapped in rocks, instead has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and healing properties.
What is it
Sulfonated Ichthammol is found in oil shales, which are sedimentary rocks.
The origin of these oil shales dates back 200 million years to the Mesozoic era, formed by the sedimentation of phytoplankton.
These shales contain large amounts of organic material, mostly from microorganisms present in the sea (phytoplankton) before it receded.
In some deposits located in Tyrol and the French Jura, sulfur-rich shales (13%) are found, from which Sulfonated Ichthammol is extracted.
Properties
Sulfonated Ichthammol is not a tar and therefore does not contain Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), ingredients considered dangerous in tars.
Unlike tar, Sulfonated Ichthammol is water-soluble and is not photosensitizing.
MOST Dermictiol Cream
MOST uses pharmaceutical-grade purified sulfonated ichthammol in the product MOST Dermictiol cream.
It is a fast-absorbing cream, free from petrolatum, containing sulfonated ichthyol with reducing, anti-itch, and anti-inflammatory properties. It is useful in the treatment of Atopic Dermatitis, Dyshidrosis, Psoriasis, Rosacea, and Acne Rosacea, and can be used as an alternative to topical corticosteroids.
