Talc and Petroleum Jelly: The Best Lubricants for PPE Wearers

Researchers from Imperial College London have investigated about the products which create the long-lasting protective layer between personal protective equipment (PPE) and skin. They noted that the best lubricants to use are those that are not absorbed by the skin, creating a long-lasting layer of protection between skin and PPE.

Wearing PPE like face visors, goggles and respiratory protective equipment is an essential part of working life for frontline healthcare workers now than ever before for extended periods of time, to protect them against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

‘Friction can be incredibly damaging for the skin, particularly when applied for a long period of time. PPE wearers must actively avoid creams and moisturisers which advertise a 'non-greasy feel'.’

Prolonged use of PPE, particularly on the delicate skin of the face, can cause friction and shear injuries like skin tears, blistering, ulcers and hives. However, these effects can be reduced by lubricants, which workers are suggested to apply every half hour.

Half-hourly applications can be impractical during shift work and may expose workers to the virus and many typical moisturisers are not long-lasting as they are designed to be absorbed into the skin for a 'non-greasy feel'.

The researchers found that non-absorptive creams like coconut oil-cocoa butter beeswax mixtures and powders like talcum powder are most likely to provide PPE wearers with long-lasting skin protection.

The findings are published in PLOS ONE.

"We think of moisturisers as good for our skin, but commercial skin creams are often designed to absorb into the skin without leaving any residue. While this is fine for everyday moisturising, our study shows that a greasy residue is precisely what's needed to protect skin from PPE friction," says lead author Dr Marc Masen, of Imperial's Department of Mechanical Engineering.

The researchers custom-built a tribometer - an instrument that assesses friction between two surfaces - and used it to test the friction between skin and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which is a common component of PPE to identify the best performing lubricants.

They found that while most products initially reduced friction by 20 per cent, some silicone-based and water-and-glycerin based lubricants increased friction levels over time by up to 29 per cent compared to dry skin.

It was found that two products reduced friction as time went on. Talcum powder reduced friction by 49 per cent on application and 59 per cent at four hours, and a commercially available product comprising coconut oil, cocoa butter and beeswax reduced friction by 31 per cent on application and 53 per cent at four hours.

A mixture of petrolatum and lanolin reduced friction by 30 per cent throughout testing.

They found that friction on application was low when testing commercial moisturisers but increased drastically within ten minutes of application.

The researchers reveal that while their study signposts PPE wearers to the best skin-saving products, they are looking to perform further studies using facial skin and more participants. Due to COVID-19 restrictions during lockdown, they were only able to test the products on one study participant, and used his inner forearm as a surrogate for facial skin.



Source: Medindia