This article was taken from the June 2013 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by <span class="s1">subscribing online.
For when <span class="s2">you've had a trip. Soothe scrapes, grazes and cuts with the emollient contents of a <span class="s4">groovy lava lamp.
Wired's chemist Dr John Emsley is the author of 110 research papers and 12 books, including his latest,
Nature's Building Blocks, 2nd edition (OUP).
Ingredients
Cetrimide
Chlorhexidine gluconate
Cetostearyl alcohol
Liquid paraffin
Methylhydroxybenzoate
Propylhydroxybenzoate
Fragrance
Purified water
Cetrimide
This antimicrobial kills microbes by weakening their membranes and entering the cells. It is also used in the creation of gold nanoparticles.
Chlorhexidine gluconate
This is a very powerful antiviral, antibacterial and antiseptic. Effective against mouth ulcers, it is also found in Corsodyl mouthwash.
Cetostearyl alcohol
An alcohol made by heating coconut oil with sodium hydroxide. Used as a thickener and emollient, it makes the skin more pliable. and they are a common ingredient in cosmetics such as moisturisers and in hair conditioners.
Liquid paraffin
Distilled from crude oil, this emollient is used in hydraulic fluids, baby oils, wood preservatives and lava lamps. It used to be taken to relieve constipation.
Methylhydroxy-benzoate and propylhydroxy-benzoate
These preservatives prevent bacteria and fungi from breeding. They can also be found in strawberries.
Fragrance
It has no medical properties, but it does neutralise the smell of the other ingredients, so that the overall effect is to give the cream no noticeable odour.
Purified water
Passed through a filtration membrane, the water is cleared of particles and microbes. An ion exchanger removes unwanted dissolved solids such as metals.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
