Aqueous cream is a topical emollient used for the symptomatic relief of dry skin conditions and as a soap substitute for skin washing. It contains a number of ingredients, including:
Key Ingredients:
- Sodium lauryl sulfate 0.9%w/w
- Cetostearyl alcohol 8.1%w/w
- Phenoxyethanol 1%w/w
Other Ingredients:
- White soft paraffin 15%w/w
- Liquid paraffin 6.0%w/w
- Emulsifying wax (contains cetostearyl alcohol and sodium lauryl sulfate)
- Aqua (water)
- Glycerin
- Butylene glycol
- Glyceryl stearate
- Ethylhexyl palmitate
- Petrolatum
- Tocopheryl acetate
- Carbomer
- Sodium benzoate
- Triethanolamine
Aqueous cream can be associated with immediate cutaneous reactions when used as a leave-on emollient, such as stinging, burning, itching, and redness. It may also cause local skin irritation due to the presence of sodium lauryl sulfate. However, a study comparing the irritancy potential of sodium lauryl sulfate-free aqueous cream to other moisturizers found that it had lower irritancy potential than some other moisturizers. It is important to note that the risk of fire should be considered when using large quantities of any paraffin-based emollient, including aqueous cream.
