SUMMARY CHART: PROPERTIES OF OINTMENT BASES

Types of Ointment Oleaginous Absorption Ointment Water in Oil Emulsion Oil in Water Emulsion Water Miscible
Bases Ointment Base Base Ointment Base Ointment Base Ointment Base

oleaginous base + oleaginous base +

Oleaginous Oleaginous base + w/o polyethylene glycols
Composition water (<45% w/w) + w/ water (>45% w/w) + o/
compounds surfactant (PEGs)
o surfactant (HLB <8) w surfactant (HLB >9)

Water Content anhydrous anhydrous hydrous hydrous anhydrous, hydrous

Affinity for Water hydrophobic hydrophilic hydrophilic hydrophilic hydrophilic

Spreadability difficult difficult moderate to easy easy moderate to easy

Washability non-washable non-washable non or poorly washable washable washable

unstable, especially
unstable, especially
oils: poor oils: poor alkali soaps and
Stability alkali soaps and natural stable
hydrocarbons: better hydrocarbons: better natural colloids;
colloids
nonionic better

solids, oils, and solids, oils, and solids, oils, and

Drug Incorporation solids or oils (oil solids and aqueous
aqueous solutions aqueous solutions aqueous solutions
Potential solubles only) solutions
(small amounts) (small amounts) (small amounts)

Drug Release
poor poor, but > oleaginous fair to good fair to good good
Potential

Occlusiveness yes yes sometimes no no

protectants, emollients,
emollients, cleansing
protectants, vehicles for aqueous emollients, vehicles for
creams, vehicles for
Uses emollients, vehicles solutions, solids, and solid, liquid, or non- drug vehicles
solid, liquid, or non-
for hydrolyzable drugs non-hydrolyzable hydrolyzable drugs
hydrolyzable drugs
drugs

hydrophilic petrolatum, cold cream, hydrous

hydrophilic ointment,
white petrolatum, anhydrous lanolin, lanolin, rose water PEG ointment,
Examples Dermabase, Velvachol,
white ointment Aquabase, Aquaphor, ointment, Hydrocrem, Polybase
Unibase
Polysorb Eucerin, Nivea