Acetone and rubbing alcohol skin absorption?!
Question:
Acetone and rubbing alcohol skin absorption?
I am trying to find an online resource to site the dangers of this. A woman on cafemom has been told to use either of these to remove permanent marker from her child's skin. Apparently the kid wrote ALL OVER herself. I cannot find anything to prove to her that it is dangerous to put this stuff on her toddler. One woamn actually told her it is perfectly safe.
Answers:
The Material Safety Data Sheets for both say approximately the same thing about skin contact: try to avoid it. However, the dangers seem to be limited to dry, irritated skin, and if the exposure is prolonged, dermatitis.
For acetone: "Skin Contact:
Irritating due to defatting action on skin. Causes redness, pain, drying and cracking of the skin."
For rubbing (isopropyl alcohol): "Health Hazards Acute And Chronic: IRRITATION TO SKIN, EYES, LUNGS, MUCOUS
MEMBRANES AND GI TRACT. PROLONGED EXPOSURE MAY CAUSE DERMATITIS."
Compare that with, say, acrylic acid, a chemical I use regularly (in the lab and not at home): "Skin Contact:
Toxic! Corrosive! May cause irritation, inflammation, burns, and skin rashes. Absorption through the skin may cause systemic poisoning, nausea, and vomiting. "
If you don't breathe in a lot of fumes, and you wash up with soap & water afterwards, I seriously doubt there is much danger unless the person performing the cleaning is literally dousing the child with bottles of cleaning agent.