# What can pass through the skin transdermally? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 25, 2005, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-pass-through-the-skin-transdermally/323302 "2005-09-25T05:20:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wishbone\_Ash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Wishbone\_Ash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wishbone_Ash)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-pass-through-the-skin-transdermally/323302/1 "2005-09-25T05:20:17Z")
Isn’t this based on the size of the molecules? IE certain molecules are too big to pass through? Also what about rubbing alcohol, can it be absorbed into the skin? ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-pass-through-the-skin-transdermally/323302/2 "2005-09-25T05:29:30Z")
[You may find this interesting](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T6C-4FSK7TF-3&_coverDate=07%2F31%2F2005&_alid=316460917&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_qd=1&_cdi=5027&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=da07fd1399bb12ff55d8fc7f28b07b77) - I really don’t know enough about this subject to be helpful. Searching for ‘iontophoresis’ is likely to aid your web (and other) searches immensely. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-pass-through-the-skin-transdermally/323302/3 "2005-09-25T05:37:03Z")
[Hydroflouric acid](http://www.bu.edu/es/labsafety/ESMSDSs/MSHydFluoricAcid.html) ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-pass-through-the-skin-transdermally/323302/4 "2005-09-25T05:46:35Z")
Many chemical warfare agents are dermally active, especially nerve and blister agents. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-pass-through-the-skin-transdermally/323302/5 "2005-09-25T05:54:50Z")
Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) gained some notoriety (and advocacy) over the past couple of decades, based in part on its ability to operate transdermally. Fans said this allowed it to be super therapeutic for everything from soup to nuts, critics said it could kill you. Web search on DMSO will turn up scads of stuff. We’re all, of course, ignoring the obvious, indeed, canonical, transdermal agent: herbal penis enlargement patches. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-pass-through-the-skin-transdermally/323302/6 "2005-09-25T07:15:49Z")
Some mercury compounds can pass through the skin. I remember a news story a few years ago; a scientist working with the stuff got a drop on her skin and died. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-pass-through-the-skin-transdermally/323302/7 "2005-09-25T07:25:35Z")
Nicotine, estrogen, and progesterone all come in patch form. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-pass-through-the-skin-transdermally/323302/8 "2005-09-25T07:41:02Z")
I know chocolate’s fattening effect can be transmitted through the eyes… ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-pass-through-the-skin-transdermally/323302/9 "2005-09-25T15:20:30Z")
> [@Der Trihs](#): > > Some mercury compounds can pass through the skin. I remember a news story a few years ago; a scientist working with the stuff got a drop on her skin and died. Worse, Karen Wetterhahn died after the dimethyl mercury went _through her glove_ ( :eek: ) and through her skin. [linky](http://www.dartmouth.edu/~toxmetal/HMKW.shtml) I work with some nasty stuff in lab, and it’s hard to remember that those gloves don’t really do much at all for some chemicals. ---
**Author:** ![Erinaceus\_europaeus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@Erinaceus\_europaeus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erinaceus_europaeus)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-pass-through-the-skin-transdermally/323302/10 "2005-09-25T15:36:16Z")
LSD can pass through the skin. ---
**Author:** ![Ragiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6de8d8/32.png) [@Ragiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ragiel)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-pass-through-the-skin-transdermally/323302/11 "2005-09-25T15:39:40Z")
> [@Mr2001](#): > > Nicotine, estrogen, and progesterone all come in patch form. Testosterone, scopolamine, Fentanyl … ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-pass-through-the-skin-transdermally/323302/12 "2005-09-25T16:55:08Z")
> [@](#): > > What can pass through the skin transdermally? Everything. There is no other way to pass through the skin. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-pass-through-the-skin-transdermally/323302/13 "2005-09-25T17:02:57Z")
DMSO is used extensively in bodybuilding circles to facilitate the absorption of various steroids.