Liniments are alcoholic or oleaginous solutions or emulsions of various medicinal substances intended to be rubbed on the skin. Liniments with an alcoholic or hydroalcoholic vehicle are useful when rubefacient, counterirritant, or penetrating action is desired; oleaginous liniments are employed primarily when massage is desired. By their nature, oleaginous liniments are less irritating to the skin than alcoholic liniments.
[wp_ad_camp_4]Liniments are not applied to skin areas that are broken or bruised because excessive irritation might result. The vehicle for a liniment should therefore be selected for the type of action desired (rubefacient, counterirritant, or massage) and also on the solubility of the desired components in the various solvents. For oleaginous liniments, the solvent may be a fixed oil such as almond oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, or cottonseed oil or a volatile substance such as wintergreen oil or turpentine, or it may be a combination of fixed and volatile oils.
All liniments should bear a label indicating that they are suitable only for external use and must never be taken internally. Liniments that are emulsions or that contain insoluble matter must be shaken thoroughly before use to ensure even distribution of the dispersed phase, and these preparations should be labeled shake well. Liniments should be stored in tight containers. Depending on their individual ingredients, liniments are prepared in the same manner as solutions, emulsions, or suspensions, as the case may warrant.
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