Clinical Drug Experience Knowledgebase

Chloroxylenol is used as a preservative in cooling fluids, cosmetics, topical medications, urinary antiseptics and metal working fluids. Products containing Chloroxylenol are used for cleaning and disinfecting wounds, abrasions and abscesses, for minor cuts and scratches, insect bites, burns, inflammation of the skin. It is also found in hair conditioners, toilet cleaners, deodorants, soaps and paste. New use cases continue to be identified. Chloroxylenol has been shown to be effective at reducing the number of pathogenic bacteria in clinical environments. Chloroxylenol has been reviewed and is permitted for use within the European Union (EU) in cosmetic products and is also permitted for use in a number of topical pharmaceutical products as licensed by the UK Medicines and Health Regulatory Agency. Chloroxylenol could cause mild skin irritation in some individuals, or cause an allergic reaction in others. Developed in Europe in the 1920s and used in the United States since the 1950s, Chloroxylenol is one of the most mature antimicrobial agents   ^NCATS