Topical emollient (paraffin base)
Emollient creams and ointments, paraffin-containing
Brand names: Diprobase, Cetraben, Doublebase, Epaderm, Hydromol, Zerobase
Adult dose
Dose: Apply liberally PRN — typically 3–4 times daily and after washing; quantities ~500g/week for whole body
Route: Topical
Frequency: Multiple daily applications
Clinical pearls
- Cornerstone of eczema/dry skin management — NICE NG198 (acne), CKS Eczema, BAD eczema guidance
- Apply in direction of hair growth; avoid rubbing
- MHRA Drug Safety Update 2020: paraffin emollients (any concentration) are flammable — warn about smoking, naked flames, fabric saturation
Contraindications
- Hypersensitivity to constituents
Side effects
- Folliculitis
- Contact dermatitis (rare)
- Fire risk — paraffin-based emollients on fabric flammable (MHRA alert)
Monitoring
- Skin condition response
- Adherence (quantity prescribed)
- Fire-safety counselling documented
Reference: BNF; NICE NG198; NICE CKS Eczema; BAD; MHRA Drug Safety Update; https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/emollient-creams-and-ointments-paraffin-containing/. Verify against your local formulary and the latest BNF before prescribing.
Related
Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.
Calculators
- Urine Anion Gap · Acid-Base
- Bicarbonate Deficit Calculator · Acid-Base
- Delta Ratio for Mixed Acid-Base Disorders · Acid-Base
- Expected PaCO₂ in Metabolic Acidosis (Winter's Formula) · Acid-Base
- Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation · Acid-Base
- Winters' Formula for Metabolic Acidosis Compensation · ABG / Acid-Base
Pathways
- Suspicious Pigmented Lesion — Melanoma Pathway · NICE NG14 2015 / BAD
- Cellulitis and Erysipelas · NICE NG141 2019 / CREST
- Psoriasis — Severity Assessment and Step-Up Therapy · NICE NG153 2019 / BAD
- Atopic Eczema — Assessment and Step-Up Therapy · NICE NG95 2023
- Urticaria and Angioedema · BSACI / EAACI Guidelines 2022
- Acne Vulgaris — Grading and Treatment · NICE NG198 2021 / BAD