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Very Important and Current Question!!
Hello all! Since you guys are all amazing and smart chemists I was wondering if there are any chemicals that block the affects of teargas/mace on skin but its also safe for skin use. I realize that these compounds are still incredibly harmful to eyes, throat, and lungs but I was hoping that there could be a possibility to put something on your skin as almost a barrier from the chemical weapons being used on the streets more than ever nowadays. Thank you so much for any help that you guys can offer me I truly appreciate it and stay safe everyone!
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7 Replies
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There’s CN, CS and CR gases (just looked it up). Those materials are non-polar/insoluble in water. This makes it hard to creat a protective film against them in my opinion.
They’re rather reactive when mixed with moisture on the skin, I read somewhere that people reported cleansing with water exacerbated the pain. This supports the idea of using a non-polar solvent to remove it (or just suck it up and use soapy water like the CDC recommends https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/riotcontrol/factsheet.asp)I’ve seen in videos people pouring milk on those affected, which probably could benefit from the fat in it to wash away the compounds. Just brainstorming here but maybe mineral oil, make up remover or oil cleansers. But you would want to do one pass with a paper towel or something so you don’t just rub the compounds in more. But in reality lots of soapy water seems like the easiest way to avoid repeatedly rubbing it into the skin, unless you have large amounts of a skin friendly non-polar solvent.The biggest issue is the eyes and mucus membranes. Not much you can do there, just protect them with physical barriers (respirators, googles for the eyes). Rinse eyes with tons of water if affected.Long story short, the best cure is prevention. Stay safe, and keep away from riot control. -
letsalcido said:Long story short, the best cure is prevention. Stay safe, and keep away from riot control.I second that….Just don’t riot.
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There are lots of skin protectants out there but if I recall correctly Dimethicone and Petrolatum would work pretty well as barriers. (for example)
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Swimming goggles will protect the eyes. The best low cost mask to use would be the R95 (NOT the N95) which protects against oily droplets such as paint sprays. It has a charcoal absorber that should provide protection for a limited period.
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Teargas used here legally is only pepper spray. Regularly eating a lot of hot peppers (Capsicum chinense types, habanero upwards, maybe fatalii, trinidad moruga scorpion, bhut jolokia, or carolina reaper) imparts a nice immunity. Not 100% but enough so you’re not fainting when getting hit by pepper spray. I can send you seeds or dried pots, I’ve got enough from last harvest 🙂 .As @Perry mentioned, vaseline & co are great but you have to be very careful when washing/wiping them off! A lot of soap is recommendable.What can help, more as a treatment than a prevention, are local anaesthetics. The only one used in cosmetics is polidocanol (and essential clover oil but…). Not super efficient though, not even lidocaine helps that much once the burning sensation set in. Getting used to chili peppers really works better (and tastes better, I love super hot peppers). -
Perry said:There are lots of skin protectants out there but if I recall correctly Dimethicone and Petrolatum would work pretty well as barriers. (for example)
That product specifies water-soluble irritants, which doesn’t seem to apply to tear gas according to previous comments.
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@alchemist01 - I wasn’t recommending that product for this purpose, just giving it an example of dimethicone used as a skin barrier.
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