Emollients and fire safety

What are the risks?

Emollients can transfer from the skin onto clothing, bedding, dressings, and other fabric. Once there, they can dry onto the fabric and build up over time. In the presence of a naked flame, fabric with emollient dried on is easily ignited.

Although emollients are not flammable in themselves or when on the skin, when dried on to fabric they act as an accelerant, increasing the speed of ignition and intensity of the fire. This accelerant effect significantly reduces the time available to act to put out a clothing or bedding fire before serious and fatal burns are sustained. The fire may also be harder to extinguish than a ‘clean’ fabric fire.

The risk increases with more frequent use and over larger areas of skin.

Which emollients are affected?

The risk applies to all emollients, including paraffin-based emollients (such as Cetraben, Epimax and Zeroderm), and extends to other types of emollients, such as those containing oils, waxes, or other moisturising ingredients (such as Aveeno, Dermol and Doublebase).

No emollient can be considered ‘safer’ than another.

Safe use of emollients:

• Avoid smoking or using open flames (candles, matches, lighters) near clothing or bedding that may have been in contact with emollients.
• Don’t cook if your clothing has emollient residue on it.
• Keep heaters and flames at least one metre away from fabrics that may have emollients-soaked in.
• Wash clothes and bedding daily at the highest temperature allowed to reduce residue (though it may not remove it completely).
• Follow product instructions and speak to your pharmacy team if unsure.

Oxygen therapy

For people using oxygen therapy, extra care should be taken when using emollients. Oxygen can make fires burn more intensely, increasing the risk of severe burns if exposed to a source of ignition.

If moisturising is needed around the nose or lips due to the use of an oxygen mask or nasal cannula, a water-based product (such as Aquagel) may be preferred. However, the same fire safety precautions apply to all emollients.

Further advice

If you need any further advice regarding the safe use of emollients, please contact your GP practice pharmacy team, regular community pharmacist, or your local fire and rescue service.

 

Last updated: 04/11/2026