Dettol

Dettol is the trade name for a line of hygiene products manufactured by Reckitt Benckiser.

As a brand, it is ranked the
... 48th most-trusted one in
India by The Brand Trust Report 2011.

>Chemistry:

The active germ-killing ingredient in Dettol is in fact 4- chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol,
also known by its non- systematic name para-chloro- meta-xylenol or PCMX


The detailed biochemistry of the action of PCMX and other phenol-based antibacterial agents is beyond the scope of this page. However, very simply, they are understood to work by the -OH group of the molecule binding to proteins present on the cell membrane of bacteria, disrupting the cell membrane and allowing the contents of the cell to leak out. This allows more PCMX to enter the cell, binding further with proteins and enzymes, and effectively shutting down the cell’s functions. At high concentrations of PCMX, the proteins and nucleic acids in the cell are coagulated and cease to function, leading to rapid cell death.

When diluted, Dettol may
be used to clean cuts,
wounds, etc.

Dilute Dettol is
hypothesised to be a
treatment for acne. No clinical trials have been
done, however; and, Dettol
is not approved for this
indication by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).