Galen's Cerat: a thousand-year-old formula, contemporary challenges

3 eras, three versions of Galen's pottery

The original recipe, developed by Galen, combined natural ingredients to create a protective ointment: 

• Antiquité : Beeswax, Olive oil, Rose water 
• XIXe Siècle: White beeswax, Olive oil or sweet almond oil, Rose water and Spermaceti
• Today (ANSM 2010 formula): Beeswax, Refined sweet almond oil, Flavored rosewater (also called reconstituted rosewater), Borax

Spermaceti: a surprising and controversial ingredient

In the 19th century, spermaceti, a white wax extracted from the head of the sperm whale, became a prized ingredient. Its unique properties - silky texture, good thermal stability, non-greasy feel - made it an ideal component for ointments and ceramics.

Visit spermacetiis contained in an organ essential to the echolocation of sperm whales, which gives their heads their distinctive shape. In English, sperm whales are called "sperm whaleThe name was given by explorers who, fascinated by this milky-looking wax, associated it with seminal fluid, hence the term "seed". 

Intensive hunting to extract this wax has led to a dramatic decline in sperm whale populations, illustrating a dark aspect of the history of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, where the demand for raw materials has sometimes had a heavy environmental impact.

Fortunately, spermaceti has gradually been replaced by more sustainable and ethical synthetic or plant-based alternatives. (Cetyl Palmitate)

The modern formula of Galen's cerate, sold in pharmacies without prescription and used in the preparation of magistral preparations available on prescription, returns to its natural roots with beeswax, sweet almond oil and rose-flavored water. Borax is added as a preservative. This formula is the only one authorized by the ANSM. A preservative-free "fresh" version can be produced by preparatories for use on children under 30 months. Boric acid is forbidden for use on young children due to its toxicity (CMR). 

In cosmetics, boric acid (released by Borax) has been banned in 2019. Cosmetic regulations, based on the precautionary principle, differ from the "benefit-risk" approach applied to pharmaceuticals. 

• In cosmeticsThe products are applied regularly, often several times a day, to a large population, without medical supervision. The risk of cumulative exposure led European authorities to ban boric acid from cosmetic formulations to protect public health.

• In pharmaciesGalen ceramics are prepared and used for medical purposes. Its use is often limited in time, prescribed by a health professional, and intended for localized applications. This controlled exposure allows us to accept its presence, judged justified by its therapeutic benefits. Except that Cérat de Galien is available without a prescription, and numerous testimonials on the Internet show that it is dispensed without any reminder of the risks of long-term side effects...

Given that the original formula did not contain borax, and that numerous alternatives now exist to ensure the microbiological safety of paste preparations, we wonder why ANSM continues to impose its use in its official recipe listed in the National Formulary. 

Cérat de Galien is a skincare product that has lasted for centuries, but whose formula has not improved. 

For sensitive skin, this skincare product remains a precious ally, which is why it is so widely prescribed. However, it is impossible to use it on a long-term basis in its "official" composition. 

Are you a pharmacist or health and beauty professional? Would you like to develop an improved Cerat formula? Contact us!

• ANSM, Formulaire National des Préparations, Galien Cerate, 2010

• Beal H., Pharmaceutical Chemistry, 1908

• Fenner & Christiani, Pharmacopoeia and Therapeuticsearly 20th century

• SCCS, Opinion on boric acid, 2018

• CIR, Safety Assessment of Boric Acid, 2024