TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: In the oil phase the alcohol is cetearyl alcohol; the acid is stearic acid; and the oil is selected from fatty acid esters (specifically coconut fatty acid caprylate or caprate), oils (specifically almond, evening primrose or wheat-germ oil or dicaprylyl ether), monoglycerides, diglycerides and/or triglycerides (specifically caprylic, capric or stearic acid triglycerides). In the aqueous phase the humectant is glycerol or propylene glycol and the emulsifier and co-emulsifier are triceteareth-4 phosphate and sodium lauroyl sarcosinate. Active agents (especially allantoin) are added after stage (c). The saponification stage (d) is carried out using aminomethyl-propanol or triethanolamine, preferably under stirring for 30 minutes. Stages (a) - (d) are carried out at 75 degrees C. pH adjustment in stage (e) is carried out using lactic acid-sodium hydroxide buffer, preferably at less than 30 degrees C (especially at ca. 25 degrees C). The foaming gas in step (e) is propane and/or butane. ACTIVITY - Dermatological; antipruritic; cytostatic; antibacterial; fungicide.    MECHANISM OF ACTION - Buffering skin pH.    EXAMPLE - An oil phase was prepared by melting together a mixture of (by weight) 3.4% Miglyol 812 (TM), 1.3% Cetiol OE (TM), 3.4 % almond oil, 1.3 % wheat-germ oil, 2.6 % Cetiol LC (TM), 1.8 % Cuttina MD-V (TM), 4.2 % Lanette O (TM), 4.6 % Edenor C 18 (TM), 2.0 % evening primrose oil and 0.9 % Hostphat KW 340 D (TM) under stirring at 73-78 degrees C. An aqueous phase was prepared by dissolving 2.0 % propylene glycol, 3.0 % glycerol (85 %) and 3.2 % Protelan LS 9011 (TM) in 58.9 % sterile distilled water at 73-78 degrees C. The aqueous phase was incorporated in the oil phase, followed by addition of 0.1 % allantoin powder and 0.1 % aminomethyl-propanol, stirring at 30 rpm for 30 minutes at 73-78 degrees C, cooling to 25 degrees C, treating with a buffer mixture of 2.5 % lactic acid (2.5 %) and 5.4 % sodium hydroxide (15 %) to give pH 5.5 and homogenizing.