I've very good quality DMSO. What can I use it for

The short version: DMSO is a powerful solvent and penetration enhancer with real clinical uses, but the evidence for most DIY applications is thin and the risks of contamination or misuse are high.

You have high-quality DMSO. That matters because industrial-grade DMSO contains impurities that can carry toxins through your skin. Pharmaceutical-grade (USP) DMSO is what you want. The evidence here covers a few specific medical uses, mostly inside a doctor's office.

The best-documented use is for interstitial cystitis, a painful bladder condition. Doctors instill a 50% DMSO solution directly into the bladder. Studies from the 1970s through 2019 report that 80-95% of patients get some relief [1, 2]. A 2016 trial compared DMSO to a hyaluronic acid/chondroitin sulfate mix and found similar pain reduction but more side effects with DMSO: about 30% of DMSO patients had an adverse event versus 15% in the other group [3]. This is a prescription procedure, not something you do at home.

For topical use on skin, DMSO is approved as a penetration enhancer in a prescription diclofenac gel for osteoarthritis (45.5% DMSO). Pooled safety data from seven trials covering 1,252 patients found the main side effect was dry skin (33% with DMSO vs 5% placebo) and dyspepsia (7.7% vs 2.9%) [4]. Serious adverse events were rare and similar between groups. A 2024 review suggests that high-purity DMSO (>99.99%) may reduce the garlic-like breath odor that historically bothered people [6].

What the evidence does not cover: using DMSO as a standalone pain rub, mixing it with unapproved drugs, or taking it internally. A 2002 case report describes a leukemia patient who got topical 99% DMSO for a chemotherapy extravasation and developed severe local inflammation [5]. The patient died a month later from fungal infection, though the DMSO's role is unclear. Animal studies show that high concentrations (50% and above) can disrupt cell membranes in a dose-dependent way [6].

The mechanism that matters to you: DMSO is a potent carrier. It will pull whatever is on your skin into your bloodstream. If your hands are not perfectly clean, you will absorb whatever residue is there. This is not a theoretical risk. The same property that makes it useful for drug delivery makes it dangerous for casual use.

My call: DMSO has real, evidence-backed uses for specific conditions under medical supervision. For DIY use, the risk of contamination and the lack of safety data for most applications outweigh the unproven benefits. Confidence: moderate for the bladder therapy and topical diclofenac data; low for any other use.