2004 Trimethylamine paper : absorption through the skin

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15304308

This 2004 paper proved that trimethylamine can be absorbed through the skin from external sources.

It is generally believed that absorption across the skin is an unimportant route of entry but there is little, if any, supporting evidence for this assumption.

In a broader sense, for instance with FMO3 substrates in general or issues of other detoxifying enzymes, it shows how chemicals absorbed through the skin also require detoxification the same as food/liquid absorbed from the gut. For instance sun protection cream, chemicals in pool water, even bathwater and soaps and shampoos. The medical advisors must currently presume that anything in these compounds can easily be dealt with by most humans. At the moment it's not known if such a principle is an issue to bloodborne odor sufferers, although it seems very plausible.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15304308