Composition for application to skin comprising a biocide or combination ofbiocides (such as chlorhexidine, halogenated phenols, quaternary ammoniumcompounds； povidone-iodine； zinc pyridinethione； alcohols etc)and at least onetranscutaneous vehicle (for example alkyl methyl sulfoxides, alkylpyrrolidones, glycols, glycol ethers and glycol esters) effective to conveythe biocide to a sub epidermal "resident" micro-organism. Also a method forpreparing a patient for surgery comprising the step of treating an area of thepatient's skin at, and in the surrounding the vicinity of, the site of anintended surgical incision with a composition effective to kill more than 93%of both "transient" and "resident" micro-organisms.
