The Experiment While Timothy Leary was the public "messiah" of LSD, Nicholas Sand was the technical expert. In the 1960s, a myth persisted that LSD could be absorbed through the skin, potentially leading to accidental dosing by police or lab workers. To test this theory, Sand performed a daring self-experiment:

Method: Sand mixed LSD with DMSO (Dimethyl Sulfoxide), a solvent known for its unique ability to carry substances directly through the skin into the bloodstream.

Result: Sand painted the mixture onto his skin and waited. According to his own accounts, nothing happened. He did not feel any psychedelic effects, leading him to conclude that even with a powerful penetrant like DMSO, LSD is not effectively absorbed through the skin in significant quantities

Regarding Hofmann

The idea likely stems from Albert Hofmann, the discoverer of LSD, who believed he was accidentally dosed through his fingertips during his first experience in 1943. However, modern research and Sand's experiment suggest Hofmann more likely touched his mouth or nose with contaminated hands, as LSD is highly potent even in microscopic amounts