I need a First Aide cream or ointment, non-prescription, for the medicine cabinet.
Any suggestions?
I always have an antibiotic ointment and a hydrocortisone cream on hand.
- antibiotic salve of some sort
- steroid cream for allergic eruptions, itch
- anti-fungal cream for, well, fungus
- topical analgesic like methyl salicylate or diclofenac ( latter is rx only)
- neuropathic pain cream like capsaicin (spices up foods too at need)
- anti-wart rx like salicylate plaster or if you’ve got HPV, then imiquimod
- topical anesthetic like lidocaine/benzocaine
- sympathomimetic/astringent preparations (like H) for hemorrhoids
Pick 3 of the above, based on what ails you most.
Neosporin.
Get it.
Yeah, I always have neosporin in my medicine chest.
Bourbon
I have 4 of those.
- antibiotic salve of some sort
- steroid cream for allergic eruptions, itch
- anti-fungal cream for, well, fungus
- topical analgesic like methyl salicylate or diclofenac ( latter is rx only)
Well, the antifungal I use also has a bit of steroid in it. And I never use the hydrocortisone cream. But it’s on the shelf.
I also vote for Neosporin (or Bacitracin). I usually buy the version that also has a pain-relief ingredient (one of the ‘caines). That is especially helpful if you might need to use it for a child but I also was glad recently to have the pain relief whenI got a small burn on a thumb.
Do, however, take note of the expiration date on the tube and replace it in a few years to maintain effectiveness. You can find really antique tubes in the back of the medicine chest. I usually buy the store brand/generic and in a smaller size so I don’t mind throwing out the unused expired cream in a few years.
Isn’t Imiquimod also used for some cancerous and pre-cancerous skin lesions? I had a “zit” that wouldn’t heal on my nose the punch biopsy said pre-cancerous, I was faithful in applying the cream and massaging it into my nose but I guess it evolved into SCC anyway. I ended up having Mohs surgery, the dermatologist had to cut twice.
I had no idea it was used for HPV.
OP, how do you know you need an ointment? What problem is it you are trying to fix? How do you know you don’t need six, or zero?
FWIW I keep steroid cream on hand for irritations including insect bites, and triple antibiotic ointment for little cuts and scratches and abrasions. Usually I also have lidocaine, angifungal, wart remedy, and astringents around someplace, or Ms. Napier does. In addition I’ve had several prescription ointments for specific ailments including stronger steroids for psoriasis, fluorouracil for skin cancer, and several different ones for cold sores. For the record I’m impressed with the list Qadgop so kindly posted.
Just for cuts.
I’m almost out.
I’ve had great results with soap and water.
I would guess #1 and #2 are ones you should keep on hand all the time. They’re just too useful not to.
The rest would be dependent on what you do- I haven’t had much use for the topical analgesics or hemorrhoid creams, but I’ve had occasion to use topical analgesics and anti-fungals in the past.
As far as brands go, I’m a big believer in generics- there’s no reason to buy name-brand Neosporin, Cortaid or Lamisil if the drugstore has the exact same drug in the exact same concentration for 1/2 or less the price.
I never used an antibiotic salve until i was 50, and i suppose my immune system is losing steam. I always just used soap and water, and perhaps a bandage.
The first time i used it was actually when I sliced off the pad of my finger, and the first time i had to change the bandage i nearly fainted from pain, as the bandage had stuck to the wound. My doctor recommended i use an antibiotic salve, mostly for the petroleum jelly component, to prevent it from sticking. But it seemed like if the contents were protected by an antibiotic they’d be less likely to come pre-contaminated when i smeared them on the open wound.
On about day 3, a little blood vessel in the finger had healed, but the skin around it hadn’t, and I was able to SEE my pulse in the little vessel. That was pretty neat.
With respect, I beg to differ. In creams and ointments, the performance of the product can depend strongly on things other than the official “active ingredient”. For example, some will spread and coat easily and effectively, whereas other, cheaper substitutes will be both clumpy and runny, so they don’t provide the same coverage or they rub off sooner. Or the tubes are awkward and clumsy so it’s difficult to squeeze out the amount I want and not spill or drop it.
I agree with you for products in pill form, but creams and ointments? I’ll pay for the brand.
I’ve never noticed any difference between name brands and the pharmacy (CVS, Walgreens) brand. Based on the packaging, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re made on the same production lines.
Honestly I haven’t noticed much difference. Most antibiotic ointments are just petrolatum and the antibiotics themselves- stuff like “Simply Neosporin” and Polysporin are exactly what I describe, and so are the Wal-Mart and other generic versions. The only ones that aren’t are some of the Neosporin versions, which have a weird base of cottonseed oil, petrolatum and cocoa butter. And in that case, some of the generics even ape that formulation (CVS in particular- I have a tube in my bathroom right now!)
Other house-brand/generic creams are similar- their non-active ingredients are usually exactly the same as the name brand, in the same order. And none of it is particularly interesting- they’re all just generic cream/lotion type mixtures.
I’m the same.