ointment

Think of a scraped knee as a child - it needs gentle care to heal. That is where ointment comes in. An ointment is a thick, smooth substance that you put on the skin to soothe irritation, protect the area, relieve pain, or help it heal. It is usually oil-based, so it stays on the skin longer than a lotion and forms a protective layer. You might use an antibiotic ointment on a cut or a skin ointment on dry, cracked skin.

People have used this kind of skin treatment for centuries. In the past, it was often made from herbs, waxes, and fats. Today, it may contain modern medicine instead. So when you reach for a tube to treat a burn, rash, or cut, you are using something with a very long history.

An ointment is a semi-solid preparation made to be put on the skin or on certain outer body surfaces, such as the lips or inside the nose. Unlike creams and lotions, which often contain more water, ointments are usually made with oily substances such as petroleum jelly, lanolin, or vegetable oils. This makes them thick, greasy, and slow to dry out, which helps them form a protective barrier and keep moisture in the skin. That same quality can also help medicine stay in contact with the area for longer.

The use of ointments goes back thousands of years, with evidence in ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian medical texts. Traditionally, they were made from natural ingredients such as herbs, beeswax, and animal fats, and were used to treat wounds, burns, rashes, and other skin problems.

Today, ointments come in many kinds, each made for a specific purpose. Antibiotic ointments help prevent or treat some bacterial infections, corticosteroid ointments reduce inflammation and itching, antifungal ointments treat fungal infections, and simple moisturizing ointments soften and protect dry or irritated skin. You might use a zinc oxide ointment to protect sensitive skin or a hydrocortisone ointment to calm an itchy rash.

The key difference between an ointment, a cream, and a lotion is their thickness and water content. Ointments are usually the thickest and least watery, creams are in the middle, and lotions are the lightest and most watery. So when you need strong protection, lasting moisture, or medicine that stays on the skin, an ointment is often the best choice. It has been a trusted way to protect and heal the skin for generations.