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Calamine

Cream or lotion for treating skin conditions

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A puddle of calamine lotion, next to the bottle. The lotion was shaken thoroughly a moment before; the dark speckles in the puddle are air bubbles. Calamine is a treatment for itching.
WhatamIdoing · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Calamine is applied to the skin as a cream or lotion. The lotion has been in use since 1500 BC and is now produced with additional ingredients such as phenol and calcium hydroxide.

Calamine is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. It is sold over the counter as a generic medication. Side effects may include skin irritation. It is considered to be safe in pregnancy.

Medical uses

Calamine is used to treat itch, as from sunburn, insect bite, poison ivy, poison oak, and other skin irritants. The FDA recommends applying topical over-the-counter skin products such as calamine to absorb skin weeping caused by poisonous plants such as poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac, although the FDA advises a cold water compress and topical corticosteroids to treat pain and itch they cause.

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