calamine lotion

Calamine lotion is an over-the-counter topical medication widely used to alleviate mild itching, pain, and discomfort associated with skin irritations such as poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, insect bites, and sunburn. It is a suspension primarily composed of zinc oxide and a small amount of ferric oxide (which imparts its characteristic pink color), often formulated with bentonite clay, glycerin, and calcium hydroxide. Calamine lotion acts as a skin protectant and mild astringent; as the liquid base evaporates, it produces a cooling sensation that distracts from itching, while the zinc oxide forms a physical barrier to shield the skin and absorbs excess moisture from weeping or oozing lesions. It is included on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines and is manufactured by various generic pharmaceutical companies, including Carlos Pharmaceuticals.

Brand names

Cala sootheCalamaxCalaminaCalamolCarlos Calamine LotionFT CalamineGoodSense CalaminePhoenix Calamine Lotion

Other names

calaminecalamine suspensioncalamine topical suspension