Key takeaways:
Skin-related health conditions affect millions of people around the country. They can cause symptoms like itching, swelling, and rashes that range from mild to severe.
Many topical medications are available to treat these symptoms. Topical medications come as ointments, creams, lotions, and more.
The best topical medication varies for everyone. Your skin type, condition that’s being treated, and medical history all play roles.
Millions of people in the U.S. are affected by skin problems. In fact, skin-related health conditions impact as many as 1 in 3 people at any given time. Skin conditions like acne, eczema, and psoriasis are all common reasons why you could be considering a topical medication as a source of relief from your symptoms.
If you’ve gone to purchase a topical medication online or at your local pharmacy, you may have noticed that these medications are often available in a few distinct versions. Understandably, the differences between them can seem vague — at best. So if you’ve ever been confused about needing an ointment versus a cream or lotion, you’re not alone.
Here, we’ll compare ointments, creams, and lotions.
Ointments, creams, and lotions are all topical products that you can apply to your skin. Some of them are simply cosmetic products, while others are medications. Regardless, you may have noticed a few differences between them.
Ointments: Ointments tend to feel greasy. Your skin may appear glossy or shiny after using an ointment. Ointments are also usually thick and heavy. An ointment usually forms a thick barrier or protective layer on top of your skin.
Creams: Compared to ointments, creams are not as heavy and thick. Creams also tend to have a more cosmetically-pleasing appearance.
Lotions: Lotions are non-greasy products. They’re also thinner than ointments and creams. So, you can easily apply them to a larger area of your body.
These differences in appearances and textures are due to the various amounts of oil and water they each contain. Ointments are generally 80% oil and 20% water, and creams are typically 50% oil and 50% water. Lotions tend to contain a lot more water than oil.
Yes. Although they’re not as common, other types (formulations) of topical medications include:
Foams
Gels
Mousses
Shampoos
Solutions
Suspensions
In many cases, yes. Several ointments, creams, and lotions have the same active ingredient.
A common example is hydrocortisone. Hydrocortisone is a topical steroid medication that’s available as an ointment, cream, and lotion. It also comes as a topical solution and spray. Hydrocortisone is typically used for the short-term relief of itching, redness, and swelling caused by various skin conditions.
Another common example is Neosporin. Neosporin is available as an ointment and cream. Both versions contain antibiotics called neomycin and polymyxin that help prevent infection from minor skin injuries. However, the two formulations also have minor differences in other active ingredients they contain.
On the other hand, some medications only come as one formulation. For instance, pimecrolimus (Elidel) is a prescription-only medication that treats eczema. It only comes as a cream — it doesn’t come as an ointment, lotion, or gel.
When comparing topical products to each other, each type of topical product has a few advantages and disadvantages.
Product | Advantages | Disadvantages |
---|---|---|
Ointments |
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Creams |
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Lotions |
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In some cases, yes. Your skin’s composition can play a role in which product type might be best for your skin.
Skin type | Preferred topical product |
---|---|
Normal skin | Cream for adults older than 50 years old
Lotion for younger adults |
Dry skin | Creams or ointments |
Dry and thick skin patches | Ointments |
Oily skin | Creams or lotions |
Dry and oily skin | Creams or ointments for the dry spots, but no product on the oily spots |
Hairy skin | Creams or lotions |
However, your skin type isn’t the only deciding factor. Certain topical medications might be better than others depending on where you apply them on your body. The skin condition that you’re treating is also a big factor.
While you might use multiple topical products for your skin condition, you shouldn’t typically combine them on your skin at the same time.
For instance, eczema is a common skin condition that often requires multiple topical products. If you have eczema, healthcare providers may prescribe a topical steroid medication, like a hydrocortisone ointment or cream. But they could also recommend using another moisturizer to help soothe and protect your skin.
However, two topical products generally shouldn’t be applied to the same area of skin at the same time. In fact, combining them can lower a treatment’s effectiveness and spread the mixture to unaffected skin areas. Experts usually suggest separating products by at least 10 to 30 minutes.
Depending on your skincare routine and medications that you use, your healthcare provider can give you more specific guidance on how to use your products together in a safe and effective way.
It depends. One formulation isn’t “better” than the other.
The best topical medication will vary from person-to-person. They are all tools that come in handy in different situations. An ideal topical product will depend on the following factors:
Your skin type
Application site
Skin condition being treated
Medical history
Preferences
Previous experience with a topical medication (if applicable)
Several medications are available to treat skin conditions. Many of these medications are topical products, such as ointments, creams, and lotions. Like all medications, these topical products have their pros and cons. The best topical product will vary for each person due to certain factors — like skin type, application site, and skin condition.
If you have any questions or concerns about any topical product for your skin condition, talk with your pharmacist or dermatologist. They can help find an ideal topical medication for you.
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Chalmers, J. R., et al. (2019). Different strategies for using topical corticosteroids in people with eczema. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
Chang, R. K., et al. (2013). Generic development of topical dermatological products: Formulation development, process development, and testing of topical dermatologic products. The AAPS Journal.
Ference, J. D., et al. (2009). Choosing topical corticosteroids. American Family Physician.
Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care. (2020). Eczema: Steroids and other topical medications. InformedHealth.org.
Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. (2021). Neosporin original [package insert].
Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. (2021). Neosporin + pain relief [package insert].
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2019). Skin conditions at a glance.
National Eczema Society. (2019). Topical steroids factsheet.
Purnamawati, S., et al. (2017). The role of moisturizers in addressing various kinds of dermatitis: A review. Clinical Medicine & Research.
Sethi, A., et al. (2016). Moisturizers: The slippery road. Indian Journal of Dermatology.
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