Calamine
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- For the mineral, see calamine (mineral), for other uses of the word, see calamine (disambiguation).
Calamine is a mixture of zinc oxide (ZnO) with about 0.5% iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3). It is the main ingredient in calamine lotion and is used as an antipruritic (anti-itching agent) to treat mild pruritic conditions such as sunburn, eczema, rashes, poison ivy, chickenpox, insect bites and stings.[1][2][3][4][5][6] It is also used as a mild antiseptic to prevent infections that can be caused by scratching the affected area, and an astringent to dry weeping or oozing blisters and acne abscesses.[7]
In a 1992 press release, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that no proof had been submitted showing the main ingredients in calamine (zinc oxide and iron(III) oxide) to be safe for use or effective in treating bug bites, stings, and rashes from poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac.[8] The press release listed a total of 415 OTC drug ingredients which the FDA proposed banning for specific uses which are as yet unproven.
[edit] See also
- Calamine (mineral), or hemimorphite, an ore of zinc
- Calamine brass, an early method of making brass, by reacting copper metal with calamine zinc ore.
[edit] References
- ^ Calamine
- ^ Calamine
- ^ The South African Medicines Formulary: ANTIPRURITICS AND TOPICAL ANAESTHETICS
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=iOiFFCn06xEC&pg=PA200&dq=%22calamine+lotion%22&sig=yP8zHYNd7P86aTpzOqq9HQSR-Do#PPP1,M1
- ^ MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Poison ivy - oak - sumac rash
- ^ MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Hives
- ^ Soothing Remedies for Poison Ivy and Poison Oak
- ^ FDA Press Release
[edit] External links
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