A Few Words of Advice
Filed under: Medicine
A few words of wisdom regarding rashes. Do NOT put any of the following on a rash unless explicity told to do so by a physician (or Physicans Assistant or Nurse practioner — I’m open minded):
Bleach
Should be a no-brainer, but would I be mentioning it if I hadn’t seen somebody do it?
Butter (or Margarine)
I don’t care what your dear old Grandmother told you, do not put butter on a rash. There’s a good chance it could make things worse. Plus you’ll get grease marks all over your comics and computer.
Neosporin
This product only has a very limited use. It should not be used as a general spread for any rash. It contains neomycin, which can be very irritating and even allergy-inducing. Use with caution. (Personally, I don’t use it at all. I don’t think it accomplishes anything plain old soap and water can’t).
Alcohol
I’m specifically talking about rubbing alcohol here, though you really shouldn’t apply any alcohol to your body except in rare situations. Rubbing alcohol is very drying and irritating so often makes rashes worse.
January 9th, 2005 at 8:55 am
How about alcohol for foliculitis?
January 9th, 2005 at 8:27 pm
is triple antibiotic cream similar to Neosporin? My wife uses that for just about everything, and it does seem to work. then again, my father used WD-40 for just about everything and that seemed to work too — it could just be faulty cause/effect correlation.
and have you ever heard of a topical dressing called Oil-o-sol (or Oil of salts)? My family swears by it, but it hasn’t been sold in our local drugstores for years and years.
January 9th, 2005 at 10:00 pm
I’ve had several patients that have used kerosene for various ailments.
January 10th, 2005 at 9:24 am
Jim,
Triple antibiotic ointment is the same thing as Nesopsorin, just a generic (and much cheaper) version. It’s basically a more expensive form of Vaseline with some sometims-irritating chemicals thrown in. Plain vaseline would probably work just as well.
I’ve heard patients mention Oil-o-sol, but never seen it myself.
Aaron,
How could I forget the combustible fossil fuels? You’re right. I’ve seen a few kerosenes and even one gasoline (a non-smoker recently).
Anonymous,
I can’t imagine that the alcohol would benefit the folliculitis, but then I don’t know the entire situation.
January 14th, 2005 at 3:02 am
Not a physician, not a veterinarian, but the kerosene cure sounds like back-country doctorin’ to me, old timey stuff. Creosote, too. Tar that baby!
Should you (or a patient) have a little poison oak problem, Zanfel seems really to work. http://www.zanfel.com/, I used to get just brutal outbreaks about now from weeding etc. and the vines are bare, so you can’t tell it is the dread vegetable. Vine. Shrub. Whatever.
February 4th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
i am looking for an oil called oil-o-sol . it is an oil that you put on cuts to keep them from getting sore. i is wonderful. do you know where i can buy it. thank you please answer a.s.a.p
March 9th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Oil-O-Sol has been off the market for some year. I contains Linseed oil, Oil of turpentine, natural camphor, oil of spearmint, oil and eucalyptus. Of these, all but the linseed oil is considered toxic and responsible for major toxic effects. Probably, because of the camphor, the product was withdrawn from the market. Camphorated oil was withdrawn back in the 1980’s due to severe burns being reported in children that had come in contact with it. Remember, no matter how well you feel your family did with the product, there are many that did not do well. That is why the FDA banned it.
May 26th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Oil-o-sol, I still have a bottle of it and I dont see where it has turpentine,linseed, spearment or eucalyptus in it according to the label here.
My bottle says it has Corn oil 52%,Camphor oil 6.8%,Castor oil 40.8 %.and ( i dont know what this is but it may be something there refurring to as being bad ) Hexylresorcinol 0.15.
I made my own batch with these ingredents except the last one and use it today.
Good Luck in your search…
July 9th, 2007 at 8:59 am
My aunt put Oil-O-Sol and a “razor blade” cut when I was a teenager in the 60’s and there was “ZERO” pain the next day. There may have been some ‘bad’ stuff in it, I am not sure. But I would like to know if anyone has “formulated” a fascimile that works as well. This may be a situation where the millions of times it actually worked was overshadowed by the 100 times it had some ’side effects’
Bobby plaster
bplaster@expressbenefit.com
March 5th, 2008 at 11:42 am
My Mother and Grandmother swore by oil-o-sol.
I have to say it worked great. I remember once when I broke my toe, I wrapped it in gauze soaked in oil-o-sol and it took the pain and swelling away literally over night, obviously the toe was still broken…but it could have been worse. As far as cuts and scrapes….its a wonder drug. My Mom still has a bottle about half full of it, maybe someday I’ll inherit it….lol.
I wish it was still around…..kinda like Terpin Hydrate cough syrup…..that worked well too.
If anyone has any oil-o-sol and wants to sell it contact me. Thanks!
Wturner20@netscape.net
November 28th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Oil-O-Sol has been used by my family or years. It was the one thing in the medicine cabinet that really worked. We used it for abrasions, cuts, 2nd degree burns, sprains, blisters, minor skin infections.
I remember once when a guest spilled hot cooking oil on his arm and hand. Mom put the Oil-O-Sol on the burned area. Within a couple of hours the pain was gone. By morning the blistering was gone. The arm and hand were healed in about 5 days.
It’s too bad that it is not commercially available. I’d buy it.
December 16th, 2008 at 11:06 am
As sad as it is that Oil-o-Sol is not readily available, it feels absolutly wonderful to know that my family are not the only ones who cherish the last of the two half bottles that mom and dad would tend our childhood wounds with. The memories attached to those old injuries have been infused within the oil by my parents loving fingertips as they tipped the bottle and soothed our pain. Oil-o-Sol was magic, thus the velvet-lined box they so richly deseve, and if I get the chance…they will have one…if my brother will ever give me custody!!!
February 18th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Oil-o-sol, where can i find it!!?? I love the stuff it works great. I have only a tiny bit left from the original bottle and would give anything to be able to buy it. Some of the best stuff on the market. Let me know if anyone can find this. Thanks.
August 24th, 2009 at 4:52 am
I would also love to find some Oil-o-Sol. It was magic stuff, and the comforting smell is something you never forget. We also used it loosen the adhesive on band-aids. I must say that I envy those of you that still have some around. I would love to use this for my kids.
September 14th, 2009 at 12:35 am
If anyone knows where you can find oil o sol. Please let me know. I grew up with oil o sol, and whenever I was hurt we used this product. I have a small amount left.
September 24th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Vet product called Cut Heal has similar ingredients as Oil-O-Sol.
November 16th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
oil-o-sol was a miracle worker for bruises!My aunt had the last littlr bit saved when I had a bad hematoma on my head.from a wreck. She put it on me all night and the next day, it wasn;t even sore! If I could find it, I ‘d be so happy.
March 10th, 2010 at 10:49 pm
My grandmother used oil-o-sol on my mom when she was a kid …Oil-O-Sol healed a 2Nd. degree sun burn on my back, and couldn’t let anything touch it..had to stay in bed with nothing on ..( I was in my teens), my mom soaked my back with oil-o-sol and by the next day I could put on a shirt….And when i had my kids I put Oil-o-sol on my birth stitches….When my OB Dr. asked me how my stitches were doing 3 days later I told him that they were healed…and he said how, I told him about my oil-o-sol and he asked to see it, so I took it in to show him and it amazed him!!!!!! when I ran out of oil-o-sol I asked mom to get me some more and she told me that grandma contacted the co. and they said they sold the recipe to some other CO…..And I have been looking for it up to this day!!!!! If anyone can find it I WOULD LOVE TO GET SOME ! ! ! MY FAMILY SWERES BY IT
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