Calamine lotion is one of the most famous over-the-counter drugs prescribed for itching skin and various skin irritations such as poison oak and poison ivy. You may have experienced itchiness after touching some plants barehanded if you frequently roam the field around wild vegetation. Calamine lotion can also help in treating such irritation. But does this lotion also lighten the skin?
Calamine lotion does not lighten your skin. Instead, the product is suitable for enhancing an even skin tone free from minor skin conditions such as itching, irritations, and skin inflammations. The ingredients provide guaranteed relief from itching and soothe the itchy parts.
In today’s world, almost half the population of persons are after skin lightening. However, no one should sell calamine lotion to you for skin lightening purposes. So make sure you read ahead to learn more about the calamine lotion and how to go about using it.
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Is Calamine Lotion Good for the Skin?
Calamine lotion is very safe for use on your skin although, it should not be your primary acne treatment. In case you have no alternative you can always use it for the treatment. In cases of minor skin conditions such as wasp or bee stings and any other allergic reactions such as hives, you can always rely on Calamine lotion for acute pain-relieving treatment.
Apart from underlying health conditions, hives can result from several factors including, depression, too much exposure to sunlight, lack of warm sustaining clothing in cold temperatures, and several infections. The use of calamine lotion can help you treat either of these issues, but you should first try to identify the cause of your rashes.
The identification will go a long way in helping you to keep off from such issues. On the other hand, wasp and bee stings contain venomous proteins that affect the skin and immune system resulting in stinging pain and occasional swelling around the sting site. So even if you are not allergic to bee stings, the venom triggers a severe immune reaction forcing your body to swell.
However, you ought to know that your body has varying reactions on different issues as compared to your neighbor’s body. Thus, if you use the lotion on any of the above skin conditions and still experience dizziness, difficulties in breathing, or swelling in your throat. You should seek a medical professional’s help immediately.
Is Calamine Lotion Usable for Private Parts?
Most skin irritations and itching in private parts are often a result of yeast infections that might cause swelling and lead to a discharge. However, calamine lotion is for external use only. So using it on any skin surface that contains mucous membranes such as the eyes, sex organs-including the anal skin-is highly prohibited.
Most of these skin conditions may seem minor at first. Nevertheless, you should seek immediate medical help whenever you notice them. A patient’s body might hide and cover the pain in these conditions that make them look less serious. It is important to remember that, despite their small size, these conditions are often huge problems that require immediate treatment. Therefore, over-the-counter medications like calamine lotions may not work as effectively as you expected.
Some of these conditions on the genitals may include:
Genital Herpes
Genital shedding is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV-2). The virus causing Genital herpes can infect individuals through vaginal secretions and other bodily fluids and secretions such as semen and saliva. The most common symptoms of herpes include:
- Itching in the affected area
- Soft blisters that look like they may open up any minute.
- Headaches, body aches, and fever
Herpes has no cure, so if you note any of the symptoms above, you should seek a doctor’s advice. However, the revelation that it has no cure might stress you if you have it you might want to avoid stress at such moments; because the stress might spike the virus to higher levels.
Public Lice
These lice often spread through sexual contact, sharing of beddings, and other bathroom vanities such as towels. The affected spots are often itchy, so as a result, you may feel like scratching yourself off – unfortunately, this will always lead to swollen parts.
Some of the common symptoms may involve itching, irritability, and pale blue spots. These can be avoided by frequent cleaning and decontaminating of your house. In addition, lice lotions and some shampoos may also be beneficial in managing its effects.
Shaving Rash
Such after-shave rashes are often prevalent and can lead to itchy, sensitive, and swollen parts. Such rashes could be the result of irritating your hair follicles when shaving. Therefore, you can prevent the same by using new, sharp razors or trimming the hair instead of shaving. Blunt razors can also lead to a razor burn that could cause rashes.
Therefore, to curb any of the above genital skin conditions, you can make use of baking soda or oatmeal baths. However, it is best to visit a doctor for a perfect diagnosis of the same.
How Do I Use Calamine Lotion?
It is best to know that calamine lotion will not cure conditions but, will help relieve the symptoms in the affected areas. Therefore, to use calamine lotion on any itchy skin surface, of course apart from your genitals, eyes, nose, and mouth; you should:
- Clean off your face with warm water and pat dry with a clean towel.
- Shake well the bottle
- Apply the lotion using clean fingers, a Q-tip, or a cotton ball.
- Clean off your fingers with lots of water and soap immediately after touching the lotion.
- Let the skin surface with calamine lotion dry to the color pink. It can also be light pink.
- Wet calamine lotion has stubborn stains; therefore, you might need to avoid touching the surface with any clothing. In addition, some clothing consists of fiber that could irritate the skin surface since the lotion softens and opens up pores on the itchy area.
- It is a great idea to let the lotion stay on the surface overnight. You may, however, have sensitive skin, so if you feel any irritation or itching, you should wash the lotion off as soon as it turns light pink.
- Make sure you use warm water when rinsing the surface.
- After use, you should store the lotion away from the kid’s access and far from excessive heat. In particular, the lotion should be in a cool, dry place, so you should not refrigerate it.
- If there is no change after seven days of using the lotion, you should consult your physician for further guidance.
You can also apply lotion on any chickenpox, measles, and eczema skin conditions. In addition, you should follow all guidelines on the label of the package if you bought the lotion without a doctor’s prescription.
However, you should avoid using calamine lotion if:
- You probably used it before and developed any aftermath reactions.
- You have any other medical conditions unless cleared by a certified health professional to use the lotion.
- You are currently pregnant, so you should avoid the cream. However, the lotion has not yet been shown to affect unborn babies, but since bodies are not the same you should keep off the lotion.
- You are a lactating mother with rashes around your breasts. You may risk infecting your kid with serious health effects because you might not wash off the breast well. If you will be sure to rinse your breasts thoroughly you must realize that the areas around your breast often contain pores. These pores could conceal particles from the lotion.
Therefore, when the kid is sucking milk, he/she may suck the hidden particles too into their bloodstream.
How often Should I Apply Calamine Lotion?
Here comes the most crucial reason for evaluation and getting calamine lotion from your doctor though the lotion is readily available as an over-the-counter drug. A physician would have been able to guide you on how to use it effectively based on how he saw your skin or what you described to him.
Therefore, the dosage for the lotion can be different from one patient to another. So, even if you meet a friend using calamine lotion differently from the way you do, you should not switch your dosage unless directed by the doctor.
Therefore, if you can’t reach a doctor right away, you can follow the directions on the label.
One of the key factors determining how often you use calamine lotion is the extent of the itching or rashes on the affected skin. These factors also depend on the formulation since the ingredients vary from time to time in their production. However, it is advisable to use the lotion more often, but considering the periodic time frames between each usage.
However, it is important to be keen not to use or store an expired calamine lotion with you.
Can I Use Calamine Lotion on Scars and Dry Skins?
Most of the ingredients used in calamine lotion include:
- Calcium hydroxide to ensure reduced itching on the skin surface
- Bentonite magma, a suspending agent
- Glycerin is purposefully for moisturizing and protecting the skin’s natural barrier
- Water to smooth the lotion mixture and increase liquidity in the paste for better application
- Iron oxide for the paste’s color, and also to reduce itching and as a soothing for rashes on the skin
- Zinc oxide for anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory surfaces
However, the presence of zinc oxide makes the surface dry quite fast thus as a result, calamine lotion might fail to be your best bet for scars. One of the reasons behind the lotion’s failure is because the lotion lacks active ingredients that can lighten any scar or prevent any further scar formation. It also does not soften or reduce any inflammation on scar tissues.
However, its anti-allergic properties might be somewhat helpful in the slight reduction of scars and pimples. In addition, you should not use calamine lotion on broken skin or skin surfaces with cuts, wounds, or severe burns.
What Are the Side Effects of Using Calamine Lotion?
Calamine lotion has few and less severe side effects. If, however, you did not seek a doctor’s guide before purchasing the lotion, then you should follow the directions on the package to apply it.
So before some of its side effects, you should be aware of the safety precautions involved when using calamine lotion. Some of these include:
- Avoid applying lotion before an x-ray because it can interfere with the results.
- You may feel tempted to use the lotion on young infants. Nevertheless, this should only be under the guidance of a doctor. In addition, a baby’s skin may be too soft for the lotion to penetrate.
- The lotion has flammable ingredients so, it is imperative that anyone smoking needs to be away from the lotion.
The most common side effects of using the calamine lotion are the results of an overdose, however, these have no harmful effects. Using calamine lotion 3 to 4 times a day, for example, is something you should adhere to within the prescribed periods.
But in case you forgot one of the periods, you should still apply the lotion as soon as you remember. However, you might want to avoid using the lotion at a time when the next application period is in few minutes.
So some of the most common side effects can be allergies or excessive drying of the skin. In any of these circumstances, make sure you contact a medical practitioner as soon as possible. In case, the condition you are applying calamine lotion worsens, it is advisable that you stop the usage immediately and contact your doctor for further directions.
When Should I Stop Using Calamine Lotion?
Even though the lotion has very few side effects, the user’s body varies from one person to another, and as a result, you might notice that several people have different experiences of the lotion. However, in case you note any of the issues below you should stop the usage immediately.
- An overly dried skin
- An itching or irritating skin
- Skin peeling or soreness
- Inflammation leading to pimples or spots
When using calamine lotion, you need to be keen enough and avoid swallowing the lotion or using it on any wounded skin on your body.
https://www.healthline.com/health/home-remedies-for-chickenpox#calamine-lotion
https://www.beautyglimpse.com/benefits-calamine-lotion-skin/