Name: Original Antibiotic Ointment
Brand: Neosporin

Overview

What it is

Body lotion with 10 ingredients that contains Vitamin E and zinc

Cool Features

It is reef safe

Suited For

It has ingredients that are good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin and scar healing

Free From

It doesn't contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens, silicones or sulfates

Fun facts

Neosporin is from United States. This product is used in 22 routines created by our community.

What's inside

Ingredients Explained

Bacitracin

Bacitracin is an OTC antibiotic used primarily as a topical treatment for localized skin and eye infections.

You'll mostly likely find this ingredient in combination with other antibiotics in products like Neosporin.It works by interfering with bacterial cell wall synthesis, especially in Gram-positive bacteria.

While generally safe when applied to the skin but some people may experience rare allergic reactions.

Learn more about Bacitracin

Zinc

Antioxidant

Zinc is an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It is a great acne treatment due to its ability to soothe inflammatory papules.

The more common type of zinc used in skincare is Zinc PCA.

Neomycin

Neomycin is an antiobiotic and Neomycin sulfate is the most common form for pharmaceutical preparations.

This is a prescription ingredient and we recommend speaking with your medical provider about using this ingredient.

Polymyxin B

Also known as Polymyxin B sulfate. This is not an INCI ingredient, it is an antiobiotic used to treat bacterial infections.

We recommend speaking with a medical professional about using this ingredient.

Petrolatum

Emollient

Petrolatum is more commonly known as petroleum jelly. It is created by mixing waxes and mineral oils.

This ingredient is effective at reducing water loss by 99%. This is because it is an occlusive. Occlusives create a hydrophobic barrier on the skin to prevent evaporation. This property makes it great for hydrating dry skin.

Pro tip: Use occlusives, such as this ingredient, on damp skin for the best results.

The quality or origin of petrolatum is only known when disclosed by the brand. Most cosmetic petrolatum has gone through several purification stages.

Another benefit of occlusives is it protects your skin against infection or allergies.

Petrolatum is fungal acne safe. It is a hydrocarbon with no fatty acid structure, so Malassezia cannot metabolize it. In-vitro studies support negligible growth stimulation as well.

It's also worth noting that petrolatum has a comedogenic rating of 0. In updated rabbit ear testing (and in human testing), petrolatum was found to be not comedogenic. This means it didn’t promote comedone formation in standard models.

Learn more about Petrolatum

Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil

Skin Conditioning

Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil is AKA cotton seed oil.

Cotton seed oil is rich in omega-6 fatty acids. The majority of these fatty acids include linoleic (~54%) and oleic (~19%). It is structurally similar to sunflower seed oil.

When used in cosmetics, this ingredient is refined and purified to remove toxins naturally found in the plant.

This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe due to the presence of fatty acids.

Learn more about Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil

Olea Europaea Fruit Oil

Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning

This ingredient is also known as olive oil. It has been used in skincare for centuries and science largely backs up its reputation as a nourishing emollient.

The main components of olive oil are oleic acid (55-83%), linoleic acid (3.5-20%), and palmitic acid (7-20%). Oleic acid promotes skin regeneration and helps regulate inflammatory responses.

Squalene is also naturally present in olive oil and exhibits moisturizing and antioxidant properties.

The polyphenols in olive oil also show anti-aging promise; one clinical study found a measurable improvement in skin appearance after 30 days of topical serum use.

Just be aware that applying olive oil directly to skin can weaken the barrier and cause redness. One study with volunteers found even people without sensitive skin experienced a significant reduction in stratum corneum integrity and induced mild erythema.

It's best to use this ingredient as part of a carefully crafted formula (instead of putting it on skin directly from the bottle).

Because it has a 2-3 on the comedogenic scale, it is a moderate risk for acne-prone skin. However, the overall formulation of a product matters more than a few ingredients with comedogenic ratings.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because of the oleic and palmitic acid content. These fall within the C11-24 fatty acid range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize to grow.

Overall, olive oil is a well-studied and nourishing skincare ingredient.

Learn more about Olea Europaea Fruit Oil

Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter

Emollient, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter comes from the Theobroma cacoa, or Cacao tree. Cacao trees are native to tropical landscapes.

Like other plant butters, Cacao seed butter is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and soften your skin. By creating a barrier to trap moisture in, emollients help keep your skin hydrated.

Cacao seed butter contains antioxidants known as polyphenols. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules by stabilizing them. Unstable free-radicals may cause damage to your skin cells. Antioxidants may help with anti-aging.

Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter can be bad for acne prone skin.

Learn more about Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter

Sodium Pyruvate

Skin Conditioning

We don't have a description for Sodium Pyruvate yet.

Tocopheryl Acetate

Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning

Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.

One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.

Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.

Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate