If you look carefully at the little boxes that the Neosporin tubes come in --- look for "Original Ointment." It contains neomycin sulfate, polymixin B sulfate and bacitracin -- the "triple antibiotic ointment." Neosporin Cream contains two antibiotics and a pain reliever.

Ahh, that makes sense. I thought maybe there was a legal issue and someone dropped out of the mix.

From here:

Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is one of the more controversial sources of wound antiseptics, mainly because its effectiveness in usage continues to be debated today. It’s also still one of the most commonly used solutions for wound irrigation and trying to rid fresh injuries of infection. However, more studies continue to accumulate indicating that hydrogen peroxide is not only ineffective when it comes to aiding overall wound healing stages, but can also slow down the entire process. The bubbling on the wound surface common when hydrogen peroxide is applied is believed by many to be caused by the solution attacking bacteria within the lesion, when in fact it’s also damaging your own cells in the process. Simply using a safer solution, such as saline, can provide moisture and help cleanse an injury without risk of cell damage.

Alcohol

Another commonly used source for cleaning wounds is rubbing alcohol. While it is true that alcohol can work to minimize germ activity within the wound surface, it will also burn your skin immediately. Skin cells can be damaged when put in contact with rubbing alcohol and swelling or itching that results might be misread as inflammatory symptoms. Your first choice for cleaning a wound should be through rubbing water over the injury to initially minimize infection. If excess debris is visible, contact your clinician.

My first aid box also contains Hibiclens. I like the description thing so much, here's their definition: Hibiclens is a liquid antimicrobial skin soap that bonds to the skin and
provides up to 6 hours continuous killing action. Hibiclens is proven
to kill many harmful bacteria (including MRSA), viruses and fungi.
Washing with Hibiclens before contact with contaminated skin and
surfaces will help eliminate the risk of transfer.

Minor wounds should be cleaned with a mild soap and running water, no need for the other stuff.

Do a google search on each product and you will find a ton of uses for each.

Yes, all of thise products kill germs - but they also kill live, healty cells which delays wound healing, which is a set-up for an infection.

Irrigation with large amounts of tap water is a most effective way to clean a wound, use soap as a surfactant to remove dirt.

CHG (in Hibiclens) is good, better than alcohol or iodine, if you are concerned about MRSA, which we all probably shoukd be.

My surgeon for my hands said "do not use anything on the wounds but soap and water as products slow down the healing." I did what he said and healed so fast, far faster than when the other hand was done and was told to use an antibiotic.

Just Dial soap and water at home, but I do have Chlorhexidine in case a wound is deep and contaminated -- but the soap and water would still be used first.

Mdln, is Neosporin bad too? DH thinks he needs to put it on every cut. I just use soap and water.

I have none of the above here except rubbing alcohol which I use for cleaning things other than skin ;0) I use soap and warm water, occasionally applying Neosporin original ointment. I don't like the white cream in that product, but do keep the formula on hand that is more oily. I'm a gardener, a DIYer and I do think it promotes faster healing.

I put rubbing alcohol on all my cuts & clean them a few times a day so they dry out & heal. I use hydrogen peroxide on my tongue for canker sores to boil them out.

Hydrogen peroxide is great for getting blood and fruit stains out of fabric. Rubbing alcohol is good for ink stains, even permanent marker, and removing sticker residue. Put it in a fine spray bottle to kill fruit flies and to spray on ticks. Also to sterilize needles for removing splinters. Iodone is used to test starch conversion in beer making. (DH use to be a homebrewer.) Witch Hazel for bug bites and stings.

We use Neosporin for cuts.

Scott drying a wound out for faster healing is an old wives tale...you want a wound to be clean, dry, and supple.

I usually use soap and water. If it's a where foreign matter was able to enter, I'll use Neosporin for a day or two and cover with a bandaid. Once it's on it's way to healing and with no signs of infection, I remove any covering and just let it heal.

At the dermatologist on Wed. I had to use a chemotherapy cream on a pre-cancerous spot on my face. It causes the affected cells to blister, ooze, get VERY angry. After using it for 3 weeks, one quits and then the healing begins. The dermatologist told me to use a compress soaked in hydrogen peroxide for 15 minutes, twice daily, on the ugly place - just tape it in place. Then, I am to apply a prescription antibiotic ointment, wait 10 minutes and then put Vaseline on wound and cover it - this is to keep it soft, no hard scab which causes scaring.

Since she is board certified, I assume she knows what she's doing and I'm following her orders.

One thing I found that I am in love with? Blister bandaids. I've spoken of them before. I assume it's similar to the antibiotic ointment and sealing all in one step. Best stuff ever. I used one of those when I got a third degree burn on my face, just under my eye (actually, also splashed hot oil IN my eye) and I babied that. Didn't want a scar on the money maker! Worked wonders. I kept trying to keep it clean and supple, until I found those. Slapped it on over night and wow! the next morning. I gave up vanity and wore them during the day for a week. Didn't scar.

Money maker...scar...facial area....OMG Rob. Are you a model. Lol

TOTALLY joking mamaP!

;)

I love Neosporin. You know when you can't help yourself and you go ahead and tear out that little hangnail on your finger knowing full well it's going to get all red, swollen and super tender after but you do it anyways and then you're sorry?? Ok, maybe it's only me. But I've found if I slather it with Neosporin and cover it with a band aid, it feels so much better by the next day :-) I'm all about peroxide and rubbing alcohol. I probably need to get new bottles though.

I do have all of those here for various reasons. For an injury my first course of action is lots of running water then soap and water.

Since getting my new beautiful fantasy brown quartzite countertops I buy a lot more alcohol. I mix the green alcohol and water to use in a spray bottle to clean the countertops. It is what is recommended. It has worked wonderfully.

I'm allergic to Neosporin ointment. I can use the cream though. I will break out in something that looks like a poison ivy rash if I use Neosporin ointment. We have been using aloe vera a lot for rashes and whatever.

Our resident teenager has a lot of trouble with acne. Used all kinds of over the counter products and prescription cream but to no avail. What we found is working the best is a gentle cleanse with 70 percent rubbing alcohol morning and night. Anything that comes to a head is covered with a blister bandage overnight and is practically gone by morning.

I also have a spray bottle woth isoporol alcohol for my cellphone. I am OCD about fingerprint on the touch screen. I mist it at least 20 times a day.

Something I've been doing lately is putting clear nail polish on my cuts. It burns for a minute but covers them. I hate bandaids because when they get wet I have to remove & replace.

I've tried liquid bandaid & liked it too.

I have scratches all over my arms and legs with 2 dogs. When they play, it's rough. They run at me at 100 mph and jump on me.

They're young and I don't mind them playing. Just not on me. Lately I cover up with a blanket when they start.

When Paxil is not wearing his service dog vest at home, I allow him to be a regular dog.

I use water to clean any wounds. If I have to put a band aid over the wound, I use polysporin to keep the band aid from sticking to the blood. Other than that, I use nothing else.

Thank you, MD. ;)

Scott, I'm with you on using alcohol for cleaning screens, etc. Dis you know there is a green alcohol that smells like spearmint? Same thing, just you don't have that medicinal smell. I dilute it a bit and use it on my granite countertops, and other things. You can find it at Wal-Mart, CVS and other places but sometimes have to search for it.

I use Polysporin for cuts, etc. sometimes Neosporin, but Polysporin seems to work better.

I keep both rubbing alcohol and peroxide on hand. Have never used the alcohol for wounds, though. Usually soap and water first, followed by hydrogen peroxide if I'm concerned about contamination, followed by Neosporin and a Band-Aid.

A couple of years ago I tripped on a rug/runner going into Walmart. It was raining, and they had put it down at the entrance, I guess to keep so much mess from being tracked into the store. Well, it wasn't laying smooth and flat, and down I went. Scrapped up my forearm pretty bad, was bleeding all over the place. They called an ambulance, which I didn't really need, but the medics did clean up the wound and bandaged it. But they didn't use anything to keep the gauze bandage from sticking. And stick it did! I had to go to my doctor to get that gauze off. Well, he told me to keep Neosporin on the scrape and keep it lightly covered until it healed. I was surprised because I had always thought you were supposed to let wounds dry out. He said no, always keep Neosporin or similar ointment on a wound to keep it supple and keep a hard dry scab from forming. So that is what I did. And have continued to do on any wound I've gotten since. I do bleed very easily, and am always scratching myself up pretty bad when mowing or working in the yard. Those Mesquite trees have vicious thorns!

Rusty

I have peroxide and alcohol on hand. I use them until the cut looks better. I also have regular Neosporin.

I have a parrot, and bird bites are my main reason for having all of these. Joey is wonderful and doesn't bite often, but when he is scared he latches on and I do have some bleeding.

Of the ones listed, I have peroxide and alcohol. I don't really use them for anything, except I have used peroxide mixed with baking soda to whiten my hair. Don't know that it worked. I don't usually put anything on cuts (or animal bites which I get more than cuts.) I wash it off and if it is bleeding very bad I may blot it with a paper towel and if I can find one, put a bandaid on it until I know it has stopped bleeding...then I take it off. Seriously I am not prone to infections and I hardly ever get sick.