Soothing topical (mild astringent)
Calamine with zinc oxide
Brand names: various calamine lotion
Adult dose
Dose: Apply liberally PRN
Route: Topical
Frequency: PRN
Clinical pearls
- NICE CKS Chickenpox / Insect bites: traditional symptom relief for pruritus
- Cooling effect by evaporation; minimal evidence for active mechanism
Contraindications
- Open wounds
- Hypersensitivity
Side effects
- Local dryness
- Stinging
- Allergic dermatitis (rare)
Monitoring
- Symptom relief
Reference: BNF; NICE CKS Chickenpox; NICE CKS Insect bites; https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/calamine-with-zinc-oxide/. Verify against your local formulary and the latest BNF before prescribing.
Related
Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.
Calculators
Pathways
- Suspicious Pigmented Lesion — Melanoma Pathway · NICE NG14 2015 / BAD
- Cellulitis and Erysipelas · NICE NG141 2019 / CREST
- Psoriasis — Severity Assessment and Step-Up Therapy · NICE NG153 2019 / BAD
- Atopic Eczema — Assessment and Step-Up Therapy · NICE NG95 2023
- Urticaria and Angioedema · BSACI / EAACI Guidelines 2022
- Acne Vulgaris — Grading and Treatment · NICE NG198 2021 / BAD