Many medicines come in a variety of forms, products with the same name come in the form of an ointment, cream or gel. All these varieties have their own characteristics and characteristics. Therefore, when purchasing any medicine, you need to know how the ointment differs from the cream and gel.
Ointment: form description
Ointments as medicines were used in ancient Egypt, China and Rome. They were made on the basis of lanolin, cow's oil, extracts of medicinal plants: almonds, olives, sesame, various flowers and herbs, wax.
Modern ointments in their composition have a drug and a base, which are usually fats of natural or artificial origin, as well as refined products. Auxiliary components are often added to help the ointment penetrate the skin better, such as nitroglycerin.
This mild form of the drug is used for application to a variety of wounds, skin, mucous membranes. To understand how an ointment differs from a cream, you need to considerfeatures of the latter.
Cream characteristics
Historically, the cream got its name due to the fact that cream and wax were used in its base for a long time. The modern soft form also consists of a main drug substance and a base, which is light, containing an emulsion and water. A distinctive feature of the cream is its ability to have a strong local effect, but it has practically no systemic effect on the entire body. This is because the soft form does not enter the bloodstream.
Considering the topic of how a cream differs from an ointment, it is also necessary to indicate that the first is quickly and completely absorbed into the epidermis, does not leave greasy marks on garments. In addition, this mild form is called not only medicines, but also cosmetics or confectionery products.
Gel, its features
Another form of soft medicine is the gel, the description of which will help you understand the difference between cream, gel and ointment. It is a kind of ointment based on water, gelatin, cellulose and other substances with distributed healing components.
Gel is characterized by plasticity and elasticity, it is created by dissolving solid particles of polymers and a neutralizing agent in water in small quantities. All components mix well, thicken and form a viscous soft form.
The structure of the gel is close to the ointment, but it does not clog pores, does notleaves a greasy film, evenly distributes the main substance. The topic of how an ointment differs from a cream and a gel is very important for understanding the use of the latter. This soft dosage form is most effective for muscle and joint pain, osteochondrosis of the spine and neck, sprains, bruises, s alt deposits.
Gels are for external and internal use, ophthalmic, rectal and vaginal, dental.
What to choose - cream or ointment? Comparison of soft dosage forms
Comparing cream and ointment, it cannot be said that one form is better than the other, their differences lie in the base used, the effect, penetrating ability. The table below clearly shows how the ointment differs from the cream.
| Comparison options |
Ointment |
Cream |
| The basis of preparations | The main components are various fats, petroleum jelly, lanolin, there is no water in the composition | Active ingredients - emulsion and water |
| Texture | Fat | Easy |
| Penetration | Poorly absorbed, part of the product remains on the surface of the skin, therefore, requires a special bandage at the site of use | Absorbs well, leaves no greasy residue, can be fearlessly applied under clothing |
| Effect | Forms a film on the skin that provides a greenhouse effect that promotes deep penetration of the drug | Pleasantly cools the skin due to the presence of water in the product |
| Healing action | Penetrates deep into the epidermis and bloodstream, therefore affecting the body as a whole | Retains only in the upper layers of the skin, practically does not enter the bloodstream, therefore it has a powerful local effect |
| Use of term | It is a purely medical term, it means medicines | Used not only in medicine, but also in other areas: cosmetology and cooking |
From the table below, you can clearly see how the cream differs from the ointment, so when choosing a dosage form, you need to focus on these features, understand what effect you need to achieve, which drug will be more convenient to use.
Thus, the appearance on the pharmaceutical market of various forms of the same drug is explained by the unique therapeutic effect of each, so to get the best result, you need to know their features and properties.
