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How do I Choose the Best Wound Cream?

By Erin J. Hill
Updated: Mar 03, 2024

The best wound cream for your situation will depend on the type of wound you are dealing with and what issues you perceive may need to be treated. Most wounds will require some sort of disinfecting cream, spray, or gel. You may also choose to apply a healing cream that will help the skin regenerate itself faster and heal quickly to prevent infection. Internal wounds may require the use of a muscle relief cream.

One type of wound cream is the disinfecting variety. This is a cream that kills bacteria and viruses on contact in order to clean out an open wound to prevent a spreading infection. You should use this type of cream for any open cut, puncture mark, or scrape, even if it is not deep or large. Even small wounds can become infected if not properly cleaned. Disinfecting ingredients can also be found in sprays, gels, or liquids.

Another common type of wound cream that you may choose to use is a variety which helps skin regenerate itself more quickly than usual. This helps the tissues to cover the open area and prevent bacteria and foreign matter from entering. By cutting down on the healing time, you will greatly reduce your chances of getting an infection. You should also keep the wound covered with a bandage during the healing period.

Cream or liquid bandages are also available and can be applied as a wound cream. This is a substance which dries over the wound in order to prevent germs from entering as easily. Much like the other methods, the goal of this cream is to prevent infection.

Wounds that are internal, such as a sprain or strain, may require wound cream which heats or cools the muscle when applied to the skin. These are often referred to muscle creams or ointments, but they may also come in the form of a roll-on or glide-on bar. The purpose of this type of cream is to numb the pain during healing to alleviate discomfort.

You should never try to treat a severe wound without medical assistance. Very deep, wide, or severe wounds should always be seen by a doctor. If you have a minor injury which becomes infected, this also warrants a doctor’s advice. Common signs and symptoms of infection include heat, tenderness, redness, pus formation, and severe pain after the first few days or pain which occurs after it had previously subsided.

The Health Board is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
By poppyseed — On Jun 03, 2011

@blackDagger – I’ve got another little word to the wise that is sort of delicate and also sort of funny. Let’s keep it clean for little ears, so read between the lines.

My wife helped me to rub some of this same kind of muscle rub into my back for the same things; tension, achiness, soreness – you know the drill.

Anyway, she washed her hands, but apparently not good enough. Later she had an itch in a precarious place, and without thinking, scratched. Hey, we were home, in the evening and resting. We all do it; we just don’t all admit it.

This was not a good move on her part, which she realized immediately. She very quickly and very funnily went running to the shower to set things back the way they should be. This seemed like a good idea, but in retrospect…

Not that smart after all, because the water was hot; really hot. And this lotion responds to temperature changes.

You do the math.

We learned a valuable lesson that day. Make sure you practice good hand washing at all times, and she’s not touching me after she puts that first aid cream on until I’ve made a really good inspection.

By blackDagger — On Jun 02, 2011

I am a freelance writer, and so I sit at my computer typing away for hours at the time, days in a row. This can lead to a good deal of shoulder and neck tension.

That tension naturally leads to a lot soreness and muscle aches.

So my husband often applies a muscle rub to my shoulders and neck at night to help them quit hurting so that I can sleep better.

I have learned one thing, though, and I learned it the hard way. Be careful not to let the area with the lotion get really cold, because if you do it will put coldness into the muscles and make them ache all that much worse.

However, if you keep it covered up sufficiently these creams can work wonders. They let me keep doing what I love to do!

By mabeT — On May 30, 2011

Wound creams are great, especially for children.

Now I don’t recommend using anything like this on a hand or foot or an arm that a baby can stick in their mouth, of course. However, things like antibiotic ointments are fantastic for keeping kids scrapes and bumps healing in a healthy way.

I guess it just makes me feel better as a mom to use something to help cleanse their wounds that I feel like stays put for a little while.

Kids are into everything, so when I put an ointment on it’s going to do its healing magic a little longer than if I just rubbed it with alcohol.

And that’s what we call these creams, too; momma’s magic lotion. They help the wound healing along faster because they are magical.

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