Benzyl benzoate ointment is a homogeneous mass of yellow-white or white color, which has a specific odor. The main active ingredient is benzyl benzoate, hydrinol D, auxiliary ingredients are petroleum jelly, macrogol cetostearyl ether, propylparaben, macrogolglycerol hydroxystearate, stearic and citric acid, macrogol 400, methylparaben, diethanolamine and purified water.
This ointment is available in aluminum tubes of 50 and 90 ml, which are placed in cardboard boxes, each accompanied by instructions for use.
Benzyl benzoate ointment is used only as an external agent; after it is applied, the ointment enters the body of ticks or lice and kills them. This product causes the death of adult insects and larvae, but has no effect on the eggs. The death of lice occurs within 3-5 hours, and the death of ticks within 10-30 minutes.
Indications for the use of this drug are pubic and head lice, as well as scabies.
Benzyl benzoate - instructions for use
If it is necessary to apply this product to an adult, then use 20% ointment, and for children you should use 10% ointment.
Before applying the ointment, you need to wash well to remove mites from the surface of the skin as much as possible, and also taking a hot shower softens the skin, and the drug penetrates better into the epidermis.
To effectively treat scabies, Benzyl benzoate ointment should be applied to the entire surface of the body, excluding only the scalp and face. The duration of such treatment is 4 days.
After the ointment has been applied, you should use only clean bedding and clothing to prevent re-infection. On the first day, the ointment is applied to the entire body, and during the second and third days it simply remains on the body and cannot be washed off. On the last day of the course, they wash thoroughly again and apply ointment, and again they need to change the linen and bedding. Only on the fifth day the ointment is completely removed from the surface of the skin.
The instructions attached to the drug "Benzyl benzoate" (ointment) indicate that after its use, itching may be felt for several days, but this does not mean that this remedy is ineffective.
If it is necessary to destroy lice, then the ointment is applied to the surface of the head and hair, after which it is recommended to wrap the head with a towel. This product should be applied once a day, preferably at night. The head is smeared with ointment on days 1, 3, and 7, and on day 8 it should be washed well and rinsed with a 3% solution of acetic acid.
If it is necessary to remove pubic lice, apply ointment to the groin, pubic area and inner thighs; the dosage regimen is the same as in the previous case.
After using the drug “Benzyl benzoate” ointment, a strong burning sensation may occur at the application sites, then the ointment should be washed off and treatment should be stopped. Sometimes allergic reactions may occur, if they do not go away on their own, you should also stop using this remedy and look for an alternative.
Since the drug practically does not enter the systemic bloodstream, cases of overdose have not been recorded when used correctly.
Contraindications to the use of this drug are lactation and pregnancy. It should not be used by children under 3 years of age.
When using this drug, you must avoid contact with mucous membranes and eyes. Where the skin is delicate, there is no need to rub in the ointment, it is simply applied.
If one person in a family is treated, then all people who come into contact with him should undergo similar treatment. It is also necessary to very carefully treat the linen and bedding that came into contact with the affected areas of the skin.
The shelf life of the drug "Benzyl benzoate" ointment is 2 years, after which it is prohibited to use it. The optimal temperature for storage is 20-25 °C.
If you are faced with the problem of skin parasites, pharmacies in your city will offer you a wide selection of means to combat them. Pay attention to benzyl benzoate ointment - the instructions for use indicate that this is a proven drug for combating skin parasites and treating the skin. In what forms is benzyl benzoate available, what is included in its composition, and how to properly use the ointment to effectively combat ticks?
Composition Benzyl benzoate
The medicine Benzyl benzoate is available in two main forms - a ten percent emulsion and an ointment with ten or twenty percent of the main active ingredient - benzoate benzyl. The emulsion is a liquid, homogeneous substance, has a pronounced specific odor and is available in bottles of 50, 100 and 200 g. The ointment is sold packaged in aluminum tubes, 25 g each.
Composition of benzyl benzoate ointment:
- benzyl benzoate (main active ingredient) – 0.25 g (in 1 gram of ointment);
- cetylpyridinium chloride;
- propylene glycol;
- primary higher alcohols or cetostearyl alcohol;
- fatty fractions C16 - C20;
- purified water.
What does Benzyl benzoate ointment help with?
In what cases can benzyl benzoate ointment be used? The drug has an antimicrobial, antiparasitic effect and is used against various types of skin mites, as well as lice nits. Doctors prescribe it when they detect symptoms of diseases such as:
- scabies;
- demodicosis;
- all kinds of lichen;
- skin acne and oily seborrhea;
- head and pubic pediculosis (lice).
The toxic effect against lice occurs 3-4 hours after use, against skin mites - after 10-30 minutes. The substance only affects adults and their larvae, but does not affect nit eggs. The ointment softens itching and the intensity of skin rashes. Redness disappears, exfoliation of damaged and dead skin cells begins. The drug is not absorbed by the skin, that is, it does not enter the bloodstream and does not spread throughout the body.
How to use Benzyl benzoate
The doctor decides in what form to use the drug. The effectiveness of the ointment and emulsion, as indicated by the instructions for Benzyl benzoate, depends on the concentration of the active substance and the degree of damage to the skin. Both emulsion and ointment are intended for external local use. Adults are prescribed a drug with a 20% content, children - 10%. Treatment is carried out in the evening, after a hot shower.
The emulsion is rubbed first into the skin of the hands, then throughout the body. After the initial treatment, it is left on the body for two to three days, then the procedure is repeated. The emulsion is applied to the skin of the hands throughout the entire course of treatment after each washing procedure. If for any reason you have to wash the medicine off other parts of your body, reapply it as soon as possible.
Benzyl benzoate ointment, when used in its pure form, is applied to the skin of the body in an even thin layer. In some cases, with a high degree of infection, the ointment is applied as a second layer after two to three hours. The remnants of the product are not washed off; the procedure is repeated after 48 hours, after cleansing the skin of remnants of the product using a hot shower.
Benzyl benzoate for lice is usually used to treat head lice. Before use, shake the product thoroughly to activate its systemic properties and apply it to the scalp and hair using a cotton-gauze swab at the rate of 30 g for each procedure. Rub the medicine into the skin and distribute evenly over the entire length of the hair, cover your head with a bandage. Rinse off with running water after half an hour (for lice pubis - after ten minutes).
After completing the treatment, the used bandage is soaked in a 9% vinegar solution and the head is covered again. Vinegar will help separate parasite eggs from your hair. After an hour and a half, the hair is washed with shampoo and combed with a fine-toothed comb to comb out dead parasites and their eggs. You can try to detect the result for the first time after an hour, and then after a day. If necessary, the entire processing cycle must be repeated. Remember to treat all family members, not just the infected person.
Benzyl benzoate for facial demodicosis
Demodicosis is a lesion of the skin by a parasitic mite of the genus Demodex, which lives in the hair follicles. The disease is accompanied by acne, mainly on the skin of the face and back; if left untreated, it may be accompanied by loss of hair and eyelashes (see photo below). It requires a long course of treatment, since the body of the pathogen is covered with a special membrane, which impedes the penetration of the drug and reduces the pharmacological effect of the drugs.
When using Benzyl benzoate ointment for demodicosis, carefully read the instructions and follow the recommendations of the doctor who prescribed it. The antibacterial preservative cetylpyridinium chloride, which is part of the ointment, will prevent an increase in the population of pathogenic bacteria, have a bacteriostatic effect, and speed up the healing process. The duration of treatment with ointment is up to 10 days; if you use an emulsion, the duration of treatment can be up to three weeks.
The ointment is rubbed in a circular motion into the affected areas of the skin before going to bed (after the procedure of preliminary cleansing of the skin); Be prepared for a burning sensation. The emulsion has a more gentle effect; it is applied to the face after thoroughly cleansing the skin with water, in the mornings and afternoons. Benzyl benzoate is prescribed in combination with immunostimulating agents and vitamins, interacts with them, and is recommended for use only as prescribed by a dermatologist.
Is the drug "Benzyl benzoate" effective? We will present reviews of this product a little further. You will also learn about the form in which this drug is sold, in what cases it is prescribed, and whether it has contraindications and adverse reactions.
Form, composition, packaging
In what form is benzyl benzoate produced? Instructions and reviews report that this drug goes on sale in the form of 10 or 20% ointment for external use, as well as 20% emulsion.
The active substance of this product is benzyl benzoate. You can buy it in cans or aluminum tubes, packed in cardboard packs.
Pharmacological properties
What is the drug "Benzyl benzoate" used for? Reviews from experts indicate that this drug has an acaricidal effect on various types of mites, including those that cause scabies. It also exhibits high anti-pediculosis activity.
It should be noted that the medication in question is effective against all types of lice. Their death occurs 2-5 hours after applying the ointment. As for ticks, they die after 10-35 minutes.
How does scabies ointment work? “Benzyl benzoate,” reviews of which are positive, is able to penetrate the chitinous cover of ticks and accumulate in toxic concentrations in their bodies. As a result of such exposure, larvae and adults die immediately.
The external preparation has no effect on eggs.
Indications for use
For what purposes is the drug “Benzyl benzoate” prescribed? Reviews say that this remedy is especially effective in treating scabies. It is also used in the treatment of pediculosis.
Contraindications for use
Under what conditions is it not recommended to prescribe Benzyl benzoate? Reviews (this drug helps very well against scabies) from specialists report the following contraindications:
- pregnancy period;
- children under 3 years of age;
- breastfeeding period.
How should I use benzyl benzoate ointment?
Reviews (only a doctor should prescribe this drug for lice and ticks) say that 20% of the ointment is prescribed to adults, and 10% to children and adolescents.
On the first day of treatment, treatment with an external agent is carried out in the evening, before bedtime. To do this, the patient washes thoroughly under a warm shower using baby soap.
The medicinal ointment is first rubbed into the skin of the hands and then applied to the body and feet (including fingers and soles).
After using the drug, you should use only clean underwear and clothes.
On the second and third days of treatment, a break is taken. In this case, the remnants of the drug are not washed off from the skin.
On the fourth day, the patient also needs to take a warm shower with soap and rub in the ointment in the same order as on the first day (the underwear is changed again).
Hands should not be washed for three hours after using the drug. In the future, they are treated with cream after each wash.
If the medication has been washed off from areas of the skin, they must be re-treated. The ointment is completely washed off only on the fifth day of treatment.
Treatment of complicated scabies (eczema, dermatitis, postscabiosis lymphoplasia pyoderma) should be carried out simultaneously with the treatment of ordinary scabies and continue after its complete completion.
Features of application
What do you need to know before using the drug "Benzyl benzoate"? Reviews say that 10-15 g of ointment should be used per dose of the drug.
For children, all areas of the skin are covered with cream. As for adults, they are not recommended to apply the drug to their face and head.
In areas with delicate skin (genitals, groin area and mammary glands), the cream should be applied without rubbing.
Approximately 60-90 g of medication will be consumed for one course of treatment.
When treating scabies in young children (under 5 years old), the cream is first diluted with warm boiled water in a 1:1 ratio. The resulting mixture is stirred until a homogeneous emulsion is formed.
To treat Norwegian scabies, the skin is first cleaned with keratolytic agents (removal of formed crusts, etc.).
If the patient is diagnosed with lice, then the drug is applied to the hair, lightly rubbing it in with your fingers, and then the head is tied with a scarf. After half an hour, the medication is washed off with running water, and the hair is rinsed with a warm 5% vinegar solution. Next, the head is washed with shampoo or soap and combed with a fine comb to remove nits.
For lice pubis, the ointment is rubbed into the skin of the abdomen, pubis, inner thighs and inguinal folds. The effectiveness of treatment is determined after a day. If necessary, repeat it.
Side effects
Now you know how to use Benzyl Benzoate ointment. Reviews (this drug does not help acne very well) from patients report that when rubbing the drug into the skin, the patient may feel a burning sensation, which disappears with further use of the cream.
In some cases, people with sensitive skin may experience local reactions, itching, burning sensation, dry skin areas and redness when using the product. Allergic reactions may also occur.
If all of the listed side effects do not disappear on their own, then the use of the medication must be stopped.
It should be especially noted that the sensitivity of the skin quite often increases on the genitals and damaged areas of the skin. Sometimes the use of this drug may contribute to the occurrence of contact dermatitis.
Due to the fact that this medication contains propylene glycol, the patient often experiences local skin irritation.
Cases of overdose
When using a large amount of cream, the patient may experience increased manifestations of adverse reactions (for example, contact dermatitis).
When swallowing the ointment, the victim also experiences increased undesirable effects, such as contact dermatitis, urinary retention, sudden loss of consciousness, etc.
Treatment is symptomatic. In case of local overdose, the skin is cleaned of the cream, and if swallowed, the stomach is washed.
Patient reviews of the ointment
According to patient reviews, “Benzyl benzoate” is a very effective remedy aimed at combating scabies mites and lice. After the first use of the drug, patients cease to feel discomfort, which is directly associated with lice and scabies.
It should also be noted that some patients use this medication to eliminate acne. However, experts say that the effectiveness of the product against acne has not been proven.
As for negative reviews, they are most often associated with side effects that appear after using the ointment. Among them, the most common reactions are itching, redness and irritation of the skin.