When it comes to OTC treatments, there are a host of tried and true remedies, many of which have storied histories. Take, for example, Zincuta Ointment, a treatment initially crafted by Dr. Josiah C. Case (1865-1930). Case’s ointment was said to bring relief and heal a litany of skin afflictions—chafes, burns, sun burns, abrasions, raw sores, insect bites, psoriasis, eczema and poison ivy. Said to be wildly popular, according to local lore, Case’s popular product vanished from shelves in the 1930s.
About 15 years ago, herbalist Donna Penney, who was from the same area of New York as Case, began mixing her own ointment after finding his recipe in the local library. The modern-day Zincuta Ointment, made at The Apotheca in Brooklyn, NY, is based on the original—from the recipe to the packaging. It contains zinc oxide, axungia (which is high in oleic and linoleic acids), styrax benzoin, beeswax, slippery elm bark, wintergreen, lavender and bergamot. Its makers have a patent on the formulation and trademark on the name.
Whether a premium brand or a historically-based, hand-crafted formulation, OTC remedies can help consumers find relief they need.
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