Q. Someone wrote to you about using zinc oxide as a deodorant. I tried it but it didn’t work for me.
At the same time my hemorrhoids were burning and itching, and even Preparation H didn’t seem to help. Since zinc oxide is used in diaper cream, I thought why not give it a try?
From the first time I used it I have not had any recurrence of the symptoms. At first I applied it every night but now I only use it once a week or less.
A. The person who wrote to us found that zinc oxide cream (commonly used for diaper rash or sunburn protection) was effective as an underarm deodorant. Your experience shows that it may not work for everyone to control body odor.
We could find only one reference to the use of zinc oxide for the itching and burning of hemorrhoids. A German salve (Mirfulan) that contains zinc oxide plus witch hazel, urea and vitamins A and D was reported helpful many years ago (ZFA Stuttgart, Oct. 20, 1979).
