Product Review: Vitamin A+D Ointment

Vitamin A+D ointment is sold as a first aid ointment and skin protectant. The company that makes it, Schering-Plough Healthcare Products, Inc., advertises Vitamin A+D ointment as the "gold standard of protection". Does this ointment live up to its motto?

I was introduced to Vitamin A+D ointment soon after my fist son was born. My sister gave me a large tube of the ointment and told me it was the only thing that worked on diaper rashes. She recommended that I spread a thin layer of the ointment on my son's bottom after each diaper change to prevent rashes. I'm not one to use lotions or medications if I don't have to, so I did not take her advice.

Like all babies, my son eventually ended up with a diaper rash. Then, I broke out the tube of Vitamin A+D ointment. I was surprised at how quickly it worked on his rash. Within about twenty-four hours of using the ointment, his bottom was clear. Each time he got a diaper rash, I started following the same routine. I washed his bottom with soap and water, spread a thin layer of Vitamin A+D ointment on the rash and applied more with each diaper change. His rashes always cleared quickly, no matter how bad the rash was to begin with. I even learned to put Vitamin A+D ointment on his bottom at the first sign of any diarrhea, which is often a source of diaper rashes in babies.

It wasn't long before I was using Vitamin A+D ointment for many other things. I discovered that it was better than pure petroleum jelly at healing chapped lips and dry skin. I began using it on my overly dry, calloused feet to soften the skin. And, I even used it to smooth over minor cuts and as a thick cuticle cream.

When my second son was born, I was ready with a brand new tube of Vitamin A+D ointment. Not only did it prevent and heal diaper rashes for him as well, but I discovered that it made a great ointment for his mild eczema. His small, infrequent patches of eczema were dry and itchy. A dab of Vitamin A+D ointment moisturized the skin and kept him from itching, allowing each patch to heal.

Now that diapers and diaper rashes are a thing of the past in my house, I still intend to keep a tube of Vitamin A+D ointment on hand. It is an effective, yet versatile and inexpensive addition to any medicine cabinet.