Help me figure out what was the green stuff, "zelionka," that was used on me as a kid when I had the Chicken Pox in Russia! [more inside]
posted by KateHasQuestions on Jul 24, 2008 - 8 answers

For household first aid, should I use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide or witch hazel? [more inside]
posted by LobsterMitten on Oct 23, 2006 - 23 answers

What is the role of antiseptics/antibiotics in the wound healing process? On a cut, for example, it seems that constant reapplication of neosporin makes a cut take longer to heal. What's going on here? Is it just preventing a scab from forming due to the moisturizing quality of such creams? Does that actually impede healing? For cuts in the mouth, it seems like frequent use of an alcohol-based antiseptic mouthwash would kill most living cells in the area, preventing quick healing. Is this the case? I'm aware that these substances prevent infection, but do they have any other effects, good or bad in the healing process?
posted by sirion on Jun 21, 2005 - 10 answers