What is the Difference Between Calamine and Caladryl

The key difference between calamine and caladryl is that calamine is a combination of zinc oxide and ferric oxide, whereas caladryl contains calamine and diphenhydramine.

Both calamine and caladryl are important in treating itching conditions on our skin caused by sunburns, insect bites, poison ivy, poison oak, and some other mild skin conditions. However, they are chemically different from each other. You should not use calamine or caladry if you are allergic to zinc oxide or ferric oxide.

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Calamine
3. What is Caladryl
4. Similarities – Calamine and Caladryl
4. Calamine vs Caladryl in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Calamine vs Caladryl

What is Calamine?

Calamine is a medication useful in treating mild itchiness. It is also commonly known as calamine lotion. This medication can help with mild itchiness that can come from sunburns, insect bites, poison ivy, poison oak, and some other mild skin conditions. Calamine is available as a cream or as a lotion.

Figure 01: Calamine

Calamine lotion contains a combination of zinc oxide and ferric oxide (0.5%). There are some additional ingredients, including phenol and calcium hydroxide. Zinc oxide is important as an astringent agent, while ferric oxide is important as an antipruritic agent.

What is Caladryl?

Caladryl is a lotion that is useful in temporary relieving itching and pain that is caused by minor skin irritation conditions such as burns, cuts, scrapes, sunburn, eczema, insect bites, cold sores, and rashes that come from poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac.

There can be some side effects of using caladryl, which include rash, hives, itching, red and swollen skin, blistering, peeling of the skin, fever, and tightness in the chest or throat.

Calamine and Caladryl - Side by Side Comparison

Figure 02: A Bottle of Caladryl

When considering the chemical composition of caladryl, it contains calamine and diphenhydramine. Therefore, this lotion also contains zinc oxide and ferric oxide. It is available over the counter. It is a water-based lotion that can dry out when applied to the affected area by allowing the liquid portion to air dry. This lotion is preferred over calamine because, in addition to drying up rashes, it can also eliminate the sting and itch that mosquitoes leave behind.

What are the Similarities Between Calamine and Caladryl?

Calamine and Caladryl are medications
Both are available in lotion form.
They are useful in treating itching on the skin associated with poison oak, poison ivy and sumac.
They contain zinc oxide and ferric oxide as active ingredients
Both medications are equally effective against itching.

What is the Difference Between Calamine and Caladryl?

Caladryl is a type of calamine that contains some other ingredients as well. Calamine is a medication useful in treating mild itchiness. Caladryl is a lotion that is useful in temporary relieving itching and pain that is caused by minor skin irritation conditions. The key difference between calamine and caladryl is that calamine is a combination of zinc oxide and ferric oxide, whereas caladryl contains calamine and diphenhydramine. In addition, caladryl works well to eliminate sting and itch left by mosquito bites, but calamine is unable to eliminate sting and itch left by mosquito bites.

The below infographic lists the differences between calamine and caladryl in tabular form for side by side comparison

Summary – Calamine vs Caladryl

Both calamine and caladryl are important in treating itching conditions on skin that come from sunburns, insect bites, poison ivy, poison oak, and some other mild skin conditions. However, they are chemically different from each other. The key difference between calamine and caladryl is that calamine is a combination of zinc oxide and ferric oxide, whereas caladryl contains calamine and diphenhydramine.