What is difference between cream&ointment?
The answers about creams being more water-soluble and ointments being more oil-based are correct to a degree, but it’s not as simple as that. Actually the difference between creams, ointments, lotions, gels, etc. is based more on the ratio of products because they contain similar ingredients in different amounts. Ointments today rarely contain lanolin (woolfat) because many people are allergic to wool. Ointments and creams have a long history, see 1st link. Rick the Pharmacist Science follows: Creams are semi-solid emulsions, that is mixtures of oil and water. They are divided into two types: oil-in-water (O/W) creams which are composed of small droplets of oil dispersed in a continuous aqueous phase, and water-in-oil (W/O) creams which are composed of small droplets of water dispersed in a continuous oily phase. Oil-in-water creams are more comfortable and cosmetically acceptable as they are less greasy and more easily washed off using water. Water-in-oil creams are more difficult to
