[6] Neomycin/polymyxin B/bacitracin ointment is reported to be a safe and effective topical agent for preventing infections in minor skin trauma.

For instance, it may increase the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria,[10] specifically the highly lethal ST8:USA300 strain.

[11][12][13] The 2023 updated Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. label for their product discloses three different antibiotics: bacitracin zinc 400 units, neomycin sulfate 3.5 mg, and polymyxin B sulfate 5,000 units, in a relatively low-molecular-weight base of petroleum jelly, cottonseed oil, olive oil, and cocoa butter, and with sodium pyruvate and tocopheryl acetate.

[18] Some people have allergic reactions to neomycin, so a "double antibiotic ointment" is sold without it, containing only bacitracin and polymyxin B: one such example is Polysporin branded product.

[20][7] One of the main components is neomycin sulfate, which is a type of antibiotic discovered in 1949 by microbiologist Selman Waksman at Rutgers University.

[22] Aminoglycosides work by binding to bacterial RNA and changing the ability to produce proteins while exerting little to no effect on DNA.

[medical citation needed] Pramoxine is used to temporarily reduce pain from burns, insect bites, and minor cuts.