I have used ZZ Cream (Zhongzhou Zinc oxide ointment) a couple of years ago. But I didn’t noticed an improvement. ZZ Cream is from a Chinese company called Demodex Solutions:
They also sell other products. There also is a European version: https://www.demoderm.de/
The product has sulfur in it, which gives a rotten egg smell, which is difficult to wash off the skin. So the smell may be noticable for like two days after washing it off, but I may be confusing this smell issue with sulfur soap that I have also used.
When applying it on the skin, it temporary feels a bit cold, which could be caused by the menthol in it.
My first ZZ Cream (little jar) contained a hair in the sealed area of the cream, which suggest that the production process could be better.
About the ingredients:
main ingredients, Sulphur, Zinc oxide and Menthol, the ointment contains many different Chinese herbs to make the ointment as effective as possible. This is why the Zhongzhou Zinc oxide and sublimed sulphur ointment (ZZ Cream) is much more effective than pure sulphur without the danger of burning of the skin.
Ingredients:
The Ointments formula is protected by a Chinese state patent, some of the ingredients are: Zinc oxide, Sublimed sulfur, Menthol, Boric acid, salicylic acid, Chinese medicine herbs, and the base which is a complex formula on his own.
In western countries, they aren’t able to hide ingredients under names like “herbs” and “formula on his own”, so the European version says:
Ingredients: Aqua, Stearyl alcohol, Propylene glycol, Glycerol, Stearic acid, Zinc oxide, Sulfur, Isopropyl myristate, Petrolatum, Glyceryl stearate, Dimethicone, Menthol, Sorbitan stearate, Polysorbate 80, Wheat germ oil, Azone, Salicylic acid, Sodium lauryl sulfate.
Active ingredients: Zinc and Sulfur
I though the main ingredient was sulfur, but now that I’m reading about ZZ cream again, I see an ingredient that this forum (and I personally) already know about: Zinc oxide (which is the main ingredient of Sudocrem): Sudocrem saved me!
“ZZ” stands for “Zhongzhou Zinc”, which may suggest that zinc is more important than sulfur. (Zhongzhou is an area in China.)
Not sure why I didn’t notice effects with ZZ Cream but did with Sudocrem. I did use Sudocrem in a more rigorous.
I have also used some other products from Demodex Solutions:
Xin Fumanling Cream: http://www.demodexsolutions.com/xin-fumanling-cream.asp?bc=no
which contains:
3% Metronidazole, Radix Angelicae Dahuricae, Radix Stemonae, And other herbs.
So it contains Metronidazole, which is an antibiotic that is able to kill some bacteria and single celled organisms. Other people on this forum have used metronidazole in oral form, but the effects are unclear, because they took it together with the application of Soolantra.
I didn’t notice a difference on my skin with Xin Fumanling Cream.
And I have used DS shampoo: http://www.demodexsolutions.com/ds-shampoo-demodex-removing.asp?bc=no
But it now has an “improved formula” and “& Body wash” added to the product name, so some ingredients may differ from what I have used.
Ingredients of the new formula:
Densefruit pittany root-bark extract, Light yellow sophora root extract, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Ammonium Lauryl Sulphate, Climbazole, Citric Acid, Guar Gum, Fragrance, Glycerin, Purified Water etc.
I have used it only on my scalp, as an addition to my regimen at that time.