Glycerin (glycerol) is 3-carbon alcohol naturally occurring in the human body. It is the structural backbone triacylglycerol molecules, and can also be converted to a glycolytic substrate for subsequent metabolism. Glycerin is a colorless, odorless, viscous, sweet-tasting liquid. The FDA classifies glycerol as "generally recognized as safe". Glycerin is used in the pharmaceutical industry as a sweetener in syrups, lozenges, and as an excipient in eyewash solutions. As an individual prescription product, glycerin has uses as a hyperosmotic, osmotic diuretic, and ophthalmic agent. It may be used as an eye drop in the treatment of glaucoma to reduce intraocular pressure, as a solution or suppository for short-term treatment of constipation, to evacuate the bowel prior to a colonoscopy, and in some ocular surgeries. It may be given intravenously to reduce pressure inside the brain and used externally on the skin as a moisturizer. Glycerin has many other uses in the agricultural, food and pharmaceutical industry.

Menthol, (+)- is a fragrance ingredient used in decorative cosmetics, fine fragrances, shampoos, toilet soaps and other toiletries as well as in non-cosmetic products such as household cleaners and detergents. Recent investigations have provided evidence for menthol to increase cough thresholds. Racementhol is used as a topical analgesic.

Tartaric acid is found in many plants such as grapes, tamarinds, pineapples, mulberries and so on. Wine lees (called mud in the US), the sediment collected during the fermentation of grapes, contains potassium bitartrate (potassium hydrogen tartrate) as its major component. L-(+)-tartaric acid is an enantiomer of tartaric acid. Twenty five years before the tetrahedral structure for carbon was proposed in 1874 to explain the optical activity and other properties of organic compounds, Louis Pasteur discovered the existence of enantiomerism in tartaric acid. L-(+)-tartaric acid is widely used in food and beverage as acidity regulator with E number E334.

Resorcinol Acetate is used as an ingredient to reduce the number of acne blemishes, acne pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads. In the United States, anti-acne agents are regulated as Over-the-Counter (OTC) drug ingredients. Resorcinol Acetate is also used to enhance the appearance and feel of hair, by increasing hair body, suppleness, or sheen, or by improving the texture of hair that has been damaged physically or by chemical treatment and to enhance the appearance of dry or damaged skin by reducing flaking and restoring suppleness.

Aspirin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Aspirin is unique in this class of drugs because it irreversibly inhibits both COX-1 and COX-2 activity by acetylating a serine residue (Ser529 and Ser516, respectively) positioned in the arachidonic acid-binding channel, thus inhibiting the synthesis of prostaglandins and reducing the inflammatory response. The drug is used either alone or in combination with other compounds for the treatment of pain, headache, as well as for reducing the risk of stroke and heart attacks in patients with brain ischemia and cardiovascular diseases.

Benzocaine is a local anesthetic. It acts by blocking voltage-gated sodium ion channels in nerve endings. Benzocaine is available over-the counter for local anesthesia of oral and pharyngeal mucous membranes (sore throat, cold sores, mouth ulcers, toothache, sore gums, denture irritation), otic pain, and as a local anesthetic for surgical or diagnostic procedures. As a spray, benzocaine is used for temporary relief of pain and itching associated with minor burns, sunburn, minor cuts or scrapes, insect bites, or minor skin irritations. Topical application of benzocaine to gums or mouth may cause rare, but serious and potentially fatal adverse effect methemoglobinemia.

Resorcinol is a benzenediol. Resorcinol is commonly used in hair dyes and acne medication. Resorcinol works by breaking down rough, scaly, or hardened skin. Resorcinol also disinfects the skin to help fight infection. Resorcinol topical (for the skin) is used to treat pain and itching caused by minor cuts and scrapes, burns, insect bites, poison ivy, sunburn, or other skin irritations. Resorcinol topical is also used to treat acne, eczema, psoriasis, seborrhea, corns, calluses, warts, and other skin disorders. Resorcinol is included in the FDA final rule list of all permitted active ingredients for OTC topical acne products. Permitted combination active ingredient product - Resorcinol in 2 percent concentration in combination with sulfur in concentrations of between 3 and 8 percent. In oxidative hair dyes, resorcinol is regulated to 5% or below in practice, however, many manufacturers limit the level of free resorcinol in oxidative hair dyes to 1.25%. Resorcinol is limited to 0.5% in shampoos and hair lotions. Resorcinol is usually present in anti-acne preparations at a maximum concentration of 2%. The concentration of resorcinol can be much higher in peels, in some cases around 50%. Jessner’s solution (resorcinol in ethyl alcohol, 14% w/v; lactic acid, 14%; and salicylic acid, 14%) is commonly used in chemical peeling. A specialized medical use of resorcinol is in biological glues (gelatin–resorcinol–formaldehyde glue) for cardiovascular surgery, in particular aortic operations.

Bibrocathol (trade names Noviform and Posiformin) is a well-established topical antiseptic for the treatment of acute eyelid diseases like blepharitis. Eye ointments containing 2 or 5 % bibrocathol and the excipients liquid paraffin, white soft paraffin, and lanolin have been marketed since 1967 for the treatment of eye irritation, chronic blepharitis, and uninfected corneal injuries. Reports of clinical experience with bibrocathol for inflammation of the edge of the palpebra exist since the beginning of the 20th century. Until recently, no controlled, randomized clinical studies according to the guidelines for Good Clinical Practice for Trials on Medical Products for Human Use (GCP) as defined by the International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) have been performed with bibrocathol 2 % ointment, as these were not required for marketing authorization in the 1960s. A first double-blind, prospective, controlled, GCP-compliant clinical study was recently performed to assess the efficacy of bibrocathol 5 % (Noviform®) in acute blepharitis. It demonstrated superior efficacy of bibrocathol 5 % ointment as compared to an ointment vehicle (placebo) after 2 weeks of treatment as assessed by a combined measure of slit-lamp examination results and patients’ subjective complaints.

Methyl salicylate (or methyl 2-hydroxybenzoate), also known as wintergreen oil, is a natural product and is present in white wine, tea, porcini mushroom Boletus edulis, Bourbon vanilla, clary sage, red sage and fruits including cherry, apple, raspberry, papaya and plum. Methyl salicylate is topically used in combination with methanol and under brand name SALONPAS to temporarily relieves mild to moderate aches and pains of muscles and joints associated with: strains, sprains, simple backache, arthritis, bruises. The precise mechanism of action of methyl salicylate is not known, but there is suggested, that it cause dilation of the capillaries thereby increasing blood flow to the area.