Unlisted Brand • Zhongzhou - Zinc Oxide and Sublimed Sulfur Ointment (ZZ Cream) • Treatments

Where To Buy?

*TOP REVIEWER* rossjen on 2/27/2009 9:24:00 PM more reviews by rossjen

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

There is not much I can add to what the reviewer has already said about this product, but I thought I would write about my experience as well.
Over 5 years ago, my face developed unsightly redness along with acne-like bumps. Even though I tried every over-the-counter acne product I could get my hands on, the condition never went away, and I am still suffering now. I never did get it diagnosed by a dermatologist or doctor, but I am pretty sure that it is rosacea. While I was researching for information on rosacea, I came across the demodexsolutions website that carries this product, and spent several hours going through their extensive information. Initially, I was incredibly skeptical about what they had to say about demodex, but at the same time, the symptoms they described fit to my case, and it started to make a small bit of sense.
In the end, desperation won out though, and I ordered a jar of this. Like the description states, this is a very thick sulfur ointment. It does not smell pretty, so this is best used at night. The website is pretty clear about skin conditions getting worse before they get better, so I was pretty well prepared for that. Also, when they say apply a thin layer, they are not kidding. This product is very drying, and the first week my face was itching like crazy. Extra moisture was a must for me during that short period. I was shocked though when my skin started to clear up within ten days. The redness was still evident, but the postules and acne spots that I had started to go away. I mistakenly thought I was in the clear after about a month, and went back to using other products. Well, it came back and I had to start over from the beginning. It really is a product that you have to use consitantly as they describe.
Bottom line: This worked well for me when I gave it a chance, even though the product is by no means glamorous or fun to use. I also think it is pricey for the very small amount you get, even though you use so little at a time.
If you do place an order with this company, you want to order several products at a time. Shipping costs are very expensive, IMO. I am not currently using it due to budget constraints (I'm using a sulfur soap and lotion from the health food store), but I would purchase this again in the future.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Zedar on 5/26/2008 4:38:00 PM more reviews by Zedar

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This product seemed to greatly improve my blemished skin, but not cure it. I stopped using it and started using more sulfur and AHA products together with BP and blue light treatments to treat my adult acne and what may or may not be a demodex problem.

Since there aren't any other reviews of this product, I am giving a long review with as much info as possible:


When I first read of "ZZ cream" on an acne message board, I thought it was spam/a scam. However, I know the doctor to whom the post referred, so I realized that it was most likely simply a user post, not spam. This caused me to look into the ZZ cream and the premise behind it, which is hard to believe:


Some doctors in Asia report ordinary disgusting skin mites ("Demodex") - the same parasites that western doctors aknowledge exist in the skin - can overpopulate the skin and cause most cases of acne and many cases of rosacea, including "brandy nose." When I told my husband and aesthetician about this, they both thought I was crazy, but I bought the ZZ cream and Xin Fumanling cream (with 3% metronidazole) from Demodex Solutions in Hong Kong anyway. I was disappointed that my aesthetician did not have a microscope to test for the mites, which Demodex Solutions describes how to do on its web site.


Also, I was a little worried about buying a product that was not FDA approved, but I feel the same way about buying cosmetic products in the USA, which I do all the time. The ZZ cream seems to contain natural ingredients and the Xin Fumanling cream might have the same active ingredient as metrogel in the USA, IIRC.



I used one cute plastic green and white jar of menthol-laden ZZ cream and 1/2 a jar of the Xin Fumanling cream and went back and bought six more ZZ creams because the change in my skin is amazing - even my skeptical aesthetician admits. I don't think I am done killing off all of the mite colonies on my face, but my millia and deep cysts are greatly reduced!


Here's the rub: Many people report their worst breakouts ever during the first month(s) of treatment. The ZZ cream seems too harsh for many people, causing severely flaking skin in the beginning. (The Xin Fumanling cream seems milder to me, though it is less natural.) Due to this and the horrible breakouts, many people discontinue treatment.


I have experienced extreme flaking skin before (a symptom of demodex), so when the ZZ cream caused my skin to peel and flake, I sloughed it off with potent glycolics and abrasive scrubs and used probiotic facial cream in the day time. My skin is pretty tough after fighting acne for so long, so I can see how this would be too harsh for many people. At any rate, I seem to be one of the lucky few ZZ cream users whose skin became clearer immediately without unusually bad breakouts. This may be attributable to the blue light treatment that I received from my aesthetician on the day that I began the ZZ cream treatment. (However, blue light treatments were not previously effective for me.)


I suggest researching the Demodex mite (causes mange in dogs) if you have problems with acne. I would rather find information from an unbiased third party, but the demodex solutions web site itself is one of the most informative and there is a message board with positive and negative user posts, so it is worth checking out.


Overall, this product has been quite effective in fighting my facial acne, but I have had better luck treating my body acne with other products (Nature's Cure Body Acne Treatment Spray, Desert Essence Cleansing Bar Tea Tree Therapy and a Salux Nylon Japanese Bath Wash Cloth).

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