The Best Hemorrhoid Creams and Ointments (2026): Preparation H, Doctor Butler's, Curist, Boiron

The standard external cream, in the size that makes sense. Preparation H Hemorrhoid Symptom Treatment Cream, 2 oz combines phenylephrine HCl, a vasoconstrictor, with protectants including glycerin and petrolatum, per the Drug Facts panel. The panel's Uses line covers temporary relief of the itching, burning and discomfort of hemorrhoids, temporary shrinking of swollen hemorrhoidal tissue, and protection of irritated tissue. Directions: adults, apply to the affected area up to 4 times daily, especially at night, in the morning and after each bowel movement; children under 12, ask a doctor.

What the label says to watch: ask a doctor before use if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, diabetes or difficulty urinating due to an enlarged prostate, and ask a doctor or pharmacist if you take a prescription drug for high blood pressure or depression. Stop use and ask a doctor if bleeding occurs, if the condition worsens, or if it does not improve within 7 days. If pregnant or breastfeeding, ask a health professional before use. If the hemorrhoid is internal, a cream cannot reach it; suppository vs cream for hemorrhoids explains the split, and the best hemorrhoid suppositories ranks the internal format.

Same actives, different base, different job. Preparation H Hemorrhoid Ointment, 1 oz carries phenylephrine HCl with a petrolatum-based protectant blend per the Drug Facts panel, and the same Uses line as the cream: itching, burning, discomfort, temporary shrinking of swollen tissue, protection of irritated areas. The difference is the base. Petrolatum sits on the skin as a film rather than absorbing, which means it keeps protecting after you apply it and through the next bowel movement. Owners consistently describe it as greasier than the cream, which is the same fact stated as a complaint.

Directions and warnings match the cream exactly: up to 4 times daily for adults, under 12 ask a doctor, the phenylephrine ask-a-doctor conditions, the bleeding, worsening and 7 day stop lines, and the pregnancy and breastfeeding ask-a-health-professional line. The ointment includes an applicator for use just inside the anus per the label's directions; if you would rather use a suppository for anything internal, see our Preparation H suppositories review.

The numbing version of the reference cream. Preparation H Hemorrhoid Symptom Treatment Cream with Lidocaine, 1 oz states lidocaine in its title; the Drug Facts panel lists the full active set and percentages. Lidocaine is a local anesthetic, and its Uses line is temporary relief of pain, itching and burning. That makes this the Preparation H tube for an episode where pain is the dominant symptom, especially pain on and after a bowel movement.

Lidocaine labels add their own cautions: do not use in large quantities, particularly over raw surfaces or blistered areas, and stop and ask a doctor if the condition worsens or symptoms last more than 7 days. The general lines still apply: under 12 ask a doctor, bleeding means stop and ask a doctor, and pregnant or breastfeeding means ask a health professional before use. The full lidocaine field, including wipes, is in the best lidocaine hemorrhoid creams.

Both actives, one tube, and a fissure on the label. Doctor Butler's Hemorrhoid & Fissure Ointment states lidocaine and phenylephrine HCl in the listing title, which is the pairing most name-brand tubes split across two products. Lidocaine's label use is temporary relief of pain, itching and burning; phenylephrine's is temporary shrinking of swollen hemorrhoidal tissue. The title also names fissures, and the brand was built by a proctologist around that overlap, which is why it is the pick in the best anal fissure treatments.

Because it carries both actives, it carries both warning blocks: the phenylephrine ask-a-doctor conditions (heart disease, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, diabetes, enlarged prostate, prescription drugs for blood pressure or depression) and the lidocaine caution against large quantities and raw or blistered skin. Stop and ask a doctor for bleeding, worsening, or no improvement in 7 days; if pregnant or breastfeeding, ask a health professional first. The brand write-up is the Doctor Butler's review.

The generic ointment, with the numbers on the panel rather than the listing. Amazon Basic Care Hemorrhoid Ointment is titled for fast-acting pain relief and for relieving burning, itching, swelling and discomfort. The swelling claim is the vasoconstrictor use line, which tells you what to expect on the Drug Facts panel, but the title names no active and states no size. At $5.21 (verified via the Amazon Creators API on September 5, 2026) it is the cheapest tube here, and without a size we cannot tell you whether it is the cheapest per ounce.

Assume the phenylephrine ask-a-doctor lines until the panel says otherwise, and the general stop lines regardless: bleeding, worsening, or no improvement within 7 days mean stop and ask a doctor, under 12 is ask a doctor, and pregnant or breastfeeding is ask a health professional before use. For the name-brand ointment with the same use line and a published size, the Preparation H ointment is $6.98 for a stated 1 oz.

The tube that publishes its numbers. Curist Fissure Hemorrhoid Cream states 5% lidocaine and phenylephrine in the listing title, along with the size, 6 oz (170 g). Five percent is the top of the OTC range for lidocaine, and pairing it with phenylephrine gives the tube both the pain line and the swollen-tissue line on its Uses panel. The title names fissures as well as hemorrhoids, and it is the second product in the best anal fissure treatments for that reason.

Both warning blocks apply: the phenylephrine ask-a-doctor conditions (heart disease, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, diabetes, enlarged prostate, prescription drugs for blood pressure or depression) and the lidocaine caution against large quantities and raw or blistered skin, which matters more with a big tube of a 5% product. Stop and ask a doctor for bleeding, worsening, or no improvement within 7 days; pregnant or breastfeeding, ask a health professional first. The lidocaine field is ranked in the best lidocaine hemorrhoid creams.

The homeopathic tube, described as exactly that. Boiron HemCalm Ointment, 1 oz is titled for hemorrhoid relief of pain, itching, swelling or discomfort, and it is a homeopathic product from the largest homeopathic maker. Homeopathic claims are based on traditional homeopathic practice, not accepted medical evidence, and are not FDA evaluated; that sentence is on Boiron's own packaging and it belongs here too. What HemCalm does not contain is any OTC monograph active, which means no phenylephrine ask-a-doctor conditions and no lidocaine cautions.

The stop rules do not depend on the product class: bleeding, worsening pain, or symptoms beyond 7 days mean see a doctor whether the tube is homeopathic or monograph. The brand write-up is the Boiron HemCalm review.

The barrier, for the skin the hemorrhoid products leave raw. Calmoseptine Ointment, 2.5 oz jar carries zinc oxide and menthol per its Drug Facts panel, and its label is a skin protectant label: it is for irritated skin, chafing, and protection from moisture, with the listing naming diaper rash, heat rash and insect bites. It is not labeled for hemorrhoids, it contains no vasoconstrictor and no anesthetic, and nothing in it is labeled to shrink or numb anything. What it does is coat and protect skin, which is why it is a fixture in hospital and long-term-care supply rooms for perianal skin.

Its label's own stop line is the skin protectant one: stop and ask a doctor if the condition worsens or lasts more than 7 days. The hemorrhoid stop lines apply to the hemorrhoid, not the ointment: bleeding or symptoms beyond a week mean see a doctor. Calmoseptine also appears in the pregnancy and postpartum guide, where its lack of vasoconstrictors and anesthetics is the point, and the standalone write-up is the Calmoseptine review.