Over-the-counter medicine

Sulfur First approved as Bensulfoid

Sulfur (Bensulfoid) is an over-the-counter medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1940. No generic is listed in FDA's NDC Directory.

No generic listed
Over the counter

Check it at the source: the sulfur FDA label on DailyMed (effective November 15, 2023); the NDA 2918 record on Drugs@FDA; every sulfur label on DailyMed.

Highlights of the record

FDA label of November 15, 2023; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026

Used for

From the label: indications and usage
Skin Rash Worsened By Heat And Water*

Forms and strengths

114g
3 g
0.04 g/ml
0.1 g/ml
1.4 g/14g
3 g/100ml
3 g/100g
5 g/100g
5 g/100ml
6 mg/.2g
6 g/100g
9.9 g/100g

Cream; lotion; soap; gel; liquid.

On the market

Earliest approval on file: September 17, 1940 Bensulfoid, Poythress; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
Generic approvals: No generic approved
Labelers listed (NDC): 61 of which 0 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included

Supply and safety

Pharmacy cost (NADAC): Not in the survey
Shortage (FDA): No current entry
Recalls by its makers (FDA): No recall recorded
FAERS reports: 8,405 through July 30, 2026

What is sulfur used for?

From the label: indications and usage
Skin Rash Worsened By Heat And Water*

Conditions named in the indications of sulfur's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:

Acne

From other sulfur labels
Acne: Uses for the treatment of acne healing and drying acne breakouts helps clear acne pimples, blackheads or whiteheads and allows skin to heal penetrates pores to control acne blemishes helps keep skin clear of new acne pimples

Source: FDA drug label (Sulphur), Boiron, effective November 15, 2023 (SPL set 86989825-e2f9-3d46-e053-2991aa0a7e28), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed

Is there a generic for sulfur (Bensulfoid)?

No generic sulfur is approved (Drugs@FDA, October 8, 2026).

1940 earliest approval on file

Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)

What do FAERS reports show for sulfur?

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 8,405 reports that list sulfur among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 6 are coded as a death and 73 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is. Reports rose sharply in 2018 (4,025, against a median of 50 a year): FAERS counts follow reporting, which news, litigation and label changes can drive, not how often a reaction happens.

Reports received each year

The most reported reactions

Dry Skin2,551
Acne (a use or a product term, not a reaction)2,256
Erythema2,052
Skin Burning Sensation2,018
Drug Ineffective (a use or a product term, not a reaction)1,433
Skin Irritation1,265
Skin Exfoliation1,153
Rash822

Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026

What else is labeled for the same conditions as sulfur?

14 other medicines are given the same way (topical) and in the same FDA class as sulfur or labeled mainly for the same use (acne), the same class first. Acne lists all 26 medicines labeled for it, by any route. The first 8 are below. They are listed as records, not as substitutes: whether one can replace another is a prescriber's decision.

Medicine	Shared indication	Generic labelers (topical)	Pharmacy cost	Shortage
Salicylic acid	Acne	none listed	$0.102 per patch Callus removers patch	No current entry
Benzoyl peroxide	Acne	none listed	$0.0469 per gram 10% wash	No current entry
Tretinoin	Acne	19 labelers	$0.506 per gram 0.025% cream	No current entry
Adapalene	Acne	34 labelers	$0.504 per gram 0.3% gel	No current entry
Benzoyl peroxide and clindamycin	Acne	11 labelers	$0.622 per gram 1-5%	No current entry
Dapsone	Acne	16 labelers	$0.664 per gram 5% gel	A presentation being discontinued
Adapalene and benzoyl peroxide	Acne	11 labelers	$0.626 per gram 0.3-2.5%	No current entry
Azelaic acid	Acne	5 labelers	$0.441 per gram 15% gel	No current entry

Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as sulfur

Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)

How does sulfur compare with medicines for the same use?

3 side-by-side pages set sulfur beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.

What next?

Alternatives to sulfur: 14 medicines for the same use
Sulfur side effects: the label's list beside FAERS reports
Check an interaction: what two or more labels say about each other