For ultralight backpackers or travelers who don't have room for an entire first aid kit in their gear, you can buy single-use packets of antibiotic ointment online for around $0.69 per packet.

Neosporin is also available as a generic ointment, often labeled as a triple antibiotic ointment. Some people also use petroleum jelly as an alternative to triple antibiotic ointments like Neosporin.

Neosporin — aka triple antibiotic ointment — is a topical medication that helps prevent infection. While Neosporin is safe for most people to use, it can sometimes cause an allergic reaction.

"People should understand that triple antibiotic [ointment] is not almighty, and avoid preventive or excessive use of this ointment," said study author Masahiro Suzuki, a bacteriologist at the ...