That sometimes sticky or greasy salve you put on cuts or rashes is also called an unguent. Whether it's a cream or a gel, the main purpose of an unguent is to heal or protect a sore.
Unguent comes from the Latin unguentum, "ointment." Ancient unguents were luxurious and included fragrant oils used to anoint and perfume the skin. Some were even symbolically incorporated into religious ceremonies. In old-time of medicine shows, potions and unguents were sold as having magical properties but were usually concocted from common ingredients that could sometimes even be dangerous.
