What are zicam's active ingredients?

It depends: There are multiple Zicam products, each of which has different ingredients. The best approach is to read the label. Some Zicam products are "homeopathic, " which means they have natural ingredients that are in doses low enough to be safe, though sometimes of questionable efficacy. Some Zicam products contain actual decongestants, and decongestant nasal sprays can be dangerous if overused.

Zinc: The only biologically active ingredients present in Zicam cold remedy are slightly diluted zinc acetate (2x = 1/100 dilution) and zinc gluconate (1x = 1/10 dilution).