Hydrocortisone 1% Cream & Ointment

Hydrocortisone cream is a topical treatment for alleviating various skin condition symptoms such as inflammation, redness and itching. It is also available under brand names such as Derma Care, Dermacort, Dioderm, HC45, Lanacort, Mildison Lipocream, Pinewood’s and Zenoxone.

The active ingredient of hydrocortisone 1% cream is hydrocortisone. Each gram of hydrocortisone cream contains 10 milligrams of hydrocortisone, as well as inactive ingredients including Benzoic acid, chlorphenesin, citric acid, glycerin, glyceryl monostearate, methylparaben, mineral oil, petrolatum, phenoxyethanol, polysorbate 80, purified water, titanium dioxide and trisodium citrate.

Hydrocortisone cream can relieve inflammation and itchiness for up to 12 hours and is simple to apply, being rubbed gently onto the affected area of the skin.

Hydrocortisone cream is used to treat skin conditions such as dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis, as well as insect stings and bites, prickly heat rash (caused by sweat becoming trapped in the skin), and nappy rash. It is a topical corticosteroid treatment that reduces the symptoms - such as inflammation, redness and itching - of these skin conditions. When flare-ups occur, hydrocortisone cream is applied twice per day to relieve symptoms.

The majority of adults and children over the age of 10 can use hydrocortisone cream. You may not be suitable for hydrocortisone cream if you:

• Are under the age of 10
• Have a skin infection
• Have an eye infection
• Have had an allergic reaction to hydrocortisone or another medicine in the past

Hydrocortisone is a mild corticosteroid (steroid) which can control symptoms of eczema, as well as other conditions such as psoriasis and dermatitis. Steroids are produced naturally by the body’s adrenal glands. Man-made corticosteroid treatments such as hydrocortisone cream are effective in reducing inflammation; both in the skin and other areas of the body.

The skin becomes inflamed due to irritation or an allergic reaction. This causes the skin to release chemicals that widen your blood vessels and make the skin irritated, swollen, red, painful and itchy. Hydrocortisone works on skin cells to stop the chemicals that cause inflammation from being released, reducing symptoms such as itching, redness and pain.

Milder hydrocortisone creams such as hydrocortisone 1% cream can be used during pregnancy. Stronger types of hydrocortisone treatment such as hydrocortisone butyrate are not usually recommended for pregnant women.

Hydrocortisone cream can be used when you are breastfeeding. As a precaution, you should wash off cream on, or near, your breasts, before breastfeeding your baby. A stronger hydrocortisone treatment such as hydrocortisone butyrate would not normally be recommended for breastfeeding women unless prescribed by a dermatologist (skin specialist).

Always contact your doctor before using a new medication, especially when you are pregnant.

Like hydrocortisone, clobetasone butyrate is a topical corticosteroid that is used to treat skin problems such as eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis, relieving symptoms such as swelling, irritation and itching. The two creams contain different active ingredients - clobetasone butyrate contains clobetasone butyrate, rather than hydrocortisone.

Clobetasone butyrate is stronger than hydrocortisone and comes as a 0.05 % cream. It has been shown in a study to be more effective than hydrocortisone in treating eczema, although there is “no clinically significant difference” in short-term use.

For treating skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, medium-strength Betamethasone is stronger than hydrocortisone skin cream.

Betamethasone contains a different active ingredient from hydrocortisone - betamethasone valerate – and unlike hydrocortisone 1% cream, is only available on prescription.

Eczema sufferers have praised hydrocortisone cream online for its ability to control their symptoms when flare-ups occur. Some users observed that hydrocortisone cream was more effective in treating their eczema than natural remedies. Reviewers online were satisfied that hydrocortisone cream was effective in clearing up their rashes and inflamed, red and bumpy skin during eczema episodes. Several reviews report that hydrocortisone cream was effective in clearing up their eczema symptoms in less than a week.

Aside from eczema, hydrocortisone cream has also been reviewed as effective in treating other skin conditions such as dermatitis, psoriasis, itches and rashes. Side effects reported include a mild stinging or burning after application, and skin atrophy (the thinning of the skin) when used over a long period.

Hydrocortisone cream is only available on prescription and can only be purchased from a pharmacy in the UK once you have undergone a consultation.

For your convenience, you may wish to purchase hydrocortisone cream online. Using Cloud Pharmacy’s online service, you can buy hydrocortisone cream conveniently online following a consultation with one of our online pharmacists. Once approved, you will be provided with an electronic prescription and your hydrocortisone cream can be dispensed. We will then send your cream in a discreet package via next-day delivery.