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Fucidin H Cream is a powerful and effective dual-action treatment for skin infections that are accompanied by inflammation. This cream combines the potent antibiotic fusidic acid with the anti-inflammatory corticosteroid hydrocortisone to provide rapid and comprehensive relief for a wide range of skin conditions, including eczema and dermatitis with bacterial infection.
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Fucidin H Cream is a powerful and effective dual-action treatment for skin infections that are accompanied by inflammation. This cream combines the potent antibiotic fusidic acid with the anti-inflammatory corticosteroid hydrocortisone to provide rapid and comprehensive relief for a wide range of skin conditions, including eczema and dermatitis with bacterial infection.
Fucidin H is a prescription-only cream manufactured by Leo Pharma, containing two active ingredients: fusidic acid 2% (an antibiotic) and hydrocortisone acetate 1% (a mild topical steroid). It's prescribed specifically for inflammatory skin conditions that have developed a bacterial infection on top of them. The most common situation is eczema or atopic dermatitis where the inflamed, broken skin has become colonised or infected with Staphylococcus aureus, the bacterium most commonly involved in skin infections. It's also used for infected contact dermatitis and for impetigo, particularly when there's associated eczema. The key word in all these indications is "infected": Fucidin H is for situations where both inflammation and bacterial infection are present at the same time.
The cream contains two active ingredients that each tackle a different aspect of the problem. Fusidic acid is a narrow-spectrum antibiotic that works by blocking a specific step in bacterial protein synthesis, which is essential for bacterial growth. It's particularly effective against Staphylococcus aureus, the dominant pathogen in infected eczema, and also has activity against Streptococcus. Hydrocortisone acetate 1% is a mild topical corticosteroid, equivalent in strength to plain hydrocortisone 1% cream. It reduces the underlying inflammation, soothes itch, and calms the skin's immune response. Together, the two ingredients resolve the infected flare faster than treating infection and inflammation separately, while being more convenient.
Each of the three products has a different role. Plain hydrocortisone 1% treats inflammation only and has no effect on bacterial infection; it's the right choice when eczema is flaring without signs of infection. Plain Fucidin cream or ointment (fusidic acid 2% without hydrocortisone) treats bacterial infection only and doesn't calm the inflammation; it's the right choice when there's a skin infection without significant inflammatory disease. Fucidin H combines both and is the right choice when there's clear evidence of both infection and inflammation at the same time. Using Fucidin H when there's no infection exposes the skin to an antibiotic unnecessarily, which contributes to resistance without providing extra benefit over plain hydrocortisone.
This is one of the most important distinctions to understand, because not every eczema flare needs an antibiotic. Ordinary eczema flares look red, itchy, dry, and inflamed. Infected eczema has additional features that point to bacterial invasion: weeping that looks sticky or honey-coloured, golden or yellow crusts on the surface of the skin, small pustules (pus-filled spots), a rapid and unusual worsening beyond the normal flare pattern, increasing pain or tenderness in the area, sometimes warm spreading redness around the patch, and occasionally swollen nearby glands or systemic symptoms like fever or feeling unwell. If your eczema is just inflamed without any of these infection signs, plain hydrocortisone is the appropriate choice. If you're unsure, a pharmacist or GP can examine the skin and decide which product fits.
Fusidic acid penetrates into the skin and acts on Staphylococcus aureus by blocking elongation factor G (EF-G), a protein the bacteria needs to synthesise new proteins and reproduce. Without that step, the bacteria can't replicate and the infection dies back over several days of treatment. Hydrocortisone works by binding to glucocorticoid receptors inside skin cells, which changes gene expression and suppresses the production of inflammatory chemicals (prostaglandins, leukotrienes, cytokines). The redness, itch, and swelling of the inflamed eczema patch settle as these inflammatory signals are turned down. Together, the two ingredients tackle the infected flare from both directions simultaneously.
Apply Fucidin H thinly to the affected area three times a day. Cover only the infected and inflamed patch, not a large surrounding area of skin. Wash your hands before and after application unless your hands are the area being treated. The standard course is no longer than two weeks. Most infected eczema patches respond within the first week; by two weeks the infection should have cleared and the skin be clearly improving. If the patch hasn't improved clearly by one week, that's a reason to go back to a GP rather than continuing to apply.
The time limit relates primarily to antibiotic resistance, and this is one of the most important points to understand about Fucidin H. Fusidic acid resistance in Staphylococcus aureus develops surprisingly quickly with continuous use. Longer courses and repeated cycles of topical fusidic acid select out resistant strains, which then become harder to treat in the future, both for the individual and (because resistant bacteria spread) for other people. The British Association of Dermatologists, NICE, and the NHS all specifically advise keeping courses of topical fusidic acid short (no more than two weeks) and not using it routinely or for maintenance. Clinical surveillance data consistently show rising fusidic acid resistance in Staph aureus isolates, and overprescription of topical antibiotic creams is one of the clearest contributing factors. Using Fucidin H for longer than needed, or using it for every eczema flare regardless of whether infection is present, contributes to this problem.
Yes, for certain types of infection. Fucidin H contains a corticosteroid, and corticosteroids suppress local immune responses. For bacterial infections, this combination of antibiotic plus immune suppression works well because the fusidic acid handles the bacteria while the hydrocortisone handles the inflammation. For viral infections, the situation is completely different: Fucidin H contains no antiviral medicine, and the hydrocortisone suppresses exactly the immune responses needed to fight the virus. This means Fucidin H can worsen infections with herpes simplex (cold sores), varicella (chickenpox), herpes zoster (shingles), and fungal infections. Patients with eczema are particularly prone to herpes simplex spreading across their skin, a serious condition called eczema herpeticum, which can look similar to infected eczema at first glance. If a skin worsening seems unusual, if there are clusters of small painful blisters, or if the skin deteriorates despite Fucidin H rather than improving, stop and seek medical assessment promptly.
Most people tolerate Fucidin H well for short courses. From the fusidic acid component, the most commonly reported effects are mild local stinging or burning on application and, rarely, allergic contact dermatitis to the fusidic acid itself. From the hydrocortisone component, side effects are the same as with plain hydrocortisone 1%: skin thinning with prolonged use, mild stinging on application, and worsening of any viral or fungal infection that might have been missed. Systemic absorption of either ingredient is minimal with normal short-term use on limited skin areas. Prolonged or large-area use of the hydrocortisone can suppress the body's adrenal function (HPA axis suppression), though this is uncommon at 1% strength for short courses. Prolonged use of the fusidic acid contributes to resistance, as described above.
Yes, under medical supervision and for short courses, but with care. The face and skin folds (groin, armpits, under breasts) have thinner, more absorbent skin, so both ingredients are absorbed more readily. Hydrocortisone at 1% is mild enough that short-term use on the face carries relatively low risk of steroid-induced side effects, but prolonged face use can still cause perioral dermatitis, and use near the eyes carries a small risk of raised intraocular pressure over time. Fusidic acid resistance develops faster with use in warm, moist areas (particularly in flexures), which reinforces the short-course principle. If Fucidin H has been prescribed for a facial or flexural patch, follow the prescriber's instructions rather than extending the course beyond the duration specified.
Yes, in appropriate circumstances and under medical guidance, including in young children with infected eczema. Hydrocortisone 1% is generally considered safe for short-term use in children, though it's used more sparingly in infants under 12 months (particularly on large areas) because of the relatively higher systemic absorption from their thinner skin and larger surface-area-to-body-weight ratio. Fucidin H is commonly prescribed by GPs and dermatologists for infected eczema in children of all ages; infected eczema is one of the most frequent reasons for GP consultations in children with atopic dermatitis, and a short course of Fucidin H followed by a return to plain hydrocortisone and emollients is the standard management approach. If you've been given Fucidin H for a child, follow the prescribed duration and don't extend the course without a follow-up assessment.
The safety data for topical fusidic acid in pregnancy is limited but reassuring for short-term use on small areas, since systemic absorption from the skin is low. Hydrocortisone 1% is similarly considered acceptable for short-term limited use in pregnancy. Most clinicians are comfortable prescribing Fucidin H for infected eczema during pregnancy when clinically needed, applying the same general principle as with other topical medicines: short course, limited area, avoid extensive application to large body surfaces. In breastfeeding, the same logic applies; don't apply to the breast or nipple area where the baby could ingest the cream directly or through skin contact during feeds. As always with topical medicines in pregnancy or breastfeeding, the conversation is best had with a GP, midwife, or dermatologist rather than self-managing.
Yes, for most people. The typical pattern for infected eczema is: infected flare treated with Fucidin H for one to two weeks, then, once the infection has cleared, switch to plain hydrocortisone or whatever topical steroid is appropriate for the underlying eczema severity, and continue emollient use throughout. Fucidin H has a role in clearing the infected episode; the ongoing management of eczema relies on emollients as the backbone, with topical steroids used short-term for flares, and Fucidin H only introduced again if there's clear evidence of reinfection. Treating every eczema flare with Fucidin H regardless of whether infection is present drives resistance and reduces the medicine's usefulness for the specific situations where it's genuinely needed.
Several features call for prompt clinical review. Spreading redness, swelling, fever, or feeling systemically unwell while using Fucidin H suggests the infection may be going deeper into the skin (cellulitis) or spreading beyond what a topical antibiotic can handle, and oral antibiotics may be needed. A patch that hasn't clearly improved by one week of treatment warrants review: either the bacteria are resistant to fusidic acid, the diagnosis was wrong (viral or fungal infection rather than bacterial), or the area needs a different approach. Clusters of small painful blisters suggest eczema herpeticum (herpes simplex spreading on eczematous skin) rather than bacterial infection, which is a medical emergency in children and needs urgent antiviral treatment rather than more Fucidin H. Any worsening despite treatment should always be reviewed rather than waiting for the course to run out. For children specifically, infected eczema that's not settling within a few days of starting treatment should be reviewed promptly rather than leaving the course to run to its natural end.
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I had infected eczema behind both of my legs from my knee to my ankle for longer than 2 months (many creams didn’t work on it or help) and with Fucidin H by the time I’m finishing the 1st tub of 60g it’s almost gone. Definitely recommend
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