Fucidin H is a combination cream containing fusidic acid, an antibiotic, and hydrocortisone, a mild steroid. It is used for eczema and dermatitis that has become infected — where there is both inflammation to settle and bacteria to clear. It is prescribed as a short course, not as a general-purpose cream.
What is Fucidin H?
The South African Medicine Price Registry lists Fucidin H as a Schedule 4 cream containing:
| Ingredient | Amount | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Fusidic acid (anhydrous) | 20 mg/g (2%) | Antibiotic, chiefly against staphylococcus |
| Hydrocortisone acetate | 10 mg/g (1%) | Mild corticosteroid, reduces inflammation |
The pairing addresses a specific and common situation. Eczema damages the skin barrier, which lets bacteria — usually Staphylococcus aureus — colonise and then infect it. Once that happens, a steroid alone treats the inflammation while the infection continues, and an antibiotic alone treats the infection while the skin stays inflamed, itchy and scratched open. The combination handles both.
Fusidic acid blocks bacterial protein synthesis. It is particularly effective against staphylococcus, which is exactly the organism that infects eczema.
Hydrocortisone 1% is a mild steroid — the gentlest class, the same strength sold over the counter for minor rashes, and much weaker than betamethasone or the potent steroids. That mildness is deliberate: it is enough to settle inflammation while the antibiotic works, without the risks of using a potent steroid on infected skin.
There is a plain version, Fucidin cream, containing fusidic acid alone. Which you are given depends on whether the skin is inflamed as well as infected.
What is Fucidin H commonly used for?
- Infected eczema (infected atopic dermatitis) — the main use. Look for weeping, golden-yellow crusting, small pustules, or eczema that has suddenly worsened and stopped responding to its usual cream.
- Infected contact dermatitis.
- Infected discoid eczema.
- Inflamed and infected skin in skin folds.
- Infected insect bites with a surrounding inflammatory reaction.
- Mild impetigo with inflammation, in some prescribing.
- Infected seborrhoeic dermatitis.
The defining feature is that both problems must be present. Fucidin H is not a first-choice eczema cream and not a general antibiotic cream.
It is prescribed as a short course — typically one to two weeks. Two reasons matter:
Fusidic acid resistance is a real and growing problem. Widespread and prolonged topical use has driven resistance in Staphylococcus aureus, in South Africa and internationally. Short courses used only when genuinely needed keep the medicine working. Using it repeatedly, or keeping a tube for whenever eczema flares, is precisely how it stops working.
Steroids should not be continued indefinitely on infected skin. Once the infection is cleared, ongoing eczema care returns to emollients and, where needed, a plain steroid.
How Fucidin H fits into this medicine category
| Group | Examples | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Antibiotic + steroid | Fucidin H, other combination creams | Inflamed and infected skin, short courses |
| Topical antibiotics | Fusidic acid (Fucidin), mupirocin | Localised bacterial skin infection |
| Mild steroids | Hydrocortisone 1% | Mild eczema, face, folds, children |
| Potent steroids | Betamethasone (Clomaderm), methylprednisolone aceponate | Moderate to severe eczema |
| Antifungals | Clotrimazole (Canex V) | Fungal infection — a different problem |
| Emollients | Emulsifying ointment | Daily barrier care; the long-term treatment |
The last row is the one that does the lasting work. Fucidin H resolves an episode; emollients used daily reduce how often episodes happen. See the skin and wound care hub.
What to check before using Fucidin H
Use it only on skin a clinician has assessed. The judgement that skin is both inflamed and infected is what this product depends on, and it is not obvious from the outside.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if:
- The rash may be fungal. Steroids let fungal infections spread while masking the redness, producing a larger, atypical rash. Ringworm treated with a steroid combination is a classic and avoidable mistake.
- The rash may be viral — cold sores, shingles, or eczema with small punched-out blisters. Steroids can make viral skin infection considerably worse.
- You are treating the face, eyelids or genitals, or a child — use only on advice, and briefly.
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding. If used on the breast, wash it off before feeding.
- You have rosacea, perioral dermatitis or acne, which steroids worsen.
- You have had a reaction to fusidic acid before.
- You wear contact lenses or need it near the eyes — it is not an eye preparation.
Using it:
- Apply a thin layer, usually two or three times daily as directed, to affected areas only.
- Use it for the prescribed period, typically one to two weeks — not longer, and not on and off indefinitely.
- Continue your emollient, leaving fifteen to twenty minutes between the two.
- Do not cover with an airtight dressing unless told to.
- Do not share the tube, and do not keep leftovers for a future flare.
- Wash your hands after applying, unless treating the hands.
Possible cautions and when to ask a pharmacist or doctor
Common effects are stinging, burning, itching or redness where applied, usually briefly.
Hydrocortisone is mild, so steroid side effects are much less likely than with potent products — but prolonged use can still thin the skin, particularly on the face and in folds, and can cause perioral dermatitis around the mouth.
Stop and seek advice if:
- The treated skin becomes more inflamed, itchy or blistered — contact allergy to fusidic acid does occur.
- The skin becomes thinner, shinier or shows visible blood vessels.
- The rash spreads or worsens on treatment.
Get emergency help for:
- Swelling of the face, lips or tongue, or difficulty breathing.
- Rapidly spreading redness, severe pain, fever, or feeling generally unwell — infection spreading beyond the skin needs oral antibiotics, urgently.
- Clusters of small blisters or punched-out sores spreading quickly on eczema — this can be eczema herpeticum, a herpes infection of eczematous skin that needs urgent antiviral treatment. It can look like worsening infected eczema, and applying more steroid makes it worse.
Contact your doctor if:
- The skin is not improving after a week, or the infection returns after the course.
- Infections keep recurring — that may point to nasal carriage of staphylococcus, or to eczema that needs better long-term control.
- Eczema is disturbing sleep, in a child or adult.
- You find yourself needing this cream repeatedly. That is a signal that the underlying eczema plan needs revisiting, not that you need a bigger tube.
Related medicine guides
Frequently asked questions
What is Fucidin H cream used for? Eczema and dermatitis that has become infected — where there is both inflammation and bacterial infection. It contains fusidic acid 2% and hydrocortisone 1%.
What is the difference between Fucidin and Fucidin H? Fucidin contains the antibiotic alone. Fucidin H adds hydrocortisone, a mild steroid, for skin that is inflamed as well as infected.
Is the steroid in it strong? No. Hydrocortisone 1% is the mildest class of topical steroid.
Can I use it for ordinary eczema? No. Without infection, plain emollients and a steroid are the right treatment. Using an antibiotic unnecessarily drives resistance.
Can I use it on ringworm or a fungal rash? No. It contains no antifungal, and the steroid lets fungus spread while hiding the redness.
How long can I use it? Usually one to two weeks. Longer or repeated courses drive fusidic acid resistance and risk skin thinning.
Can I use it on my face? Only on medical advice and briefly. Facial skin is thin and absorbs more.
Why does my eczema keep getting infected? Damaged skin barrier lets bacteria in. Better day-to-day eczema control with emollients is usually what breaks the cycle — worth discussing with your doctor.