Name: Fucidin
Published: Jul 02, 2023

Fucidin

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Reviewed on Jul 02, 2023. by Dr Daniel Atkinson GP Clinical Lead Registered with GMC (No. 4624794) Next review due on June 19, 2029.

Last updated on Jun 19, 2026.

Product info

Fucidin is a topical antibiotic used to treat impetigo and folliculitis.
It prevents bacterial growth while your immune system clears the infection.
It’s applied three to four times a day for one to two weeks.

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Prices include:

Express shipping
24 hour shipping by secure courier.
Consultation + Access to our clinicians
Ask our experts anything you like, any time you want.
Total
£33.95

Save £0.00 each order

Fucidin: essential info
Fucidin: instructions
Important stuff you need to know
FAQ

What is Fucidin?

Fucidin is a cream that contains fusidic acid. It’s used to treat skin infections caused by bacteria, like impetigo and some cases of folliculitis in which hair follicles are infected.

Impetigo is a common infection that mainly affects children. It’s not serious, but it is very contagious. It causes red patches on your face or limbs that are swollen and ooze for a few days before forming a yellowish crust. These patches can be itchy and painful. They may go away on their own, but treatment helps them heal faster and reduces the risk of spreading the condition to others.^[1]

Folliculitis is a skin condition that occurs when hair follicles become inflamed, sometimes due to a bacterial infection. It can cause small pimples around the hair follicles, and the affected area may be itchy and painful.^[2]

How does Fucidin work?

The active ingredient in Fucidin, fusidic acid, is a bacteriostatic antibiotic. This means that it helps prevent the growth of bacteria while your immune system clears the infection. Fusidic acid works by blocking a protein that bacteria need to make new cells. This protein is called elongation factor G (EF-G).

Fusidic acid has a unique structure and works differently from other antibiotics. So because bacteria haven’t come across anything like it before, they’re less likely to be resistant to it.^[3]

What doses of Fucidin are there?

Fucidin comes in one strength, which is Fucidin 20mg/g. It’s a cream that is white or off-white in colour and contains 20mg of fusidic acid in every gram of cream.

Treated trusted sources:

George, A. and Rubin, G. (2003). A systematic review and meta-analysis of treatments for impetigo. The British Journal of General Practice: The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 53(491), pp.480–487.
Luelmo-Aguilar, J. and Santandreu, M.S. (2004). Folliculitis: recognition and management. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 5(5), pp.301–310. doi:
Fernandes, P. (2016). Fusidic Acid: A Bacterial Elongation Factor Inhibitor for the Oral Treatment of Acute and Chronic Staphylococcal Infections. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine, 6(1), p.a025437. doi

How we source info.

When we present you with stats, data, opinion or a consensus, we’ll tell you where this came from. And we’ll only present data as clinically reliable if it’s come from a reputable source, such as a state or government-funded health body, a peer-reviewed medical journal, or a recognised analytics or data body. Read more in our editorial policy.

FAQ: Fucidin

Have something specific you want to know? Search our info below, or ask our experts a question if you can’t find what you’re looking for.

Is Fucidin available over the counter?

Answer:

No, Fucidin is a prescription only medicine. So you can’t buy it over the counter. If you choose to get Fucidin with us, our clinicians are able to prescribe it for you after asking some questions about your health. This is to make sure that it’s safe for you to use.

Can you get side effects from Fucidin?

Answer:

It’s rare to have side effects when using Fucidin cream. In some cases, people may have skin irritation at the application site, but this happens in less than 1 out of 100 people.

If you're bothered by skin irritation or if it doesn’t go away, it's recommended to continue using the cream and speak with our clinician for advice.

Is Fucidin cream safe in pregnancy and while breastfeeding?

Answer:

It's safe to use Fucidin cream during pregnancy, as only a small amount of the medicine reaches your baby, and it’s unlikely to cause any harm to them.^[3]

You can also use fusidic acid cream while breastfeeding, and it's highly unlikely that any of it will pass into your breast milk. If you need to apply the cream on your nipple area, make sure to wash it off before feeding your baby.^[3]

That said, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should always let your clinician know during your consultation.

How effective is Fucidin for impetigo and folliculitis?

Answer:

Fusidic acid, the active ingredient in Fucidin cream, is very effective at treating impetigo. In a clinical study, it showed a success rate of 91% after 7 days of treatment.[popover id=ref4] This means that for 91% of the participants who took part in the study, all bacteria causing the infection were killed or the lesions were cured. At the end of one week, the fusidic acid group showed a clinical cure rate (complete clearance of lesions, or dry patches no longer showing any crust) of 55%, compared to only 13% in the group treated with a placebo.

Mild cases of bacterial folliculitis can often be treated successfully with topical antibacterials containing fusidic acid. But for more severe forms, like folliculitis decalvans (chronic condition of the scalp that leads to scarring hair loss), oral antibiotics are usually necessary. Oral fusidic acid, either alone or taken together with zinc sulphate, or a combination of rifampin and clindamycin, are commonly used in these cases.[popover id=ref2]

How does Fucidin compare to other treatments?

Answer:

Topical treatments are the first choice options for localised impetigo (when the infection is limited to a small area of the skin). So Fucidin is a good option in this case.

Some other alternatives include:

Mupirocin ointment, also known as Bactroban. Fusidic acid and mupirocin are two commonly used treatments for localised impetigo. There isn’t much difference between the two treatments in efficacy. [popover id=ref1]

Fucidin H cream, which is a combination of fucidin and hydrocortisone (a steroid). In most cases fusidic acid is enough to treat impetigo, but if your inflammation is more severe, a clinician may recommend a cream containing both an antibiotic and a steroid (a medicine that treats inflammation).

Fucibet. Both Fucidin and Fucibet are topical antibiotic creams containing fusidic acid. But Fucibet also contains betamethasone, a steroid. Like Fucidin H, Fucibet can be used to treat inflamed skin infections.

For more severe infections, for instance when your impetigo or folliculitis are more widespread or come back often, your clinician may recommend oral antibiotics like erythromycin, penicillins or cephalosporins.

Treated trusted sources:

George, A. and Rubin, G. (2003). A systematic review and meta-analysis of treatments for impetigo. The British Journal of General Practice: The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 53(491), pp.480–487.
Luelmo-Aguilar, J. and Santandreu, M.S. (2004). Folliculitis: recognition and management. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 5(5), pp.301–310.
NHS. (2026). Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility while using fusidic acid. 30 January.