Clobetasone (also known as clobetasone butyrate) is a steroid medicine used on the skin to treat swelling, itching and irritation.
It can help with skin problems such as:
It may also be used to help keep your condition under control between courses of a stronger steroid. This is known as maintenance therapy.
Steroids (or corticosteroids) are copies of hormones your body makes naturally. They are not the same as anabolic steroids.
Clobetasone comes as cream or ointment. It's available on prescription or you can buy it from a pharmacy or shop.
There is also a cream called clobetasol, which sounds similar to clobetasone. This is a much stronger steroid cream and is only available on prescription.
Sometimes clobetasone is combined with the antibiotic oxytetracycline and the antifungal nystatin. This is called by the brand name Trimovate.
Key facts
- Your skin should start to get better after you've used clobetasone for a few days.
- Do not put clobetasone on your face unless your doctor has prescribed it. It can make some skin problems of the face worse.
- If you buy clobetasone from a pharmacy or supermarket, do not use it for longer than a week without talking to a pharmacist or doctor.
- Steroid creams like clobetasone are not a cure for your skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis, so your symptoms may return when you stop using it. You can reduce the effects of this by stopping use of the cream gradually.
- Side effects are rare. Some people get a burning or stinging feeling for a few minutes after using clobetasone but this usually stops after a few days.