Description
What is Canesten 1% Cream?
Canesten 1% Cream is an antifungal treatment used to relieve various fungal skin infections, including athlete’s foot, ringworm, fungal nappy rash, and fungal sweat rash. It is also effective in treating irritation of the vulva (external thrush) and the end of the penis associated with thrush.
Canesten 1% Cream contains clotrimazole, an antifungal agent belonging to the imidazole group. It works by damaging the cell membrane of the fungi, stopping their growth and clearing the infection. The cream is suitable for adults, children, and even infants when treating nappy rash. It is recommended to complete the full course of treatment (usually 2-4 weeks) to ensure the infection is entirely eradicated, even if symptoms appear to have cleared up.
How Does Canesten Work?
Fungal infections occur when the body is invaded by too much harmful fungus for the immune system to handle. Although the body constitutes helpful microbes, when harmful fungi invade the body they can be difficult to manage. Canesten cream is an anti-fungal medication that works by destroying the cell membrane of the fungi, stops it from producing ergosterol, an essential component of the fungal cell membrane. As a result, holes begin to appear on the fungi, exposing them to attacks from white blood cells that fight and kill the fungi, and treat the infection.
Canesten 1% Cream is easy to use, with a thin layer applied to the affected area two to three times daily. Its antifungal action starts working quickly, often relieving symptoms such as itching and irritation within a few days. However, redness and scaling may take longer to resolve completely.
Canesten cream can be used to treat:
- Candida
- Ringworm infection
- Fungal sweat rash
- Athlete’s foot
- Fungal nappy rash
- Irritation of the vulva or penis caused by a thrush
