Quinoderm®
5% w/w + 0.5% w/w Cream
Benzoyl Peroxide, hydrous / Potassium Hydroxyquinoline Sulfate
Always use this medicine exactly as described in this leaflet or as your doctor or pharmacist has told you.
1. What Quinoderm Cream is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you use Quinoderm Cream
3. How to use Quinoderm Cream
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Quinoderm Cream
6. Contents of the pack and other information
Quinoderm Cream belongs to a group of medicines called peroxides. It contains two active ingredients; benzoyl peroxide, which provides a peeling action, and potassium hydroxyquinoline sulfate, which has antimicrobial and antifungal properties.
Quinoderm Cream is used for the treatment of acne vulgaris (common acne), acneform eruptions (an acne like rash) and folliculitis (a mild infection of the hair follicles).
Do not smoke or go near naked flames - risk of severe burns. Fabric (clothing, bedding, dressings, etc) that has been in contact with this product burns more easily and is a serious fire hazard. Washing clothing and bedding may reduce product build-up but not totally remove it.
In a few isolated cases an over-reaction to Quinoderm Cream may occur. If you have not used this medicine before, perform the sensitivity test described in section 3. If you experience mild irritation or inflammation use Quinoderm Cream less often, for example once a day or every few days. If severe irritation or pronounced redness occurs, stop treatment and tell your doctor or pharmacist.
Fair skinned individuals are likely to be particularly sensitive to irritation. Benzoyl Peroxide should not be used in patients with fair or sensitive skin if there is extensive exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet light.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking/using, have recently taken/used or might take/use any other medicines.
Quinoderm Cream should not be used at the same time as any other skin preparation that would react with benzoyl peroxide, which is an oxidising agent.
Zinc oxide inhibits the antibacterial and antifungal effects of hydroxyquinoline. The use of zinc oxide at the same time is not recommended.
The use of oral isotretinoin should be avoided at the same time as Quinoderm Cream.
If you are using topical treatments with tretinoin, isotretinoin or tazarotene, the products should be applied at different times of the day (e.g. one in the morning and the other in the evening) to reduce skin irritation and to provide maximum effect.
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before using this medicine. If you have been advised by your doctor to use Quinoderm Cream whilst you are breast-feeding, you should ensure that the infant’s skin does not come into direct contact with the areas of skin that have been treated.
Always use this medicine exactly as described in this leaflet or as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
The recommended dose is: apply two or three times daily.
For external use only.
If you have not used Quinoderm Cream before, perform the following test. Select a small area of skin behind the ear, apply the cream and leave for 12 hours. If severe irritation or pronounced redness occurs, do not proceed with the treatment and tell your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Not known: (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data)
It is common for some slight redness of the skin to occur during the early weeks of treatment. This should gradually disappear as your skin becomes accustomed to the treatment.
Stop using the medicine and tell your doctor or pharmacist:
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via
By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
The active substances are benzoyl peroxide, hydrous 5% w/w and potassium hydroxyquinoline sulfate 0.5% w/w.
The other ingredients are lactic acid, white soft paraffin, edetic acid, sodium dihydrogen phosphate dihydrate, maize starch, cetostearyl alcohol, sodium cetostearyl sulfate, macrogol 40 castor oil and purified water.
Quinoderm Cream is a creamy white vanishing cream. It is presented in a printed carton containing a printed tube with a cap, and an information leaflet. Each tube contains 50g of product.
Alliance Pharma (Ireland) Limited, United Drug House, Magna Drive, Dublin, D24 X0CT, Ireland
Manufacturer: Ecolab Ltd., Lotherton Way, Garforth, Leeds, LS25 2JY, UK.
This leaflet was last revised in July 2019.
Quinoderm, Alliance and associated devices are registered trademarks of Alliance Pharmaceuticals Limited.