Candid B Cream

Candid B is Glenmark's Indian skin cream that mixes two medicines in one tube: the antifungal clotrimazole 1% w/w and the steroid beclometasone dipropionate 0.025% w/w (Tata 1mg, Truemeds and Apollo Pharmacy listings). We sell the 10 g tube in packs of 3, 6 and 12 tubes, from $4.92 a tube in the 12 pack before shipping.

Read three things before you buy. First, we would not recommend Candid B for ringworm, jock itch or athlete's foot that you are treating yourself. India's dermatologists' association task force on tinea says "Topical corticosteroids should never be used for tinea corporis, tinea cruris or tinea faciei" and that an antifungal "without any corticosteroid or antibacterial" should be used instead. A plain clotrimazole cream, which Glenmark also makes, is the usual first step. Second, no clotrimazole and beclometasone cream is approved in the US, and we found none licensed in the UK, Canada or Australia; this Indian pack is not registered with the FDA, MHRA, TGA or Health Canada. Third, it is a prescription medicine in India. If a doctor has examined your skin and prescribed this cream for a short course, the rest of this page explains how it is used and when to stop.

Candid B Cream at a glance

About the Glenmark text: where this page says "Glenmark", it quotes Glenmark's prescribing information for export markets as reproduced on the website of Imatoku Medic, a drug information company in Cambodia. We could not get a copy from Glenmark itself or open the Zimbabwe regulator's copy, the text shows no revision date, and the leaflet in an Indian tube may differ. Treat these quotes as the best label text we could find, not as Glenmark's current Indian leaflet.

Price per tube

Prices below are as of October 2026; the pack selector shows the current price.

Every pack is under the $149 free shipping threshold, so each order pays $25 shipping. Per gram, the cream costs $0.70 in the 3 pack and $0.49 in the 12 pack before shipping, or $1.53 and $0.70 with shipping.

Think about how much you need before you pick a pack. The Indian listings give no amount in grams; Glenmark's export text says no more than 45 g a week (in its directions for children 12 and over). One fingertip unit, a line of cream from the tip of an adult index finger to the first crease, is about 0.5 g and covers an area about the size of two adult hands laid flat (Guy's and St Thomas' NHS guidance). For a patch that size, twice daily use is about 1 g a day, so Glenmark's 2 week maximum for the groin or body uses about 14 g and its 4 week maximum for the feet about 28 g (our arithmetic, not a label figure). For one small patch, our 3 pack (30 g) already holds about a full course. The 6 and 12 packs are not a reason to keep using a steroid cream past the labelled limits.

Compared with US and UK options

NADAC is the average price US pharmacies pay, not a retail price. The clotrimazole with betamethasone cream rows are $0.20669 per gram for 15 g tubes and $0.17108 per gram for 45 g tubes, effective 21 October 2026 (NADAC as of 28 October 2026), so a 15 g US tube costs a pharmacy about $3.10 (our arithmetic). There is no row for the Lotrisone brand. The plain clotrimazole 1% cream rows run from $0.04734 to $0.20978 per gram (effective 21 October 2026), with one row at $0.34307 (effective 22 April 2026). Said plainly: per gram, the FDA approved US combination costs a pharmacy less than half of what Candid B costs from us before shipping (our arithmetic), and most plain clotrimazole rows cost even less. If you are in the US, UK, Canada or Australia, a local antifungal, or a local steroid and antifungal cream on prescription, is cheaper and is a product your regulator has checked. Glenmark itself received FDA approval in 2015 for a generic clotrimazole with betamethasone dipropionate cream for the US market (Glenmark press release, 9 November 2015).

These creams are not interchangeable. They use different steroids, and we found no published trial of Candid B. The US label says that in its trials the clotrimazole with betamethasone cream gave a better clinical response at the first return visit than clotrimazole alone, with mycological cure rates "as good as, or better than" clotrimazole cream; those trials did not test beclometasone.

What dermatologists and labels say about steroid and antifungal creams

Indian dermatologists describe a long running epidemic of hard to treat ringworm (Verma 2017, PMID 28584364) and link part of it to creams that mix a steroid with an antifungal:

• Expert consensus (India, 2020). The Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists (IADVL) task force on recalcitrant tinea lists "rampant abuse of topical corticosteroid antifungal combination creams" among the probable reasons for more frequent and more chronic ringworm. It wrote: "Topical corticosteroid use, whether used alone or in combination with other components, was strongly discouraged by all the experts." Its consensus points say "There is no role for corticosteroids alone or in combination with antifungals in the management of dermatophytosis of the glabrous skin including inflammatory tinea", "Topical corticosteroid containing antifungal preparation should be avoided even for an inflammatory lesion", and "Antifungal preparation alone without any corticosteroid or antibacterial component should be used". For inflamed rashes it suggests topical azole antifungals, "which have anti-inflammatory property" (Rengasamy 2020, PMID 32832435).
• How common the misuse is. In a study across 13 Indian centres, 50.9% of people with chronic or recurrent ringworm said they had misused topical corticosteroid creams (Shenoy 2022, PMID 34378240).
• UK label for the same steroid. The UK label for beclometasone 0.025% cream says its use "is not indicated in the treatment of primarily infected skin lesions caused by infection with fungi (e.g. candidiasis, tinea) or bacteria (e.g. impetigo)" (section 4.3).
• Glenmark's own label is not consistent. It lists dermatophyte infections with inflammation as the first use, yet its contraindications say "Topical corticosteroids are contraindicated in infected skin lesions if no anti-infective agent is used simultaneously; fungal and viral infections of the skin, including herpes simplex, vaccinia and varicella; fungi (e.g. candida, tinea) or bacteria (e.g. impetigo); pregnancy."
• Where a steroid and antifungal mix is licensed. The US and UK do license clotrimazole with betamethasone dipropionate creams for inflamed fungal rashes, for short courses: in the US for adults and children 17 and over, 1 to 2 weeks on the body or groin; in the UK (Lotriderm) for 2 weeks, or 4 weeks on the feet, and not under 12. The UK also licenses Canesten HC (clotrimazole with the milder hydrocortisone) for a maximum of 7 days.
• Indian regulation. India's 2018 ban of 328 fixed dose combinations included several combinations that add other ingredients to beclometasone and clotrimazole (for example beclometasone, clotrimazole, gentamicin and iodochlorhydroxyquinoline, CDSCO banned list item 425, S.O. 4693(E), 7 September 2018), but not the two ingredient cream in Candid B. We did not find Candid B's combination in the CDSCO lists we checked of fixed dose combinations approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (1961 to 2019, and lists covering parts of 2020 to March 2025); those lists do include other clotrimazole and steroid creams, such as clotrimazole with methylprednisolone aceponate (12 July 2007) and halobetasol with clotrimazole (4 January 2008).

Our view: the steroid in Candid B quiets the redness and itch of a fungal rash for a while, which makes it feel like it is working, while the fungus may keep spreading under it. For ringworm, jock itch or athlete's foot, a plain antifungal is the right first step, and a doctor should see any rash that is spreading, keeps coming back, or is on the face or groin.

Plain antifungal creams we list

The NHS says ringworm can usually be treated with an antifungal from a pharmacy, used every day for up to 4 weeks, and for the right length of time even if the rash has gone. See a doctor if it has not improved after using an antifungal, or if your immune system is weakened.

How to use Candid B Cream

1. Use it only on skin a doctor has examined, for the condition and the number of days they prescribed. It is for external use only (Tata 1mg).
2. Wash the affected skin with soap and water and dry it well. Apply a thin layer to cover the affected area, two or three times a day (Glenmark). For the groin and body, Glenmark's adult directions say twice daily, morning and evening, for 2 weeks; for the feet, twice daily for 4 weeks. Wash your hands before and after, unless your hands are the treated area (Tata 1mg).
3. Do not use it for longer than 2 weeks on the groin or body, or longer than 4 weeks on the feet (Glenmark). Glenmark's text also says "Do not use for more than 4 weeks".
4. Do not cover the treated skin with bandages, plasters or airtight dressings. Glenmark says it "should not be used with occlusive dressings". Wear loose clothing if you treat the groin (US clotrimazole with betamethasone label).
5. If your skin has not responded within 3 to 5 days, go back to your doctor. Glenmark says patients "not showing a clinical response within 3-5 days should be re-evaluated". Its directions for ages 12 and over say to reassess after 1 week for the groin or body and after 2 weeks for the feet.
6. Keep it out of the eyes, nose, mouth and vagina; rinse with water if it gets in (Tata 1mg). Glenmark says it "should not be used in or near the eyes" and that steroid creams on the eyelids "may cause glaucoma".
7. Do not spread it over large areas or on open, bleeding wounds unless a doctor tells you to (Apollo Pharmacy; Tata 1mg names large areas, the face and private areas).
8. The clotrimazole in it may damage latex condoms and diaphragms. Glenmark says to use other precautions "for at least 5 days after using this product".
9. The UK labels for beclometasone cream and Canesten HC tell users not to smoke or go near naked flames, because fabric that has been in contact with the product burns more easily and is a serious fire hazard. We do not know the base of Candid B, so take the same care (our advice).

Short courses only: face, children and skin folds

• Face. Apollo Pharmacy says to avoid using it on the face unless a doctor specifically tells you to. Glenmark says a "steroid rosacea-like facies may be produced" and that skin thinning is particularly likely on the face. The UK beclometasone label says that on the face "courses should be limited if possible to five days and occlusion should not be used" (section 4.4). The US clotrimazole with betamethasone label says not to use it on the face or underarms.
• Children. Glenmark says "Use in children under 12 years old is not recommended", that safety and effectiveness below 12 "have not been established", and that use "in diaper dermatitis is not recommended". It says children under 5 or 6 need "extreme caution" and strict medical supervision, and that steroid creams should not be used in the nappy area because the nappy acts as an occlusive dressing. The US clotrimazole with betamethasone label does not recommend use under 17, and reports adrenal suppression in 17 of 43 (39.5%) and 8 of 17 (47.1%) children aged 12 to 16 tested in two open label trials. Do not use it on a child unless a doctor prescribes it.
• Groin, armpits and other skin folds. Glenmark says skin thinning, loss of elasticity and visible small blood vessels are particularly likely "where skin folds are involved". Tata 1mg says to avoid private areas unless advised by your doctor. Itching around the anus or genitals is a condition the UK beclometasone label says the steroid is not indicated for.
• Stopping after long use. The UK beclometasone label warns that long term continuous or inappropriate use can cause rebound flares after stopping (topical steroid withdrawal), with intense redness, stinging and burning that can spread beyond the treated area, more often on the face and in skin folds. The MHRA says these reactions follow long term (generally 6 months or more) use of moderate or stronger topical steroids. If your skin flares within days to weeks of stopping, see a doctor before you restart.

Extra care for some groups

• Pregnancy: Glenmark says steroids on the skin of pregnant animals have caused birth defects and "Therefore Beclometasone Dipropionate cream should not be used during pregnancy", and it lists pregnancy among its contraindications. Tata 1mg says safety in pregnancy "has not been established". The UK beclometasone label says there is inadequate evidence of safety in human pregnancy and "there may therefore be a very small risk" to the foetus. Do not use it in pregnancy unless a doctor who knows you are pregnant prescribes it.
• Breastfeeding: Glenmark says "The use of Beclometasone dipropionate cream is not recommended during breast feeding." Apollo Pharmacy says that if it is used on the breast, wash the area thoroughly before feeding.
• Psoriasis: Glenmark says treating psoriasis with beclometasone cream, or stopping it, "may provoke the pustular form of the disease", and the UK label says topical steroids "may be hazardous in psoriasis". This cream is not a psoriasis treatment.
• Poor circulation and leg ulcers: Glenmark lists varicose ulcers as a contraindication and advises "suitable precautions" in stasis dermatitis and other skin conditions with impaired circulation.
• Thin skin or a past skin reaction to steroids: Apollo Pharmacy says to talk to your doctor first if you have a history of skin thinning.
• Paraben allergy: Glenmark says the cream contains methylhydroxybenzoate, "which may cause allergic reactions (possibly delayed)".
• Other doctors: Glenmark says patients should tell later doctors that they have used a corticosteroid.

Side effects

Glenmark's prescribing information gives no frequencies. It lists these reactions:

Tata 1mg names tingling or pricking of the skin as the most common side effect. The UK beclometasone label adds blurred vision to the list. An allergy to the cream can look like the rash getting worse: if the treated skin becomes redder, itchier, blistered or weepy, stop and see a doctor.

When to stop and get help

• Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing, fainting or widespread hives: get urgent medical help. Glenmark lists allergic reactions with fainting, low blood pressure, breathlessness and hives for clotrimazole.
• Blurred vision or other changes in your eyesight: see a doctor promptly. The UK beclometasone label says to consider referral to an eye specialist to look for cataract, glaucoma or central serous chorioretinopathy.
• A rash that spreads, becomes more inflamed, oozes or forms pus while you use it: stop and see a doctor. Glenmark says "Any spread of infection requires withdrawal of topical corticosteroid therapy".
• A ring shaped, itchy rash that keeps coming back or covers more skin after you stop: see a doctor, and tell them you used a steroid cream. The IADVL consensus links steroid and antifungal creams to chronic and recurrent ringworm.
• Dizziness, weakness or fainting after long use on large areas, or after stopping a long course: get urgent medical help, and tell the staff what you used, how much and for how long (our advice). Glenmark says signs of steroid withdrawal may infrequently require steroids by mouth or injection.
• In a child using it: headaches, a bulging soft spot on a baby's head, or poor growth or weight gain. Glenmark lists these as signs of raised pressure in the head and of adrenal suppression in children on steroid creams. See a doctor straight away (our advice).

Who should not use Candid B Cream

Do not use it if any of these apply (Glenmark contraindications unless another source is named):

• Allergy to clotrimazole, beclometasone, other imidazole antifungals, other corticosteroids or any ingredient of the cream
• Viral skin infections such as cold sores (herpes simplex), chickenpox or vaccinia, and tuberculous skin lesions
• Bacterial skin infections such as impetigo, unless a doctor also treats the infection
• Rosacea, acne, perioral dermatitis (a rash around the mouth) and varicose ulcers
• Pregnancy (Glenmark lists it as a contraindication)
• In or near the eyes (Glenmark special precautions)
• Ringworm, jock itch or athlete's foot you are treating yourself (IADVL consensus; our advice)
• Children under 12, babies, and under a nappy, unless a doctor prescribes it (Glenmark says use under 12 is not recommended)

Talk to a doctor first if you are breastfeeding, have psoriasis, poor circulation or leg ulcers, thin skin, diabetes (Glenmark lists high blood sugar among the effects of absorbed steroid), or a weakened immune system. Keep it out of reach of children.

Prescription and legal status

Candid B is a prescription medicine in India (Truemeds and PharmEasy; Tata 1mg asks for a prescription), and Singapore's register lists it as a prescription only medicine (SIN03941P). We found no clotrimazole and beclometasone cream in FDA records, on the UK emc, in Health Canada's drug database or in a search of the TGA's register. Beclometasone skin cream is a prescription only medicine (POM) in the UK, Canada lists a beclometasone 0.025% product (Propaderm) as marketed, and in Australia beclometasone (except some nasal sprays) is Schedule 4, Prescription Only Medicine (Poisons Standard October 2026). The nearest US product, clotrimazole with betamethasone cream, is Rx only. This Indian pack is not registered with the FDA, the MHRA, the TGA or Health Canada, and in the US the FDA says personal importation of unapproved medicines is illegal in most circumstances. See a doctor before you start, and check the rules where you live.

Buying genuine Candid B

The MHRA warns: "Any medicine not authorised for sale in the UK can be unsafe or ineffective and there is no way of knowing what is in them or the negative health effects they can have." It advises UK buyers: "Only use UK-registered pharmacies, including online pharmacies displaying the official green cross logo". That warning covers Candid B, which is not authorised in the UK. When your order arrives, check that the carton and tube say Candid B (not plain Candid, which has no steroid), list beclometasone dipropionate 0.025% and clotrimazole 1%, name Glenmark, and show a batch number and an expiry date, and that the tube is sealed. These checks cannot prove a tube is genuine, because counterfeiters copy packaging. If a tube causes unusual symptoms, stop using it, seek medical advice, and report it to your medicines regulator (the MHRA Yellow Card scheme in the UK, FDA MedWatch in the US, the TGA in Australia or Health Canada) as well as to us. Store it below 25 °C (Truemeds; Apollo Pharmacy says 15 to 30 °C) and do not freeze it.

Delivery

We ship Candid B Cream to the US, UK, Australia and Canada in plain packaging with tracking. Standard delivery takes 7 to 14 business days to most countries. Shipping costs a flat $25 on orders under $149 and is free from $149. See our shipping page and refund policy.

Related guides

• Quadriderm RF: our page on a cream that adds the antibiotic neomycin to the same two ingredients
• Betnovate-S 20g: our page on another steroid cream, with the Indian data on steroid cream misuse
• Skin lightening creams compared: why steroid creams on the face cause harm

Sources

• Indian listings for Candid B Cream (composition, maker, tube sizes, prescription status, storage, directions, warnings): Tata 1mg, Truemeds, Apollo Pharmacy, PharmEasy and MediBuddy, checked 28 October 2026.
• Glenmark Pharmaceuticals. Clotrimazole and Beclometasone Dipropionate Cream (Candid-B) prescribing information for export markets: indications, posology, contraindications, special precautions, undesirable effects, interactions, pregnancy and lactation. Text as reproduced by Imatoku Medic (Cambodia), a third-party drug information site, checked 28 October 2026; we could not check it against a copy from Glenmark; the same product is on Zimbabwe's MCAZ register (2000/14.1.3/3817, 16 November 2000). No revision date shown.
• Singapore National Drug Formulary. Candid-B Cream, SIN03941P, prescription only medicine, last updated 9 October 2026.
• Beclometasone dipropionate 0.25 mg/g Cream SmPC, sections 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.6, 4.8 and 5.1. Chemidex Pharma Ltd, PL 17736/0127, text revised 16 October 2025. emc
• Lotriderm 0.05% w/w / 1.0% w/w Cream SmPC, sections 4.1 to 4.4. Organon Pharma (UK) Ltd, PL 00025/0568, text revised 29 November 2024. emc
• Canesten HC Cream SmPC, sections 4.2 and 4.4. Bayer plc, PL 00010/0643, text revised 18 June 2026. emc
• Clotrimazole and betamethasone dipropionate cream 1%/0.05% US prescribing information, sections 1, 2, 5.2, 8.4 and 14, and patient information. E. Fougera and Co., DailyMed setid 55db730a-df6d-4950-9c26-91b06bdcef36, version 15, 31 July 2026.
• Rengasamy M, et al. IADVL Task Force against Recalcitrant Tinea (ITART) consensus on the management of glabrous tinea (INTACT). Indian Dermatol Online J 2020;11(4):502 to 519. PMID 32832435.
• Shenoy MM, et al. A multicentric clinical and epidemiological study of chronic and recurrent dermatophytosis in India. Mycoses 2022. PMID 34378240.
• Verma S, et al. The great Indian epidemic of superficial dermatophytosis: an appraisal. Indian J Dermatol 2017. PMID 28584364.
• CDSCO. List of drugs prohibited for manufacture and sale through gazette notifications under section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, status as on 22 November 2021 (item 425, S.O. 4693(E), 7 September 2018). CDSCO lists of fixed dose combinations approved by DCG(I), 1961 to 2019 and 2020 to March 2025.
• FDA Drugs@FDA (openFDA): beclomethasone products (inhaled and nasal only) and clotrimazole with betamethasone products; UK emc searches for beclometasone with clotrimazole and for Lotriderm; Health Canada Drug Product Database (beclomethasone and clotrimazole ingredient searches; Propaderm DIN 02089602, marketed); TGA ARTG search; Therapeutic Goods (Poisons Standard October 2026) Instrument 2026, F2026L01327, beclometasone entry. Checked 24 to 28 October 2026.
• Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA. Glenmark receives ANDA approval for Clotrimazole and Betamethasone Dipropionate Cream USP, 1%/0.05%, press release, 9 November 2015.
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC), clotrimazole with betamethasone cream and clotrimazole 1% cream, per NDC, as of 28 October 2026. data.medicaid.gov
• NHS. Ringworm, page last reviewed 3 August 2023. Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, topical steroids (fingertip units); Long CC, Finlay AY. The finger-tip unit. Clin Exp Dermatol 1991. PMID 1806320.
• MHRA Drug Safety Update. Topical steroids: introduction of new labelling and a reminder of the possibility of severe side effects, including topical steroid withdrawal reactions, May 2024. GOV.UK.
• MHRA. 20 million illegal erectile dysfunction pills seized as MHRA warns against risky online buys, 13 February 2026. GOV.UK.
• US Food and Drug Administration. Personal Importation. FDA

This page is for information and is not medical advice. Candid B contains a steroid and is a prescription medicine in India; talk to a doctor before using it.