Sudocrem ( ) is an

over-the-counter Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer without a requirement for a prescription from a healthcare professional, as opposed to prescription drugs, which may be supplied only to consumers possessing a valid pres ...

medicated cream aimed primarily at the treatment of

irritant diaper dermatitis Irritant diaper dermatitis (IDD, also called a diaper rash or nappy rash) is skin rash in the diaper (in British and Australian English "nappy") area, caused by various skin disorders and/or irritants. Generic irritant diaper dermatitis is charac ...

. It contains a water-repellent base (consisting of

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...

s/ waxes); protective and

moisturizer A moisturizer, or emollient, is a Cosmetics, cosmetic preparation used for protecting, moisturizing, and lubricating the Human skin, skin. These functions are normally performed by Sebaceous gland, sebum produced by healthy skin. The word "emollie ...

agents;

antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting pathogenic bacteria, bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the therapy ...

and

antifungal An antifungal medication, also known as an antimycotic medication, is a pharmaceutical fungicide or fungistatic used to treat and prevent mycosis such as athlete's foot, ringworm, candidiasis (thrush), serious systemic infections such as ...

agents; and a weak

anesthetic An anesthetic (American English) or anaesthetic (British English; see spelling differences) is a drug used to induce anesthesia ⁠— ⁠in other words, to result in a temporary loss of sensation or awareness. They may be divided into t ...

. As well as nappy rash, it can also be used to treat

eczema Dermatitis is a term used for different types of skin inflammation, typically characterized by itchiness, redness and a rash. In cases of short duration, there may be small blisters, while in long-term cases the skin may become thickened ...

, inverse psoriasis,

pressure ulcer Pressure ulcers, also known as pressure sores, bed sores or pressure injuries, are localised ulcer (dermatology), damage to the skin and/or underlying tissue that usually occur over a Bone, bony prominence as a result of usually long-term pres ...

s, minor burns, surface wounds,

sunburn Sunburn is a form of radiation burn that affects living tissue, such as skin, that results from an overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, usually from the Sun. Common symptoms in humans and other animals include red or reddish skin tha ...

and

chilblains Chilblains, also known as pernio, is a medical condition in which damage occurs to capillary beds in the skin, most often in the hands or feet, when blood perfuses into the nearby tissue, resulting in redness, itching, inflammation, and possibly ...

.New Link
(Archived and New Link added 14 May 2024) It was manufactured by pharmaceutical company Forest Laboratories Europe up until July 2014 when the company was acquired by, and combined with,

Actavis plc Actavis Generics (formerly known as Watson Pharmaceuticals and Actavis plc, prior to the acquisition of Irish-based Allergan, Inc.) is a global pharmaceutical company focused on acquiring, developing, manufacturing and marketing branded pharmaceu ...

. On 17 March 2015, Actavis completed the acquisition of Allergan, creating a $23 billion diversified global pharmaceutical company. In

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, the product is sold under the brand "Dermocrem". The

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

was the first country Sudocrem was sold in outside Ireland and the UK.

History

Sudocrem was developed in 1931 by

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

-based pharmacist Thomas Smith. It was originally called "Smith's Cream", later "Soothing Cream". The name changed to Sudocrem in 1950 due to the Dublin accent pronunciation of soothing cream. During the 1960s, samples of Sudocrem that were given to new mothers in Ireland increased the popularity of the product and the brand was gradually introduced to the UK in the 1970s. Its makers claim it to be the leading nappy rash cream in both

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. Sudocrem was manufactured in Dublin, in the suburb of

Baldoyle Baldoyle () is a coastal suburb of Dublin, Ireland, it was developed from a former fishing village. Baldoyle is also a civil parish in the barony of Coolock within the traditional County Dublin. Location and access Baldoyle is located northe ...

but is now manufactured in Bulgaria. A 2012 ''

Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray backgrou ...

'' article said: "Sudocrem is the spuds and bacon of skincare creams, the

Guinness Guinness () is a stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at Guinness Brewery, St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in the 18th century. It is now owned by the British-based Multinational corporation, multinational alcoholic bever ...

of gentle nappy rash reliefs and the Tayto of topical ointments," following reports in both Irish and UK media celebrities were using the product to treat acne. There are now three Sudocrem branded products available in the UK: the original antiseptic healing cream, ''Sudocrem Care and Protect'' which is a nappy rash preventative and ''Sudocrem Skin Care Cream'' which is an everyday acne cream aimed at the youth market. Sudocrem's parent company Teva announced in May 2021 that is planning to close the Baldoyle plant and move production to Acatvis' Bulgarian plant in

Troyan Troyan ( ) is a town remembering the name of Roman Emperor Trajan, in Lovech Province in central Bulgaria . It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Troyan Municipality. The town is about away from the country capital Sofia. The river ...

in 2023. Teva said that reason for the closure was due to the growing international popularity of the cream, and the inability to make the site of the Baldoyle factory bigger to cope with the rising demand.

Ingredients

''Sources:

References

{{Reflist Irish brands Irish inventions Ointments Israeli brands

History

Ingredients

See also

References