Patient leaflet - Clobetasol Propionate 500 micrograms / g shampoo
1. What clobetasol propionate 500 micrograms/g shampoo is and what it is used for
Clobetasol propionate shampoo contains the active substance
called clobetasol propionate; it belongs to a group of
medicines called topical corticosteroids (or steroids). Topical
corticosteroids are further classified into groups depending on
their strength; clobetasol propionate is a very strong
corticosteroid.
« Topical » means that it should only be applied to the surface
of the skin. Topical steroids reduce the redness, itchiness and
inflammation associated with skin conditions.
Scalp psoriasis is caused by the skin cells of your scalp being
produced too quickly. clobetasol propionate shampoo is used
to treat scalp psoriasis of moderate intensity in adults.
Corticosteroid creams, ointments and other topical
preparations come in four different strengths. These are
known as mild, moderately potent, potent or very potent. Healthcare professionals will usually refer to topical corticosteroid potency rather than strength. A potent corticosteroid has a much stronger effect than a mild corticosteroid. The percentage of active ingredient that is sometimes included on product packaging does not indicate potency.
Clobetasol propionate is classed as a very potent corticosteroid.
Your healthcare professional will prescribe or advise a steroid of the appropriate potency for your condition.
2. What you need to know before you use clobetasol propionate 500 micrograms/g shampoo
Do not use clobetasol propionate 500 micrograms/g shampoo
- if you are allergic to clobetasol propionate or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
- If you have bacterial, viral, fungal or parasitic skin infections such as cold sores, varicella (chicken pox), herpes zoster (shingles), impetigo (type of rash on the face), ringworm, athletes foot, thrush, skin tuberculosis or skin disease caused by syphilis.
- If you have ulcerous wounds (weeping wounds) on your scalp.
- In children under two years old.
- Do not apply clobetasol propionate shampoo in the eyes or on eyelids (risk of glaucoma which is high pressure in the
Package leaflet : Information for the user
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start using this medicine because it contains important information for you.
- Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
- If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
- This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.
- If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
clobetasol propionate shampoo
500
Job Title: 1391_Notice_170x157mm Clobetasol UK_Creapharm Industry_St13
Size: 170 x 157 mm
Version No: 13
Date Created: 07/08/2025
Date last modified: 03/04/2026
Notes:
Country: UK
CMO :
Code Substipharm : P10014-01-B Reason of creation :
8p568a
B000645 - P10014-01-B 1
eye and risk of cataract which is a clouding of the lens in the eye).
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using clobetasol propionate 500 micrograms/g shampoo:
- If you experience newly developed bone pain or worsening of previous bone symptoms during a treatment with clobetasol propionate shampoo, especially if you have been using clobetasol propionate shampoo for a prolonged time or repeatedly.
- If you use other oral/topical medication containing corticosteroids or medications intended to control your immune system (e.g. for autoimmune disease or after a transplantation). Combining clobetasol propionate shampoo with these medicines may result in serious infections.
- When using clobetasol propionate shampoo, it must only be used on the scalp, do not use it as a regular shampoo or on other areas of the body and do not use clobetasol propionate shampoo as a shower gel, body wash or bath foam.
- When treating the scalp with clobetasol propionate shampoo you must not cover the area being treated, for example: a shower cap must not be used as it may make the active substance pass through the skin and affect the other parts of the body.
- When using clobetasol propionate shampoo, avoid contact with the face, eyelids, axillae (armpits), erosive skin (chapped skin) surface and genital regions. Rinse off immediately with water if any product runs from the scalp.
- If you get clobetasol propionate shampoo in your eye(s), wash the affected eye thoroughly with water. If any irritation persists, please seek advice from your doctor.
- If you do not notice an improvement of your scalp psoriasis, please see your doctor.
- If there is a worsening of your condition during use consult your prescriber – you may be experiencing an allergic reaction, have an infection or your condition requires a different treatment.
If you experience a recurrence of your condition shortly after stopping treatment, within 2 weeks, do not restart using the cream/ointment/shampoo without consulting your prescriber unless your prescriber has previously advised you to so. If your condition has resolved and on recurrence the redness extends beyond the initial treatment area and you experience a burning sensation, please seek medical advice
before restarting treatment.
- Contact your doctor if you experience blurred vision or other visual disturbances.
Children and adolescents
- If this product has been prescribed for a child or adolescent below 18 years of age, you must check with your doctor every week before continuing to use this product. Other medicines and clobetasol propionate 500 micrograms/g shampoo
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.
Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility
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 taking this medicine. Driving and using machines
Clobetasol propionate shampoo has no or very little influence on the ability to drive and use machines.
3. How to use clobetasol propionate 500 micrograms/g shampoo
Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. The usual daily dose per application is an amount equivalent to around a half tablespoon (around 7.5 ml) sufficient to cover the entire scalp.
Unless your doctor has instructed otherwise, wash your hands and apply clobetasol propionate shampoo directly to your dry scalp once daily taking care to well cover and massage the affected areas. Avoid using large amounts of clobetasol propionate shampoo, only use enough to cover your scalp when dry. Wash your hands carefully after application. Leave the product to work for 15 minutes without covering, and then add water, rinse and dry your hair as usual. Your regular shampoo can be used if more shampoo is required to wash your hair. Do not add more of clobetasol propionate shampoo to your hair.
Your doctor will tell you how long you need to use clobetasol propionate shampoo to control your scalp psoriasis. Treatment should not normally continue for more than 4 weeks. However, if your scalp psoriasis is significantly improved before the end of treatment, please see your doctor. On the contrary, if no improvement is seen by the end of the treatment, please tell your doctor. This treatment needs
B000645 - P10014-01-B 2
careful supervision; you should let your doctor review your progress at regular intervals. Do not use clobetasol propionate shampoo for longer than your doctor tells you.
Nonetheless, your doctor may ask you to use clobetasol propionate shampoo again in the future following a period of no use.
Use in children and adolescents
If this product has been prescribed for children or adolescents between the ages of 2 and 18 years, the instructions given by your doctor must be followed. You must check with the doctor every week before continuing treatment.
If you use more clobetasol propionate 500 micrograms/g shampoo than you should
If you have used clobetasol propionate shampoo for much longer than you should, please see your doctor. This product is for use on the scalp only. Do not swallow it. If you accidentally do so, small amounts are not harmful. If you are not sure, seek immediate medical advice.
If you forget to use clobetasol propionate 500 micrograms/g shampoo
If you forget to use clobetasol propionate shampoo, do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose. Go back to your regular schedule. If you miss several doses, tell your doctor.
If you stop using clobetasol propionate 500 micrograms/g shampoo
If you stop using clobetasol propionate shampoo, please see your doctor. It may be that worsening of the disease occurs when treatment with clobetasol propionate shampoo is stopped, especially if it has been used for a long time. Tell your doctor if you observe such a worsening of your scalp psoriasis conditions.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Clobetasol propionate shampoo may cause the following side effects:
Common side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):
- Skin burning sensation
Inflammation of one or more hair follicles
Uncommon side effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):
- Endocrine disorders (such as adrenal suppression, Cushing syndrome), have been observed with potent topical steroids, especially when applied on large surface areas or used for prolonged periods
- Eye stinging or burning
- Eye irritation
- Ocular tight sensation
- Glaucoma
- Hypersensitivity
- Headache
- Pain of skin
- Skin discomfort
- Itching
- Acne
- Skin oedema
- Telangiectasia (veins under the surface of your skin may becoming more noticeable)
- Psoriasis aggravation
- Hair loss
- Dryness of the skin
- Urticaria
- Skin atrophy (thinning of your skin)
- Skin irritation
- Skin tightness
- Allergic contact dermatitis
- Erythema
- Rash
Not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data)
- Blurred vision. Irritation, itching, urticaria, visible small vessels or thinning skin around the treated areas are generally of a mild to moderate nature.
- If you have any signs of local intolerance, such as a burning sensation or redness to the areas that have been treated, do not use clobetasol propionate shampoo until these symptoms have disappeared.
- Stop using the medicine and tell your doctor as soon as possible if you find your condition gets worse during treatment (this is more likely to happen if you have been using clobetasol propionate shampoo longer than prescribed) or if you experience swelling of the eyelids, face or lips as you may be allergic to the product or have a skin infection. B000645 - P10014-01-B 3
Using large amounts or keeping the product on the scalp for more than 15 minutes may:
o cause the skin to become thinner so that it can damage more easily,
o allow the active substance to pass through the skin; this can affect other parts of the body, especially in children, and during pregnancy.
- Repeated courses of topical steroids over a long time may also sometimes cause, pustular eruptions (big pimples) and changes in hair growth and skin colour. Striae (stretch marks) and purpura (bruising) may become noticeable.
- If you have rosacea (facial erythema associated with flushing of the skin, and possible papulopustules) the application of clobetasol propionate shampoo on the face may cause your skin condition to worsen.
- Application of clobetasol propionate shampoo on the face may induce perioral dermatitis (spotty red rash around the mouth).
- Application of clobetasol propionate shampoo to the skin may cause thinning of skin and therefore it should never be used on the face or on other areas of the skin than the scalp.
- In order to avoid interaction with hair colour dying product, such as hair colour changes, clobetasol propionate shampoo should be thoroughly rinsed.
- If you have any unusual discomfort that you do not understand, tell your doctor as soon as possible.
Steroid withdrawal reaction:
If used for prolonged periods a withdrawal reaction, which might appear to be different from the previous condition may occur in some patients during treatment or within days to weeks after stopping treatment with some or all of the following features: redness of the skin which can extend beyond the initial area treated, a burning or stinging sensation, intense itching, peeling of the skin, oozing open sores.
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme Website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information
on the safety of this medicine.
5. How to store clobetasol propionate 500 micrograms/g shampoo
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children. Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the bottle and the carton. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Store in the original plastic bottle in order to protect from light. Discard the bottle 4 weeks after first opening.
Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What clobetasol propionate 500 micrograms/g shampoo contains
The active substance is clobetasol propionate. Each gram of clobetasol propionate shampoo contains 500 micrograms of clobetasol propionate.
1 g of shampoo corresponds to 1 mL of shampoo.
- The other excipients are: Ethanol 96%, coco alkyl dimethyl betaine, sodium laureth sulfate, polyquaternium-10, sodium citrate, citric acid monohydrate, purified water. What clobetasol propionate 500 micrograms/g shampoo looks like and contents of the pack
This medicine is a colourless to slightly yellow viscous liquid shampoo clear to slightly cloudy in appearance. It is available on prescription from your doctor in HDPE (high density polyethylene) plastic bottles sealed by a polypropylene cap (125 ml bottles).
Marketing Authorisation Holder
Vygoris Limited
930 High Road, London, N12 9RT United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 1223 395301
Manufacturer
Creapharm Industry
29 Rue Léon Faucher
51100 Reims
France