10 Best Fungal Creams 2024 in the United States

In the spring and summer months, you’ll probably spend more time enjoying the warm weather. But, if you sweat a lot, you may start to develop a fungal infection. There are many types of fungi that proliferate in a warm, moist environment. And if you wear tight clothing or closed shoes, that can make you vulnerable to a fungus infection. It’s no fun dealing with red, itchy patches of skin that can make it difficult to function properly. Fortunately, there are over-the-counter fungal creams that can solve the problem of fungus infections.

We’ll go over the list of the MSN best antifungal creams. As opposed to taking medication by mouth, fungal creams and lotions can usually be used without fear of any side effects. We’ll look at which fungal creams would be most effective for the type of infection that you have. A simple antifungal cream might be all that you need to get relief!

What Types of Fungal Creams Are There?

We can divide fungal creams by their active ingredients. Depending on the active ingredient, a fungal cream will be intended for athlete’s foot, ringworm, jock itch, heat rash, or yeast infections. There are also certain active ingredients that are good for a wide range of fungal conditions.

• For dermatophytes: The condition “ringworm” isn’t actually caused by a “worm”, but by a fungus called a “dermatophyte” (= a “skin-eating” fungus that digests the keratin in skin, hair, nails, and more). Ringworm is actually a general term for fungus--caused afflictions. Different types of ringworm have different names, depending on where they appear in the body:

  • - Athlete’s foot: This is a name for a fungal infection on the soles of the feet or between the toes. The active ingredient for athlete’s foot cream is usually terbinafine or miconazole. One product is McKesson 2% Miconazole Nitrate Cream.

McKesson 2% Miconazole Nitrate Cream

• • - Jock itch: This is a fungal infection in the groin and buttocks. The treatment for this will usually include clotrimazole, such as in Family Care Clotrimazole Anti-Fungal Cream.

Family Care Clotrimazole Anti-Fungal Cream

• • - On the scalp or beard: A fungal infection in the scalp or beard can start out as itchy dandruff, but eventually cause temporary hair loss if left untreated. Active ingredients such as terbinafine, fluconazole, and griseofulvin are effective in these cases.

  • - On the nails: A fungal infection on the nails causes the nails to thicken, discolor, and become brittle. Treatments for nail fungus can take as long as 12 months to see results. There are also treatments to soften the nails and remove the infected part. Kerasal Fungal Nail Renewal Cream is recommended for nail fungus.

Kerasal Fungal Nail Renewal Cream

• For yeast infections: There are also fungal creams to treat yeast infections. These include candida, which causes thrush, and Malassezia yeasts, which cause dandruff. There are antifungal shampoos with ingredients such as ketoconazole and tea tree oil that are effective.

We can also divide up the types of creams into whether they’re fungicides, steroidal, or natural:

• Fungicide only: These will be effective at killing the fungus. But you might have to suffer through the symptoms for a while until the treatment kicks in. One of the fastest-working treatments for athlete’s foot fungus is Lamisil, which uses terbinafine as the active ingredient. It can provide relief within 7 days!

Lamisil Antifungal Cream

• Fungicide with steroids: Although fungicide will eventually kill the fungus, that may take several weeks of treatment. In cases where the patient suffers from severe itching and even inflammation, there are also fungicide products that include corticosteroids. The corticosteroids will reduce the itching and swelling in the course of a few days. You must continue to take the product in order to eliminate the fungus. Steroids that you apply topically (= just to your skin) are usually safe, although you should avoid applying them in the genital area. An example is Lotrimin AF Athlete’s Foot Antifungal Cream for athlete’s foot.

Lotrimin AF Athlete’s Foot Antifungal Cream

• Natural ingredients: You’ll find a number of products that use all-natural ingredients that have shown some success in stopping the growth of fungus. One popular ingredient is tea tree oil, and it’s the main ingredient in V20 Vite 20 Antifungal Cream. It also contains soothing and fragrant lavender oil. It’s considered effective for nail fungus, athlete’s foot, and ringworm.

V20 Vite 20 Antifungal Cream

What Are Some Features of the Best Fungal Creams?

• Fungal creams with steroids: If there is inflammation, you may need a fungal cream that includes a corticosteroid. Apply the steroid cream for no more than 7 days, and continue with just the antifungal cream. The steroid cream will not treat the fungus, only inflammation, itch, and redness. But, after seven days of using a steroidal antifungal cream, you’ll have to switch to purely antifungal cream. Steroid creams can make athlete’s foot and other fungal infections worse because they’ll weaken the body’s immune system and allow the fungus to penetrate deeper into the skin!

• Scented creams: Fungus usually will emit a foul odor, especially athlete’s foot fungus. Also, the chemicals in the cream themselves have a medicinal smell. You may want to try masking these smells with a scented fungal cream. One example is the Baza Antifungal Skin Protectant, which uses the antifungal ingredient miconazole.

Baza Antifungal Skin Protectant

• Water-resistant creams: You’ll notice that fungal infections are the most common in parts of the body where you sweat heavily. Warm, moist parts of the body are unfortunately favorable for fungal growth. As a result, you may find that many antifungal creams may dissolve due to heavy perspiration. Also, the cream may wash off if you’re involved in water sports. There are water-resistant antifungal creams and ointments, such as Triple Paste AF Antifungal Ointment. It’s recommended for jock itch since the groin area is where people tend to sweat heavily.

Triple Paste AF Antifungal Ointment

What are Some Tips for Applying a Fungal Cream?

• Amount of time to apply the cream: It’s recommended to apply the cream as long as the directions suggest, even if you notice an improvement. Note that certain conditions take longer to treat than others. If you stop in the middle, you risk making the fungus resistant to that particular medication. If your fungus comes back, you’ll have to look for a stronger, more concentrated product next time.

• Fungus spreads easily: Doctors recommend using separate towels, and changing clothing regularly if you’re afflicted with any sort of fungal infection. Also, if left untreated, the fungal infection can spread from one part of your body to another. For example, if you don’t treat athlete’s foot, it can eventually spread by accident to the groin in the form of jock itch!

• Difference between cream, lotion, and ointment: You’ll see antifungal products in the forms of creams, lotions, and ointments. A lotion will typically have a higher water content and will flow more easily. Ointments, on the other hand, will be more oily. Ointments with antifungal ingredients will be able to withstand heavy perspiration.

Wrap Up

We’ve looked over the main features of the best antifungal creams on the market. You have to make sure that the type of cream that you buy is the best for your particular fungal infection. Check out the items in the MSN list of the best fungal creams, as well as other OTC pharmaceutical products among the MSN buying guides. You’re sure to find an effective treatment!