Chlorhexidine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Chlorhexidine is a medicine sold in the U.S. under 10 brand and generic names, for oral candidiasis, periodontal diseases and infectious skin diseases. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Treats (across its forms)
- Oral Candidiasis, Periodontal Diseases and Infectious Skin Diseases
- Available as
- Liquid · Solution · Rinse · Cloth · Topical · Sponge · Tablet
- Sold as
- 10 products — Chg Scrub, Chlorhexidine Gluconate and Cida-Stat, and others
- Prescription?
- Both Rx and OTC forms
- Generic available?
- Yes
How Chg Scrub is dosed
From the FDA label for Chg Scrub (application NDA019258). Other chlorhexidine products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Directions use with care in premature infants or infants under 2 months of age. These products may cause irritation or chemical burns. Surgical hand scrub: wet hands and forearms with water scrub for 3 minutes with 4 full pumps (about 5 mL) of product and a wet brush paying close attention to the nails, cuticles, and interdigital spaces a separate nail cleaner may be used rinse thoroughly with water wash for an additional 3 minutes with 5 mL of the product and rinse under running water dry thoroughly Healthcare personnel handwash: wet hands with water dispense 4 full pumps (about 5 mL) of product into cupped hands and wash in a vigorous manner for 30 seconds rinse and dry thoroughly Skin wound and general skin cleanser: thoroughly rinse the area to be cleansed with water apply the minimum amount of product necessary to cover the skin or wound area and wash gently rinse again thoroughly
Every chlorhexidine product we track (10)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70/100 | Over-the-counter | Liquid | No data | — | View → | |
| 2 | 70/100 | Over-the-counter | Rinse | No data | — | View → | |
| 3 | 70/100 | Over-the-counter | Liquid | No data | — | View → | |
| 4 | 70/100 | Prescription | Sponge | No data | — | View → | |
| 5 | 66/100 | Over-the-counter | Cloth | No data | — | View → | |
| 6 | Not yet rated | Over-the-counter | Sponge | No data | — | View → | |
| 7 | Not yet rated | Over-the-counter | Liquid | No data | — | View → | |
| 8 | Not yet rated | Over-the-counter | Solution | No data | — | View → | |
| 9 | Not yet rated | Over-the-counter | Solution | No data | — | View → | |
| 10 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Tablet | No data | — | View → |
Combination products containing chlorhexidine
A combination is a different drug — different dosing, different warnings. It is listed here so you can find it, not so you can substitute it.
Chlorhexidine recalls
From the FDA Enforcement database. A recall covers specific lots — not the drug as a whole.
How long chlorhexidine keeps
No chlorhexidine label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Does chlorhexidine expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsChlorhexidine and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for chlorhexidine: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadChlorhexidine has been used vaginally or topically on the abdomen or perineum prior to delivery to prevent infection. No toxicity has been reported in breastfed infants and it has clearly less toxicity compared to povidone-iodine in these situations. Topical application of chlorhexidine to the breast before and after nursing did not appear to adversely affect the breastfed infants in one study. Use of chlorhexidine oral rinse by a nursing mother is unlikely to adversely affect her infant.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised August 15, 2024. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is Chg Scrub?
Uses surgical hand scrub: significantly reduces the number of microorganisms on the hands and forearms prior to surgery or patient care healthcare personnel handwash: helps reduce bacteria that potentially can cause disease skin wound and general skin cleansing
Can you take chlorhexidine with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run chlorhexidine against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is chlorhexidine sold under?
We track 10 chlorhexidine-containing products in the U.S.: Chg Scrub, Chlorhexidine Gluconate, Cida-Stat, Pharmaseal Scrub Care, Readyprep Chg, Bioscrub, Dyna-Hex 2 and Hibiclens, and 2 more. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does chlorhexidine come in?
Across the brands we track, chlorhexidine is currently marketed as liquid, solution, rinse, cloth, topical, sponge and tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic chlorhexidine?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic chlorhexidine product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Has chlorhexidine been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement database lists 1 recall record whose product description mentions chlorhexidine. The most recent: BD ChloraPrep" Triple Swabsticks (Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) (Dec 17, 2025). A recall applies to specific lots, not to the drug as a whole — check the record for the affected lot numbers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Chlorhexidine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/chlorhexidine
- MLA
- “Chlorhexidine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/chlorhexidine.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for chlorhexidine on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.