Hi, I’m Irene, a Taiwan-born pharmacist licensed in Japan and working in a Japanese drugstore. Rinderon Vs has several similar packages, so I like to separate the choice into two questions: is this steroid medicine appropriate for the skin problem, and which form is practical for the affected area?
Start with the skin problem, then choose the form
All five products contain the same amount of betamethasone valerate: 1.2 mg per gram. Premium adds three other active ingredients. Its name does not mean a higher steroid concentration.
Once a pharmacist has confirmed that Rinderon Vs fits your symptoms:
- Ointment: an option when a more protective, moisture-retaining base is useful and you can accept a greasy feel.
- Cream: an option for a less greasy, easily spread texture on suitable dry areas. Avoid it on weeping or wounded skin.
- Lotion: easier to apply through hair, such as on a suitable scalp patch. It is also unsuitable for weeping or wounded areas, and has a specific hand-first application method.
- Standard or Premium: decide whether the additional ingredients suit the problem; do not choose by a “stronger is better” ladder.
Do not use any of these on chickenpox, fungal infections such as athlete’s foot or ringworm, pus-producing lesions, the eyes or the skin around them. Severe weeping or erosions need professional advice before use. Premium’s antiseptic ingredient does not remove these restrictions.
This guide covers five Japanese designated Category 2 OTC medicines. It does not cover prescription Rinderon-V, VG, DP or eye preparations.
Standard and Premium: the ingredient comparison
All five share the labelled uses of eczema, dermatitis, prickly heat, contact irritation, itching, chilblains, insect bites and hives, subject to the restrictions below.
| Active ingredient, amount per 1 g of medicine | Standard ointment, cream and lotion | Premium ointment and cream |
|---|---|---|
| Betamethasone valerate | 1.2 mg | 1.2 mg |
| Allantoin | Not included as an active | 2 mg |
| Tocopherol acetate | Not included as an active | 10 mg |
| Isopropyl methylphenol | Not included as an active | 1 mg |
Betamethasone valerate is the corticosteroid that reduces inflammation and itching. In Premium, the manufacturer describes allantoin as helping repair damaged skin tissue, tocopherol acetate as supporting blood flow and limiting the spread of inflammation, and isopropyl methylphenol as an antiseptic ingredient that helps prevent infection-related worsening.
Those added functions are not permission to apply Premium to an already pus-producing or fungal lesion. The Premium leaflets prohibit those uses too. A changed appearance or suspected infection calls for assessment, not simply a switch to the gold package.
Identify the five products on the shelf
Standard ointment: リンデロンVs軟膏
Look for 軟膏, the Japanese word for ointment, and the green accents. It comes in 5 g and 10 g tubes; the image shows 10 g. The standard ointment has liquid paraffin and white petrolatum as its listed inactive ingredients. Its oily base protects the skin and retains moisture, but feels greasier than the cream.
The maker describes ointment as usable across a wider range of skin moisture conditions. That does not override the restrictions on infection, severe weeping or other unsuitable sites.
Standard cream: リンデロンVsクリーム
Look for クリーム and orange accents. It comes in 5 g and 10 g tubes; the image shows 10 g. The water-and-oil cream spreads readily and feels less greasy. The maker advises against using it on wet, weeping lesions or wounded skin because it can be irritating there.
Standard lotion: リンデロンVsローション
Look for ローション, blue accents and the 10 g bottle. This is a white, milky medicinal lotion. It is useful when hair makes an ointment or cream awkward to apply, but a scalp symptom still needs to fit the medicine’s indications and exclusions. This is not a general scalp conditioner or a treatment for every cause of dandruff.
Shake the bottle well before use. Dispense onto a clean hand, then apply with a finger. The nozzle should not touch the affected skin. Do not apply the lotion to mucous membranes.
Premium ointment: リンデロンVsプレミアム軟膏
This 8 g product combines the Premium four-active formula with an ointment base. The package has gold styling and green accents. Its base also differs from the standard ointment, so someone with a known ingredient allergy should check the full leaflet rather than assuming only the three added actives have changed.
Premium cream: リンデロンVsプレミアムクリーム
This 8 g product uses the same active ingredients and concentrations as Premium ointment in a cream base. Look for gold styling, orange accents and クリーム. The practical reason to consider it is the cream texture; it does not have a higher steroid concentration than the ointment.
Check these restrictions before applying
Do not use if you have previously had an allergic reaction to the product or its ingredients. Do not apply to chickenpox, athlete’s foot/ringworm or similar fungal lesions, pus-producing areas, the eyes or surrounding skin. Do not use over a broad area of the face or continuously long term.
Consult a doctor, pharmacist or registered salesperson before use if you are receiving medical treatment, are pregnant or may be pregnant, have had an allergic reaction to a medicine or other substance, have a widespread affected area, or have severe weeping or erosions.
Children must be supervised. The maker’s age FAQ does not set a numerical minimum, but specifically says to consult before use on infants and young children because their skin absorbs medicine readily and the amount and duration need care. This is not an invitation to choose a baby’s steroid treatment unaided.
Face and eye area: the eyes and surrounding skin are excluded. The face must not be treated over a broad area. Ask a pharmacist before choosing this medicine for a facial patch rather than interpreting a small area as automatically suitable.
No airtight covering: do not cover the treated area with plastic wrap or another poorly breathable material. On a diaper-covered area, do not use a tight diaper or airtight plastic pants. Do not use the medicine as a makeup base or aftershave.
How to use it correctly
- Confirm the product, site and amount. The labelled direction for all five is an appropriate amount to the affected area once to several times daily. Read your package leaflet and have a pharmacist explain the amount if uncertain. For external use only; do not swallow.
- Use clean hands and clean skin. Gently place and spread ointment or cream over the affected area, without rubbing it in or spreading far beyond the patch.
- For lotion, shake and apply by hand. Shake well, take the medicine onto a clean hand, then use a finger to apply it. On the scalp, part the hair so the medicine reaches the skin rather than coating the hair. Do not put the bottle nozzle against the skin.
- Leave the area unsealed. Do not add plastic wrap or an airtight covering to try to increase the effect. Keep the medicine out of the eyes; if it enters an eye, rinse immediately with water or lukewarm water, and see an ophthalmologist if symptoms are severe.
- Check progress and stop when needed. Stop and consult if the condition worsens, a listed reaction appears, or there is no improvement after 5–6 days. Do not keep applying indefinitely after improvement. The maker also advises against continuing for a week or longer; seek advice if symptoms remain even though they are improving.
A useful amount guide, with a limitation
The maker’s general guide is about 0.5 g per application for an area approximately the size of two adult palms; adjust the amount to the actual affected area. For ointment and cream, a fingertip measure from an adult index fingertip to its first joint assumes a tube opening about 5 mm across, and the amount can vary with tube size. It is not a fixed dose for every tube, small patch or child. Ask the pharmacist to demonstrate with the product you are buying.
Reactions and storage
Stop immediately and consult with the leaflet if rash/redness or itching develops, or if the treated area develops ringworm/athlete’s-foot-type infection, acne, pus, persistent irritation or whitening. Large amounts or prolonged use can also cause thinning of the skin and visible dilation of skin blood vessels; facial skin needs particular care.
Keep the tube or bottle tightly closed in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight and children’s reach. Do not transfer it to another container, and do not use it after its expiry date.
Irene’s takeaway
Choose the appropriate treatment first, then the texture. Ointment, cream and lotion solve different application problems. Premium adds ingredients while keeping the same steroid concentration. The most useful things to remember are the infection and eye-area exclusions, the lotion’s hand-first method, and the 5–6-day stop-and-consult point if it is not helping.
Official sources
Product information checked on 14 October 2026. Follow the leaflet in the product you buy.
- Shionogi Healthcare: standard Rinderon Vs products
- Shionogi Healthcare: Premium ingredients and products
- Official comparison of ointment, cream and lotion
- Exact Japanese leaflets for all five products
- Premium ointment product information and its current linked leaflet
- Official application method and amount guidance
- Official age guidance
- Official explanation of long-term use
- Official advice when symptoms improve but remain
