Is antibiotic cream and antiseptic cream the same thing?
No, they are not the same thing, it has nothing to do with when you use one or the other, or if you need a prescription. The difference is that an antiseptic is damaging to most cells, for example hydrogen peroxide or alcohol will destroy bacterial cells, viruses, fungal cells and spores, and often are damaging to the human cells in an open wound (hence why alcohol stings when applied to a cut). Antibiotic creams on the other hand use a chemical that specifically damages bacterial cells, and depending on the one used, may only target specific types of bacteria. Antibiotic creams leave human cells, fungal cells and spores, and viruses more or less unaffected.
