Isotrex : Topical Isotretinoin Gel (0.05%)

I have dealt with acne for years and it was under control for about two years with Epiduo until it stopped working. After researching Isotrex I went to my GP and they prescribed it. I found that whilst it stopped the cystic acne on my chin and cheeks it made me breakout in whiteheads which I don't usually get. Every day I found at least two or theee new ones which became equally frustrating. Plus my skin became so dry in certain patches that it would peel under my makeup and sting if I applied moisturiser. Once applied, it left a sticky and visible film over my skin once it had dried (even with a small amount) so it's definitely only something you could use at night as it's starts peeling off and looks gross! After 11 weeks I decided to switch to something else

I've suffered from acne since 14 and I've suffered with my skin really badly. Never in 15 years have been a day without a zit, pimple of redness on my face until I came across two medications. ISOTREX has worked wonders for me. I wish I had known about this back then, maybe I could been scar free. Isotrex in conjunction with doxycycline cleared the acne on my face within two weeks. It's simply amazing.

Ok i've never written a review before but feel i need to now after discovering this....im 30 years old and have adult cystic acne ever since i was 24 and on the pill....i have tried EVERY topical, antibiotic bla bla bla - the usual acne forum comments that every poor sufferer has had to endure....i resigned myself to the fact that i was going to have to wait till i was in my 40s and "grow out of this!" My dermatologist prescribed me ruaccuatane for 4 months before i had to come off it, my hair was falling out in clumps and was making me so stressed worrying about being bald as well as spotty! (the lesser of two evils?!) Anyway - after feeling like i was losing the battle against acne again i went back to a dermatologist 3 years later and asked them for ISOTREX after reading about it on the internet....initially my skin broke out on my chin but much much smaller spots...more like pimples than bad cysts....within 2 weeks i started noticing how my skin looked "normal" i had a few pitted and red scar left but the spots and pimples were shrinking I've been on this 6 weeks now and have NO spots (just scars) but with make up on you cant see the red scars just a few small pits. The red scars are fading as they do with time, but its so nice knowing that once these have faded they have gone!! Rather than thinking, "yeah great the red scar is fading but no sooner than its gone there will be a new one to replace it!" I had to wear factor 50 sun-cream on holiday last week as it does thin your skin so take care when in the sun with this....but i actually braved going make up free for the first time in 7 years!! I feel liberated! Its so nice to feel normal again - like yeah my skin isn't perfect as its scarred,...but its not covered in huge lesions anymore and i actually feel like i can blend into society again a bit more rather than feeling like i'm walking around with spots that shout at people to get their attention!! My dermatologist also prescribed me 'Spironalactone' as well to take at same time - i only started this last week so cant comment on this but its a double protection method really - spiro helps to reduce androgen and sebum production so its probably going to end up assisting the isotrexin but i can totally put all the gratitude to clearing my skin up, on Isotrexin only!!! Please guys if you've tried everything and have given up hope....especially if you are a 30 something female and fed up with feeling like you have the face of an 18 year old (and not the youngness of an 18 year old lol) PLEASE TRY IT!!!!

Hi there. I had reasonably severe acne since my early teens due to really, really oily skin. I tried the usual to get around it: tried every prescription gel and tablets from the doctor but eventually ended up on Roaccutane, which worked but caused some quite severe side effects. As loads of people who've used it say, about 2 years later my oil started returning (queue a multitude of panic attacks), but you couldn't pay me to go back on Roaccutane. Isotrex gel is now available, which is basically the same active ingredient (isotretnoin), but as a topical gel instead of a pill, so it doesn't ruin your insides. At first it might sting, and may make your face red. However it is well worth persevering. Whatever you do, don't put it straight onto your face without cream on first! I made the mistake of doing this initially and basically gave myself chemical burns. Cleanse your face morning and evening, apply a THIN layer of THICK cream (I use sudocream - this reduces redness very quickly), and THEN apply Isotrex - a very thin layer. If you put too much on, you will see little bits of it peeling off, so really it's not good under makeup. It takes about 2 months for real results, but by that time my entire face was smooth. It took a few months longer for the marks from previous acne to go down, but now I only get the occasional small pimple, avoiding the fear of waking up to an entire faceful of whiteheads each morning. It won't fix scars, just treats active acne. I think it's a 'forever' product, so if you stop using it your acne will eventually come back. On the other hand, it's still the most effective treatment out there apart from Roaccutane, which many people choose not to use because of some really quite scary side effects. I would say definitely give it a try for at least 3 months, just be careful to avoid putting it straight onto your face! p.s - don't put the tube too near to your nose either - it smells like straight vodka

I have been using it for a while and it defiantly has helped my skin, it is do have some clear patches but also times where spots will appear. My only issue is that I don't moisturise as I haven't really found one that doesn't irritate my skin, however I'm need to start as my skin has really started to dry out, I'm just not sure when I should use it. I apply the gel once every night, so should I moisturise before I put the gel on? If anyone has any advice it would be appreciated

This stuff is the holy grail of acne treatment! I started this treatment on the 18th of August this year, and now, my skin is almost clear! The only thing that's bad about this is the 'Initial breakout', which is the product and the treatment bringing all the yuch to the surface of your skin. I had it extremely bad around my chin with many whiteheads, now, i literally have one that's on lip. The dryness is also a pain, but with a good moisturizer it's manageable. There's also some burning when you first start but that will stop around a week to two weeks into the treatment. You must persevere with this gel, even if it looks really bad and sore, you must keep using it or you will just be stuck with horrible skin. Also, start small with this, like using it 3 times a week and not everyday, gradually build it up until you use a pea size amount for your whole face a night. It's an amazing treatment and I would recommend it to everyone with moderate acne.