Description
Aknemycin Plus is a solution applied to the skin that combines erythromycin, an antibiotic, with tretinoin, a retinoid. It is licensed for acne vulgaris, and the two ingredients work in different ways: the erythromycin reduces the bacteria involved in inflamed spots, and the tretinoin acts on the way skin cells are shed inside the pore so that blockages clear.
Apply it thinly to the whole affected area after washing and drying the skin, avoiding the eyes, lips, nostrils, and broken or sunburnt skin. Dryness, redness, peeling and stinging are common in the first weeks, and the skin can look worse before it improves. Tretinoin increases sensitivity to sunlight, so use sun protection and avoid sunlamps.
It must not be used in pregnancy or if you are trying to conceive. Antibiotic-containing treatment is prescribed for a limited period to reduce resistance, so a prescriber will review how long you use it.
- Erythromycin antibiotic with the retinoid tretinoin, applied to the skin
- Solution licensed for the treatment of acne vulgaris
- Apply thinly to the whole affected area, not to individual spots
- Dryness and peeling are common at first; skin may look worse before better
- Increases sensitivity to sunlight
- Must not be used in pregnancy or when trying to conceive
