Twice the strength of the 10 mg Tretizen and the same ten-capsule strip: 20 mg of isotretinoin per soft gelatin capsule, from Zenlabs.
The active is a vitamin A derivative working directly on the sebaceous glands, cutting the sebum they produce and altering how the follicle lining sheds cells. Dermatologists turn to it for severe nodular acne that has not cleared with antibiotics or topical treatment. The capsules are oral, and absorption improves markedly when they are taken with a fatty meal, the molecule being strongly lipophilic. The stronger capsule exists so that a given daily amount can be covered with fewer capsules.
