The Doctor Brand is a new range of affordable products created by a specialised panel of doctors, that feature high performance active ingredients whilst being available without prescription. They are free from Parabens, Sulfates and Benzoyl Peroxide, and their clinical study results report that 97% of users who followed the 3-step regime for two weeks had a reduction in blemishes. They also experienced softer skin, less redness, fewer noticeable pores and more confidence in the overall appearance of their skin.
I gave the Doctor Brand Blemish Relief Starter Kit to a 19 year old friend of mine to trial. The kit contains the Purifying Cleanser, Pore Clearing Gel and Oil Free soothing Lotion. All 3 products contain the highest amount of salicylic acid permitted in a non-prescription product, which is proven to be highly effective in prenetrating pores to clear up blemishes. I regularly use products containing salicylic acid and personally find them to be very effective.
Freya suffers mildly with hormonal teenage breakouts on the cheek and chin area, so was quite excited about using a regime of products specifically targeting this problem. However, after a week’s use Freya reported that her skin was looking quite red and inflamed and felt very itchy and dry. Despite this, she decided to carry on using the products, thinking that things might have to get a bit worse before they got better, but a few more days of use actually left her skin red raw and feeling almost burned in patches, the chin area being one of them. I was away in Miami but received a fairly distressed message from Freya outlining the problems and of course I advised her to stop using the products immediately.
Now it could simply be that Freya’s skin is just too sensitive for a range like this containing relatively potent active ingredients, but I was a little alrmed to hear of her results (not to mention feeling quite guilty for causing her distress). The Pore Clearing Gel contains Salycylic and Glycolic Acids, and Hydrogen Peroxide to kill the bacteria that causes breakouts, and it’s likely to be this that provoked such an extreme reaction in Freya’s skin. I would love to hear if any of my readers have tried these products and what the results were, so please do comment if you can.
The range is available from Boots for £19.95
{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }
I BOUGHT 2 SETS OF THE DOCTOR’S BRAND FROM BOOTS, AND I’M IN MY 3RD WEEK OF USING IT BUT HAVE NOT SEEN ANY EFFECT. FROM THE ADVERT IN THE METRO NEWSPAPER I SAW IT, IT SAYS RESULT AFTER 2WEEKS OR REFUND. PLEASE ADVICE BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO RETURN THE OTHER UNOPENED PACK.
THANKS
Well if the product packaging says you can return it after 2 weeks, I suggest you contact their customer service department to arrange it.
My daughter is 16 years old and after using this product for a week has red aggravation & raised spots/rash in mouth, chin, cheek area. Is this a normal reaction where the produce is ridding impurities from the skin, or should using the product be stopped as it is aggravating the situation.
Hi Jane, this can sometimes be a reaction as the skin adjusts to the product, however I’m going to email you query to Doctor Brand to get advice from them directly and will get back to you.
I also had a bad reaction to this product after using it once. It didnt show any problems until the morning after, I woke up with red raw patches under my eyes and chin. Within the course of the day it caused swelling under my eyes which was very painful. It looks like it has burnt my skin. From the packaging it looked very safe and kind for skin. As well as being in pain, i am very disappointed with the product as for £20 i expected a very good quality product.
I purchased this product 2 days ago and have used it on three occasions.
I am 44 years old and have suffered with acne skin problems all my life and have recently had a bad flare up. This product has made a marked improvement in only three treatments. i do not seem to have any reddness or peeling, just the spots have markedly reduced, my teenage daughter has commented on the improvement! I intend to continue using the product until the condition clears, also i may try a patch test on my daughters skin to see if it suits her also. thankyou Docotr Brand you have made a spotty older lady very happy!
I also bought this complete rubbish… I have acne scarring from when i was younger, i am 19 years old and i am really self-concious about my skin and therefore wear quite a lot of make-up. however as the summer is here i was eager to find a product that could help clear my skin and prevent spots and even the redness. so when i went into boots and seen this product as verified by ‘doctors’ i thought it looked perfect however after using it for just 2 days the side effects began. I have now stopped using it 2 days ago!!! and i am sittin now completely swollen, red raw, itchy, sore and tight and can not leave the house, all i can say is do not buy this product i am so relieved to hear that i am not alone in this i dont know what to take or what i should do 2 heal it because cool facecloths water and non-alcohol moisturisers are not working. oh and i also have blisters on my chin from the product which are itchy and extremely uncomfortable
please help what can i do to take the swelling itchyness and soreness away? and for £20 is there any way i can get my money back….. so angry and frustrated
Hi Shauna
Sorry to hear you’ve also had problems with this product. Unfortunately I’m not a qualified dermatologist so I suggest you make an appointment with your doctor if you are worried about your skin’s reaction. Also I suggest you write or call Doctor Brand customer service and advise them of your problems, you will be able to request a refund.
I hope it clears up quickly for you.
Aly
From all the reviews i’ve seen on the internet, it seems the majority of young people (teens to early twenties) seem to get a negative effect from this product and the older people get brilliant results… I was considering buying this, but as I’m 20 and still have soft, young skin, I’m going to give it a miss. Not risking the possibilities I have seen in several reviews from young people now! :O
had been using clinique blemish products for some time but found the pimples and blemishes never quite got under control although they didnt get any worse. so was relieved when i saw an ad for the Dr brand which claimed to have better effects than clinique, after only using the product once woke up with the worst outbreak i have had to date my forehead nose and chin were worst hit and my eyes were swollen. still have the outbreak 4 days later which has left my skin very tender and sore more so around the chin area. needless to say i have reverted back to the clinique products i normally use..so disappointed..such a waste of money.!
(
I am confused – I am 24, have been using this product for about 6-8 weeks and noticed a remarkable improvement in my skin, the only problems I did have was when, due to a busy schedule I was only doing the 3 steps once a day instead of twice – it seems i need continuous use of the 3 products to have the desired effect.
I have had spots since age 11 – nothing has ever worked, this product really has made a difference, I actually found the starter pack in tkmaxx at a reduced price and decided to give it a go. I am wondering how long ago the people that had problems and reactions brought the product?? perhaps the manufacturers have toned the products down slightly as the side effects sound quite severe, considering its a skin treatment.
Just want to let everyone know not to use this product I’ve had a very bad reaction to it!!! My skin feels like it’s on fire and it’s very red!! I’ve never had a problem like this before or such a reaction to a product!! I’m very annoyed as it doesn’t say on the box that the reaction could be this bad!! I’ve email them duno if I’ll get my money back but what a waste I’m never using this doctor brand again!!!!!
Never ever buy this product!! I used this product ONCE and woke up the next morning with a severely swollen and sore face. I had to call an ambulance because the reaction I had to this product was so bad. The paramedics told me that ‘doctor brand’ contains ‘hydro peroxide’ which is basically bleach and is also used in hair dye!! It has now been 4 days since I woke up with this terrible reaction and it has not yet cleared up! It has completely burnt a layer of my face off, I look very ugly and I am in a lot of pain. I cannot stress enough never EVER buy this product!!!!!
I tried this from boots three days ago and had to stop due to my skin feeling burn, raw and itchy. I have a hive appearance all over my face and i have prom in three days! Looks like i am spending tomorrow with a vaseline mask on.
myself and my mum have bothed used this product and have had no reactions to it at all. when i first started using it i found it dried my skin out a bit so i only applied step two once a day and the others twice a day i think it is really good and my skin is so much clearer now. would never use anything other than this again. as for the ages of people i am 22 and my mum is 50 and both usually have very sensitive skin, but not with this product!
I used this product on my face for the first time on Monday, the following night i was admitted to A & E with a bumpy red itchy rash on face with blisters and my eyes were swollen. I can only put it down to this product as i have never used it before. I contacted The Doctor Brand and was asked to e-mail them and they will e-mail me with a list of ingredients in which i will go to the doctors with for testing. Please be careful with this product as i only used it once and the effects was unbelievable.
After the first (and only) application my face is swollen, and has like a sand-paper feel rash going from my neck, right up to my eyes and temples. My face has been itchy, tight, warm, and had a burning feeling. Got an emergency appointment with GP and have been prescribed antihistimines and topical antibiotics. I ‘d advise everyone to do an allergy test on the product before you even attempt putting it on your face. (And for £20, an expensive way to make me feel way more self concious over my face than I already did with my acne). Not one mention on the box to do an allergy test, and with the same ingredient as most blonde hairdyes and lighteners (which all have a patch test advisory on the box), I think this is shocking. I found it extremely caustic and in such pain!!
I have suffered spots also since 11 years old. I have been to the GP and tried everything under the sun (except the injections)! Dr Brand has worked well for me so far and I have only been using it for 3 days.
I think like Lyndsay, if you suffer from spots and try a new product you may need to alter the applications to suit your skin.
But with any product you buy, users must always do their research!
If some peoples spots are so severe, research what options are available. Go to your GP. I notice a lot of women in their early & late teens are on here. There are contraceptive pills available (Dianette) and for those not wishing to have a baby any time soon, injections (although not enough research for me to go for that).
Also check what active ingrediants help prevent spots and check ingrediants used to speed up the process e.g Hydrogen Peroxide & Benzoyl Peroxide.
And remember, there is no quick cure and your skin, especially your face is the most exposed to the elements and to everyone else. Take care, go to boots right down products in certain spot treatments, come home then research them. Then, and only when you feel satisfied go and trial them (and if your really on the ball, contact the companies, explain your skin type and ask them for advice and if they say go for it, check you can get a refund if you have a reaction).
And remember, there is no cure for spots, only prevention and no cream is going to be 100% effective.
i used this on saturday, hoping that it would clear up my teenage spots. It felt fine when i first put it on, but when i woke up i had very dry, itchy and sore skin. it is causing me a lot of pain and discomfort, i am very unhappy, and i looked on the boots website and they are still selling it on there!
im debating buying the starter kit to give it a try. ive had spots since i was 11 and im now 21, i had a 6 month course of roaccutane from the dermatologist 2 years ago, but the effects are starting to wear off.
in all honesty most of the acne treatments which are effective generally cause redness, dryness and a bit of discomfort because they work by attempting to ‘mature’ your skin, and speed up the process of a new layer of skin being brought to the surface.
short of paying another £1000 for a course of roaccutane (which gave me excema, rashes, i had to peel a layer of skin off my lips every morning and the sides of my mouth were constantly split open for 6 months, and i had a severe immune reaction after 2 weeks giving me swollen glands!) or going on retinoids again (this is also makes most peoples skin dry, itchy and peely, but with the added irritation of having to stay out of sunlight) i think this kit might actually be worth it.
what im trying to say is, despite having not tried this product, the side effects although unpleasant sound very much like the severe acne treatments doctors prescribe, so it might be worth sticking with it and temporarily altering the rest of your cosmetic regimen to include moisturisers such as e45, oilatum or simple derma and sensitive oil and perfume free foundations and just suck it up, because they really do work.
I bought this product yesterday, im 13 and i suffer mild acne ive only used it once and theres already a big improvement.
That’s good Alyssa, keep me updated on how you get on with it.
I bought the 3 step plan blemish relief, having never heard of Doctor Brand before. I am 25, and have recently been breaking out in adult acne on my jaw line and neck. This is my 3rd day of using the product and I have noticed that spots which were coming to the surface and painful, have reduced and do not seem like they will fully appear. Under my chin/neck is worst for breakouts and i havent had any spots appear over the past few days (which is unusual for me, but good). I have noticed that my skin looks shiney and tight, and certain areas are itchy. When I wash my face, my skin feels scaley or rough (but you cant tell by looking at it). I have been moisturising a lot more as I had noticed wrinkles and deeper lines appearing on my face. Hopefully once Iv got the balance of moisturiser and my skin settles down, the lines and itching will go away.
I have decided to continue with the treatment as it has improved my spots, but I am only using it on the worst affected areas due to the itching and dryness.
I suppose you have to decide if your spots bother you more than having dry or itchy skin.
Hi everyone, I started using this regime a week ago, as for the last few weeks my chin has broke out. I am 21, and a few weeks ago I started to break out, and they just didn’t go, I tried different products icludibg freederm acne gel..but nothing worked. So I spotted this in boots..thinking with it being a doctor brand that it would be great.. I think it has irritated my skin more than anything, and all the skin on my chin is flaking really bad. I don’t know whether to carry on using it and see if it improves, but I’m scared it will get worse owns my confidence is dropping as
I’ve not always had spots so its really knocked my confidence it seems there are more bad reviews on this product than good and I don’t feel very optimistic about it myself. I think it may be good for certain types of skin, but I have very sensitive skin. If anyone can advise a product that’s worked for them? Thanks
I still get inflamed ones too, all this product seems to have don’t is dry out my skin, but maybe I will give it another week..
I have dry, sensitive, blemish prone skin. I’m in my late 20′s with severe environmental allergies and mild acne. I cannot use Benzoyl Peroxide as it’s too irritating and actually makes my skin swell. Retinol, AHA and BHA are the only OTC products I can use without breaking out. Now, I ONLY USE the Lady Soma Renewal Serum!! Its not hard on my skin and I’ve noticed my acne clearing since I’ve started using it.
In the morning, I can see my blemishes have healed some compared to the night before when using this Lady Soma Serum. I have also noticed old blemish spots fading significantly. I also like that it comes in a tube rather than a jar. The antioxidants and other ingredients won’t spoil that way. Good for Lady Soma for coming out with this product!
My two teenage sons use this product, but only the cleanser, it has cleared up both their spots and apart from a little dryness now and again they have had no bad reactions. The only problem is we cant seen to be able to buy it anywhere anymore!
I agree with Gillian above. Step 1, the cleanser, works brilliantly. Tried steps 2 and 3 and wasn’t keen. Hard to find a stockist though, so can anyone suggest an alternative product with the same ingredients?
42 year old male, acne since age 14.
Thank for the comment Justin, I’ll look into this for you. Have you tried Alpha-H skin care before? Many of my readers with acne have reported very good results, and another brand that keeps cropping up with regard to acne treatment is Dr Nick Lowe. You can buy them online.
In response to this…
Hi Jane, this can sometimes be a reaction as the skin adjusts to the product, however I’m going to email you query to Doctor Brand to get advice from them directly and will get back to you.
I wondered if you’d ever got a response from them?
Thanks
Have always used Clinique Anti-blemish solutions but saw this starter kit in TKMaxx and gave it a shot. A week in and my face is roaring red with my eyes and chin the worst places. I went to my doctor this morning who told me to take an antihistemine and use hydrocortisone on the blotchy bits recommended a week of washing my face with silcocks base. She also gave me eyedrops for my eyes as they look like they are sun-burned. I am 29 and have always suffered from blemish prone skin but nothing has ever given me this reaction before.
Stay away as its not worth it. WIll be going back to Clinique in a week!!
Really sorry to hear that Susan. I hope it clears up very soon. I suggest you write to the brand.
I’m wondering if anyone thought the moisturizer has a strange smell to it? I bought just that product discounted at TJ Maxx and have used it twice. No bad reactions but the smell is well pungent. It’s not a medicinal smell either, it’s hard to explain. Any response would be great!
Hi–
I just bought the trial kit at TJMaxx and have been using all three products for about a week now…I LOVE the products!! In my 20′s I used to work for Estee Lauder and used their skin care, also used Clinque…and over the years have used just about every skin care line in department stores, online and in my local health food co-op…I have always had bumpy skin and have tried all types of skincare lines and nothing seems to really work…I am now 49 and must say that this line really works for me…Not sure why all the others seem to have problems, maybe medication of some sort that they take?? I take no medication, only vitamins…since most of them are in their 20′s/30′s maybe it’s a reaction with birthcontrol??? As far as redness in the eyes that someone said–the products contain hydrogen peroxide and says not to get in/near the eyes…I wash my eye makeup off first with another cleanser, then wash my face only (avoiding eye area) with the facial wash…also with steps 2 & 3, it says to use a small amount…Maybe the others are using too much for their skin…I use a small amount–just enough to lightly cover, and I’m fine…I am going back to TJMaxx and buying all the kits that they have left (hopefully they still have some left!!)
After just using it once, it left my skin immediately being extremely red and itchy. it hurt to even smile, my face felt like after a bad sun burn. very disappointing, as i have heard great things about it. still considering if i should ever give this a try again.
I have recently purchased this product from TJ Maxx and have been using it for about a month now. I have seen a huge difference in my skin! My pores are reduced dramatically and skin looks tighter and smoothed! Best product I’ve found for my skin! I will be buying more for sure!