Abstract The search for an effective treatment for acne dates back to 1550 Bc with the Ebers Papyrus, one of the oldest medical documents in the world, mentioning the application of raw honey and sulfur to affected areas. King Tutankhamun is widely believed to have suffered from acne as his tomb was filled with popular acne treatments of the time such as sulfur, sour milk, Aloe vera, myrrh and salt to rid him of his affliction in the afterlife. Much like the Egyptians, ancient Greek texts mention honey and sulfur for the treatment of acne. A Greek physician named Theodosius suggested that patients wipe their spots with a towel while watching a star falling from the sky as he suggested this would result in their spots falling from their faces. The Romans, in addition to the aforementioned honey and sulfur, trialled crocodile meat, cypress oil, sour cheese, leek leaves and cinnamon in their attempts to find a successful treatment. Thomas Bateman wrote in A Practical Synopsis of Cutaneous Disease that a patient reported that bruised parsley cleared her acne. He was also an advocate of remedies used by ancient civilizations. At the turn of the 20th century, American physician W.A. Pusay wrote about the use of ionizing radiation in the treatment of acne. Radiation was widely used in the treatment of acne until the 1960s, when concerns regarding associated secondary carcinogenesis led to the treatment falling out of favour. In the first half of the 20th century, phototherapy was a popular treatment for acne, and quartz mercury vapour lamps, in particular, were used. The most significant advancement in the treatment of acne was the discovery of the utility of synthetic vitamin A. In the 1960s, pharmaceutical company Roche trialled the compound 13-cis-retinoic acid as a treatment for skin cancer. This was ineffective, but it was demonstrated that it was efficacious in the treatment of acne. A study published in 1979 in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated that 13 of 14 patients with acne conglobate experienced clearance of their acne. In 1982, the US Food and Drug Administration granted approval for 13-cis-retinoic acid, or isotretinoin, as a treatment for acne. It was introduced in Europe in 1983. Isotretinoin has been a life-changing advance in the treatment of this disease, but its teratogenic effects mean it must be prescribed with education and care.