Hey all!

I'm a 21 year old female that has been suffering from acne since I was around 13 years old. It is deep, cystic, and mostly on my cheeks. My skin is all over the place, the apple of my cheeks and my nose tend to be dry and the rest of my face is extremely oily. You all know the story- I tried everything and now my dermatologist is recommending that I go on accutane. I got my bloodwork done and I have an appointment on Thursday to get the iPledge and everything into motion as well as take a pregnancy test.

 

So, I've been researching products to use while on accutane and would like to know your opinions. Please let me know what worked or didn't work for you! I know a lot of you guys have already or are going through all of the side effects of dryness that I will experience after I start my treatment, so your feedback would be greatly appreciated!

 

So this is what I am thinking:

 

 

Facial Cleanser: I'm thinking either Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser or CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser.

 

Facial Moisturizer: I've heard really good things about coconut oil so I am greatly considering this, have any of you used it while on accutane? I already have the generic Walmart brand lotion that is like the Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion, so I think I will start by using that but I feel like it won't be enough.

 

Lip Moisturizer: I have a tube of Aquaphor Healing Ointment already because I used it on a healing tattoo, but it's not the Aquaphor that is specific for lips. Do you think I could still use it? It does say that it can be used for lips on the back but I don't know if the little lip tube formula is even different?

 

Supplements: I know people have sworn by Fish Oil to offset the joint pain, did you guys find that it helped? I love running and I plan on taking up rock climbing soon so joint pain would really make an active lifestyle difficult. I still have to talk to my dermatologist to see what she recommends too.

 

I feel like I'm missing something but that's all I think of right now...Haha! PLEASE let me know what did and didn't work for you guys, I really would love for these months to go as smoothly as possible!!! Thanks so much!

Hi! Everything sounds great EXCEPT the coconut oil - a lot of people have found it to aggravate breakouts and block pores. If you are looking for a good moisturizing oil, might I suggest 100% Moroccan Argan oil? It's a bit expensive, but you only need a couple of drops to moisturize your whole face, and it's quite nice to use as a serum underneath your moisturizer. You can also use it in your hair.

I also recommend cetaphil cleanser for sensitive skin (NOT the kind for oily skin, it's way too drying). I didn't experience a ton of joint pain (maybe some cramping at night), but I suppose the fish oil supplements will help.

I would also get some hyrdocortisole cream for rashes (they are pretty common on accutane) and a very good fragrance free body moisturizer (aveeno makes good ones).

 

Hey all!

I'm a 21 year old female that has been suffering from acne since I was around 13 years old. It is deep, cystic, and mostly on my cheeks. My skin is all over the place, the apple of my cheeks and my nose tend to be dry and the rest of my face is extremely oily. You all know the story- I tried everything and now my dermatologist is recommending that I go on accutane. I got my bloodwork done and I have an appointment on Thursday to get the iPledge and everything into motion as well as take a pregnancy test.

 

So, I've been researching products to use while on accutane and would like to know your opinions. Please let me know what worked or didn't work for you! I know a lot of you guys have already or are going through all of the side effects of dryness that I will experience after I start my treatment, so your feedback would be greatly appreciated!

 

So this is what I am thinking:

 

 

Facial Cleanser: I'm thinking either Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser or CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser.

 

Facial Moisturizer: I've heard really good things about coconut oil so I am greatly considering this, have any of you used it while on accutane? I already have the generic Walmart brand lotion that is like the Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion, so I think I will start by using that but I feel like it won't be enough.

 

Lip Moisturizer: I have a tube of Aquaphor Healing Ointment already because I used it on a healing tattoo, but it's not the Aquaphor that is specific for lips. Do you think I could still use it? It does say that it can be used for lips on the back but I don't know if the little lip tube formula is even different?

 

Supplements: I know people have sworn by Fish Oil to offset the joint pain, did you guys find that it helped? I love running and I plan on taking up rock climbing soon so joint pain would really make an active lifestyle difficult. I still have to talk to my dermatologist to see what she recommends too.

 

I feel like I'm missing something but that's all I think of right now...Haha! PLEASE let me know what did and didn't work for you guys, I really would love for these months to go as smoothly as possible!!! Thanks so much!

Hi! Everything sounds great EXCEPT the coconut oil - a lot of people have found it to aggravate breakouts and block pores. If you are looking for a good moisturizing oil, might I suggest 100% Moroccan Argan oil? It's a bit expensive, but you only need a couple of drops to moisturize your whole face, and it's quite nice to use as a serum underneath your moisturizer. You can also use it in your hair.

 

I also recommend cetaphil cleanser for sensitive skin (NOT the kind for oily skin, it's way too drying). I didn't experience a ton of joint pain (maybe some cramping at night), but I suppose the fish oil supplements will help.

 

I would also get some hyrdocortisole cream for rashes (they are pretty common on accutane) and a very good fragrance free body moisturizer (aveeno makes good ones).

Thanks so much for the heads up about the coconut oil! I'll definitely check out the Argan Oil! I was reading an accutane blog and the girl said that she used to rub her face with olive oil in the shower and then gently rub it with a washcloth to get the dead skin off. Theoretically, it sounds nice if you have a face of dry, flaky skin but I wasn't sure if the oil itself or even the idea of any exfoliating was safe. What do you think?

I also forgot to list a body wash- I already use Dove Winter Care Body Wash so I'm hoping that'll keep the rest of my skin from going to crazy, but I'll definitely have to get a new body lotion since all of mine are super scented! What hair products do you use? I currently use Head&Shoulders Oil Control because my scalp is sooooooo oily... Like no joke! I'll shower at night and wake up the next morning with greasy hair! But I'm hoping that will change once I'm taking accutane, and then maybe I'll use Head&Shoulders Dry Scalp care?

Exfoliating gently with a clean washcloth like once a week might be ok. You can also use oil to remove your makeup, and wash afterwords with the cetaphil cleanser. I don't know a whole lot about oils themselves, I am pretty weary of them to be honest.

As for shampoo/conditioner - the oil on your scalp will definitely dry up - so you might want to switch to a less drying shampoo a few weeks in. Also, you will find yourself needing to wash your hair quite a bit less.

Exfoliating gently with a clean washcloth like once a week might be ok. You can also use oil to remove your makeup, and wash afterwords with the cetaphil cleanser. I don't know a whole lot about oils themselves, I am pretty weary of them to be honest.

 

As for shampoo/conditioner - the oil on your scalp will definitely dry up - so you might want to switch to a less drying shampoo a few weeks in. Also, you will find yourself needing to wash your hair quite a bit less.

That's the one side effect that I'm excited about, I can't wait to have dry hair, haha!!

I just started accutane a few weeks ago. So far the worst side effect has been dry lips/eyes. I don't believe in using anything with chemicals, so I've been using natural oils. Shea butter and sunflower oil are both great because they won't clog pores. I also use Badger brand lip balm, but even that wasn't enough for my lips. I've switched to 100% lanolin. Lanolin is amazing! It provides relief and I even use it on the drier parts of my skin (hands, feet, etc.). Right now I use an alcohol free witch hazel with aloe as a toner because it helps with the inflammation of my now very angry acne. I don't know if that's a long-term product at this point. I also take a milk thistle supplement to help my liver, and a hair/skin multivitamin (without vitamin A). I'm sure my regimen will evolve as I get drier, but so far so good.

all i can say is try to avoid ''cetaphil cream'' it gloc pores for me and cause really bad whiteheads ....not for all people but for me

I just started accutane a few weeks ago. So far the worst side effect has been dry lips/eyes. I don't believe in using anything with chemicals, so I've been using natural oils. Shea butter and sunflower oil are both great because they won't clog pores. I also use Badger brand lip balm, but even that wasn't enough for my lips. I've switched to 100% lanolin. Lanolin is amazing! It provides relief and I even use it on the drier parts of my skin (hands, feet, etc.). Right now I use an alcohol free witch hazel with aloe as a toner because it helps with the inflammation of my now very angry acne. I don't know if that's a long-term product at this point. I also take a milk thistle supplement to help my liver, and a hair/skin multivitamin (without vitamin A). I'm sure my regimen will evolve as I get drier, but so far so good.

The natural route sounds like it would be more gentle for skin that is freaking out on Accutane, haha! I feel like I couldn't find much info on people's experiences with that approach though because it seems that everyone just uses the traditional Cetaphil/CeraVe and Aquaphor. Thanks for sharing, I'll definitely look into those natural products! Much luck in your journey!

all i can say is try to avoid ''cetaphil cream'' it gloc pores for me and cause really bad whiteheads ....not for all people but for me

Oh no, sorry to hear! I think the "Cetaphil " (it's really a generic Equate brand) moisturizer I have is more of a lotion than a cream so hopefully it doesn't aggravate my acne!

 

I just started accutane a few weeks ago. So far the worst side effect has been dry lips/eyes. I don't believe in using anything with chemicals, so I've been using natural oils. Shea butter and sunflower oil are both great because they won't clog pores. I also use Badger brand lip balm, but even that wasn't enough for my lips. I've switched to 100% lanolin. Lanolin is amazing! It provides relief and I even use it on the drier parts of my skin (hands, feet, etc.). Right now I use an alcohol free witch hazel with aloe as a toner because it helps with the inflammation of my now very angry acne. I don't know if that's a long-term product at this point. I also take a milk thistle supplement to help my liver, and a hair/skin multivitamin (without vitamin A). I'm sure my regimen will evolve as I get drier, but so far so good.

The natural route sounds like it would be more gentle for skin that is freaking out on Accutane, haha! I feel like I couldn't find much info on people's experiences with that approach though because it seems that everyone just uses the traditional Cetaphil/CeraVe and Aquaphor. Thanks for sharing, I'll definitely look into those natural products! Much luck in your journey!

 

>all i can say is try to avoid ''cetaphil cream'' it gloc pores for me and cause really bad whiteheads ....not for all people but for me

Oh no, sorry to hear! I think the "Cetaphil " (it's really a generic Equate brand) moisturizer I have is more of a lotion than a cream so hopefully it doesn't aggravate my acne!

Hi! Just FYI - Watch out for lanolin - it actually does clog pores.