Roaccutane Survival Guide
Click on a number icon or text link below to view product suggestions for a particular part of your body whilst on Roaccutane treatment
Lips
Whilst taking Roaccutane, you can pretty much guarantee you will experience dry lips. Some people also experience cracks at the side of their mouth, which can be painful and very annoying!
I think the first product to attempt in this situation is good old Vaseline, and as it's fragrance and colour free it won't sting any parts of your mouth that have cracked. Sometimes Vaseline isn't enough though, so here are some other suggestions:
- Carmex - seems to be a fairly popular choice and can be bought from shops such as Boots/Superdrug.
- Norwegian Formula Immediate Repair Lip Balm - I've found that this lip balm lasts a reasonably long time on your lips and has a nice consistency. It also appears quite "matte" on your lips rather than glossy, so it may be a good option for men who don't like the "lip gloss" look!
- Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip balm - Has the ingredients lanolin and almond oil which have soothing properties. This lip balm was also voted best lip balm at the Natural Health Beauty Awards in 2008 so it must be doing something right!
- Avent Moisturising Nipple Cream - Yes, it may sound very odd, but it does work very effectively. Nipple cream is used by breastfeeding mothers to heal cracked nipples, so it kind of makes sense that it should also do a pretty good job at healing lips! This stuff completely healed the sides of my mouth that had cracked and because there's no fragrance or colour, there's absolutely no stinging. You can buy this from most Boots stores or off the Boots website.
Face
It can be very confusing choosing face products when you first start Roaccutane as most people are so used to going straight for the products intended for oily skin, therefore buying moisturising products can all seem a bit alien! With face washes and moisturisers, it really is a case of trial and error.
A moisturiser that one person thinks is fabulous can be completely inappropriate for another person, therefore, my list of products below are only a guideline. I will also discuss various sun creams, as Roaccutane makes your skin react to the sun faster.
- Eucerin Dry Skin Relief Face Cream 5% Urea - this is a moisturiser designed especially for people with very dry and flaky skin on their face as the urea helps to replenish moisture that has been lost. Fragrance and colour free so won't aggravate sensitive skin.
- Avene Skin Recovery Cream - a product made up of 67% Avene thermal spring water, specifically designed to moisturise sensitive skin. It is also non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.
- Simple Moisturising Foaming Facial Wash - this facial wash won't leave your skin feeling tight and uncomfortable, and it is also fragrance and colour free. There are also several moisturisers from the simple range such as the "replenishing rich moisturiser".
- Boots Expert Sensitive Daily Defence Moisture Cream SPF 12 - This has been my favourite moisturiser for about a year now. It feels very calming when you apply it to your skin, and it sinks in very well, leaving it easy to apply make up. It also has the added benefit of having SPF in it.
- Cetaphil - cleansing and moisturising products made by Cetaphil are a popular choice for users of Roaccutane in America. Unfortunately, the products can be a little harder to track down in the UK so if you wanted to try them you may have to look on ebay etc. These products moisturise intensely, but are also non-comedogenic.
- It's Elixir Cleansing Gel - I discovered this product recently as I fancied trying a natural cleanser. This cleansing gel is oil-free and suitable for people who are still experiencing breakouts. This product is available from the "It's Elixir" website.
- Coppertone Oil-Free Sunscreen Lotion Faces SPF 30 - It can be hard to find decent sun screen for your face that isn't thick and pore-clogging, so this light, oil-free lotion is a great choice for Roaccutane users. It is also fragrance/colour free and water resistant.
- Sunsense Daily Face SPF 60 - A great idea for Roaccutane users who are going on holiday. It provides a very high SPF, won't clog pores, looks matte on the skin, and is also fragrance/colour free.
Hands/Arms
A hand/arm rash is a common Roaccutane side effect. Dry patches of skin can appear and arms can feel hot, uncomfortable and flaky.
- Eumo Base Concentrated Rehydration Cream - This is a thick cream that you can apply to your arms/hands to moisturise the very dry patches. I normally apply it at night as it smells quite "medical". When I wash it off in the morning the dryness is usually much improved.
- E45 cream - This is a popular choice for any dryness on the body.
- Aqueous Cream - Cheap and cheerful. Buy it in a tub and slap it on wherever your skin feels rough. It leaves a protective layer on the skin to prevent further loss of moisture.
Hair/Scalp
Hair can dry out during treatment and dandruff is also common.
- Neutrogena T-Gel Shampoo - This shampoo contains coal tar extract and helps relieve an itchy flaky scalp. Doesn't smell fantastic, but can be quite effective.
- Head and Shoulders - The bathroom staple for dandruff. If this isn't effective, try the T-Gel.
- V05 Deep Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner for Damaged, Course or Brittle hair - This is a good choice if your hair has dried out. It also smells lovely.
- Eucerin Dry Scalp Relief Shampoo 5% Urea - Another good product from Eucerin. The Urea helps your scalp to maintain moisture in order to prevent flaking.
- E45 Dry Scalp Shampoo - Relieves dryness and flaking and soothes itchiness.
Eyes
During Roaccutane treatment, eyes can sometimes feel "gritty", dry and uncomfortable. Therefore, some eye drops can be a good purchase.
- Boots Comforting Eye Drops - Help to soothe eyes that are dry and tired.
- VitalEyes Moisturiser - Drops enriched with Vitamin A and E that soothe and moisturise.
Body
Your normal body washes could be too drying and contain fragrance which could irritate any rashes on your arms etc.
- E45 Emollient Wash Cream - suitable for washing skin that is itchy and dry. Fragrance and colour free.
- Eucerin Dry Skin Bath and Shower Therapy - This wash leaves a protective layer on your skin which helps prevent further loss of moisture. Fragrance and colour free.
Article written by Abi
trixyvlj
3rd Apr, 09
Origins do two great moisturisers – a day one which is a cream, smells yummy and has SPF 15 and a night one which is a lotion so it is lighter and just helps to gently moisturise your skin overnight. Neither clog your pores and they have natural ingredients. I used them throughout my treatment and thought they were fab.
atGrace
4th Apr, 09
Elizabeth Arden’s 8 hour treatment cream is really effective at treating dry and cracked lips. They also do a lip balm which is not quite so good but more convenient for using when out and about during the day. Eucerin’s replenishing face cream is really good, as is Avene’s skin recovery cream. And hydrocortisone cream can clear up mild excema in a matter of days.
atslwinch
15th Apr, 09
I found my eyes got really dry at night and over the counter eye drops didn’t last through the night. If anyone else experiences this, my doctor recommended Lacri-lube which can be purchased off prescription from the pharmacist (although you may want to run it’s suitability for you past your doctor).
Also if you’re anything like me, you’d have been treating your acne with all matter of harsh cleansing lotions and washes over the years but be aware they will most likely sting like mad if you try to use them when your treatment takes hold of your skin. Find something more kind to you like Nivea or Oil of Olay. Shower washes and fragranced hand creams caused me irritation too so I now use Johnson’s baby wash and natural lotions and they work fine, in fact I’ve found no reasons to swap back even nearly 3 months post treatment.
atHey
2nd May, 09
I’ve been on Roaccutane once already (on my second course now, lower dosage than first but doc wanted to ‘finish it off’) and I’d suggest using Simple Soap. Basically what it says, it’s a bar of soap, nothing else. Really good for when your skin is feeling battered and bruised.
For lips I use Vaseline Aloe Vera (in small amounts, I’m a guy and too much makes it look like lip gloss!) and for general skin care I keep a tube of Bodyshop Tea Tree Oil Mattifying Moisturiser; it smells good and doesn’t make your skin shine like some do.
Also for hair, if dandruff gets to a intolerable amount, I’d suggest using Nizoral (NOT the one that contains ketoconazole, I found it to be rather harsh.). It’s expensive, but use it properly and it’ll work wonders.
attennis909
13th Aug, 09
Is there anything that will help reduce the redness from where spots have been?! Something which will not affect the acne in a bad way preferably!! Also is aqueous cream a good choice of moisturiser to put on the face?
atThanks.
Dylan
21st Oct, 09
Does any one know of a facial mosturiser that will not make my face greasy again?
atAnne
26th Nov, 09
Cetaphil products – as least the “cream wash” that is so great when receiving harsh skin treatment – can be found in pharmacies in France. Just as at the counter, as the product isn’t always on display.
atAnne
26th Nov, 09
Dylan,
atIn addition to what others said, a moisturiser that might work: mattifying moisturiser by Clarins, can be found at places like Selfridges I think. It doesn’t make skin shiny and seems to be non comedogenic.
spotnomore
14th Dec, 09
Tennis – I’m using acqueous cream, are you? I’m finding it quite oily when I put it on which kind of seems weird considering I’m trying to get rid of spots!!!
atbumblebee333
28th Feb, 10
hahaa having tried LOTS of different lip creams, ive found the best so far is nivea lip care through the day along with the nipple cream hahaaa and also buffing in the morning with a toothbrush!!…and believe me my lips were TERRIBLE before…and now they are just perfect!!not one flake!!im so pleased…i think it’s just about finding what works for you really and experimenting but these are definitely winners in my eyes:)xx
atSam
16th Jul, 10
Hey. I’ve experiences a drying nose :( Not on the outside though, like on the inside. And whenever i blow my nose there’s always dried blood. Anybody else had this? And everything in my nose goes hard and dry and is SO painful and difficult to get out..
atJulie
2nd Aug, 10
hey Sam,
i had this same problem! sometimes id breathe in suddenly through my nose and it would clog with dried blood (unfortunately i cant think of a nicer way to say this) well.. the only way to remove it is to pick it out!
I found rubbing some Vaseline or other good cream like Lucas paw paw ointment in the inside of your nose helps heaps because it keeps it moist (like you do with your skin) and stops it from over-drying. But do try to get one that smells nice, because its all you smell.
at