Hi ladies,
im 25 and after 3 years of suffering with adult acne I have been prescribed isotretinoin (I had perfect skin as a teenager).
Does anyone have any experience with this product and can make any recommendations as to what products I can use on my skin whilst undergoing treatment? I am now into my third week and am suffering from dry patchy skin and lips. Wearing make up only seems to emphasise the dryness! I've always been a makeup wearing lover and now I hate putting anything on my skin but unfortunately due to my corporate job I need to look presentable during the week:(
Looking forward to hearing from you all xo
Vault
Max value reached
Adding this item would put you over your total vault limit of $250. please review your cart to stay under the limit.
156,815reviews
11,151products
isotretinoin - help me manage my skin!
20 posts, 10 members
Hiya!
I've never heard of Isotretinoin but I do hope it works for you. Acne is not a very pleasant thing to struggle with (nearly 40 here and still suffer from it).
You didn't say if you're exfoliating 2-3 times a week and if you aren't, I suggest you look at finding a gentle one that helps remove your dry skin. Have a look at Trilogy's Age Proof Active Enzyme Cleanser and read some of the reviews of the product on Beauty Review.
I also suggest Trilogy's Very Gentle Moisturising Cream as this goes on nice and thick but dries to a soft finish on the skin.
When I have dry flakey bits of skin, liquid foundation makes it look a lot worse. I find that powdered mineral foundation doesn't make those flakey bits stand out too much but I've been using Mineral Foundation for years and am very biased towards it.
You could always look at a thick BB cream like Clinique's Age Defense.
If you wanted to try mineral foundation, I suggest Naturally Ngaroma, Perfect Complexion, Bella Vi, Inika (this one you can find in some health food stores). Avoid the brands that contain Bismuth Oxychloride as this will stick to your flakey bits and make them stand out more.
Beauty Review recently posted an article on Mineral Foundations but I can't find it. If I do, I'll post the link to it for you.
I've never heard of Isotretinoin but I do hope it works for you. Acne is not a very pleasant thing to struggle with (nearly 40 here and still suffer from it).
You didn't say if you're exfoliating 2-3 times a week and if you aren't, I suggest you look at finding a gentle one that helps remove your dry skin. Have a look at Trilogy's Age Proof Active Enzyme Cleanser and read some of the reviews of the product on Beauty Review.
I also suggest Trilogy's Very Gentle Moisturising Cream as this goes on nice and thick but dries to a soft finish on the skin.
When I have dry flakey bits of skin, liquid foundation makes it look a lot worse. I find that powdered mineral foundation doesn't make those flakey bits stand out too much but I've been using Mineral Foundation for years and am very biased towards it.
You could always look at a thick BB cream like Clinique's Age Defense.
If you wanted to try mineral foundation, I suggest Naturally Ngaroma, Perfect Complexion, Bella Vi, Inika (this one you can find in some health food stores). Avoid the brands that contain Bismuth Oxychloride as this will stick to your flakey bits and make them stand out more.
Beauty Review recently posted an article on Mineral Foundations but I can't find it. If I do, I'll post the link to it for you.
Oh, dry lips! Forgot about that one :).
You could look at Hurraw! lips balms which are $7 and you can get them from Health 2000, The Cruelty Free Shop, or Oh Natural. I haven't tried these yet but they are on my list.
My personal fav is Trilogy's Rosehip Oil Lip Balm but it's $20 so on the pricey side. It does work though!
You could look at Hurraw! lips balms which are $7 and you can get them from Health 2000, The Cruelty Free Shop, or Oh Natural. I haven't tried these yet but they are on my list.
My personal fav is Trilogy's Rosehip Oil Lip Balm but it's $20 so on the pricey side. It does work though!
hi there, same I've never heard of Isotretinoin but I have been on acene treatments and I do know what you mean by dry skin. If it was like my it gets super duper dry. I found aveeno products good as they were very gentle and I like they moisturiser, a little thicker than your normal face moisturisers but nourishes dry skin well. I also used vitamin a cream which you can get at the chemist, it's kinda the texture of Vaseline, so I usually applied that at night as it made my face shiny. Also try coconut oil, haven't tried it but by the comments and recommendations on here it sounds good and will do the trick as its gentle and soft to use. For lips use a lip scrub and then I used Lucas papaw ointment. I used this all the time and I highly recommend it, it also has lots of other uses for burns, bites etc. hope this helps :)
While you are on isoretinoin, its very hard to pick the right products to use as your skin will be very reactive and quite photo sensitive aswell and can burn easily, so make sure to use a gentle sunscreen, try the baby spf 15 sunscreens
Try something simple like paw paw ointment as a base as its naturals and doesnt have any nasties in it, it will help to relieve the dryness/flakiness and use a foundation which doesnt have alcohol in it.
You really shouldnt exfoliate while you are on the treatment as this can just agrivate your skin more and make it more sensitive
Also make sure you do have do any plucking/waxing blackhead removal as you have an increased risk of scarring and discolouration while your skin is under treatment
Hope this helps and good luck with the treatment xx
Try something simple like paw paw ointment as a base as its naturals and doesnt have any nasties in it, it will help to relieve the dryness/flakiness and use a foundation which doesnt have alcohol in it.
You really shouldnt exfoliate while you are on the treatment as this can just agrivate your skin more and make it more sensitive
Also make sure you do have do any plucking/waxing blackhead removal as you have an increased risk of scarring and discolouration while your skin is under treatment
Hope this helps and good luck with the treatment xx
Damnit! I wrote a huge post and it closed. I wrote it again though! Isotretinoin is also known as Accutane or Roaccutane – I was on it twice as a teenager, and now am on a topical acne treatment which has similar effects.
For starters – SPF 30+ every single day on your face, and if you’re going to be outside for longer than 10 or so minutes you need it for your body too. Make sure you apply at least ¼ of a teaspoon to your face, most people use half that, and that’s the amount that you need to get the 30 protection. Using less means it’s more like SPF7 which will not protect your fragile skin well enough. I cannot stress how important this is, you will burn easily and also get damage which isn’t visible yet but will show up later in life if you don’t.
I would say to steer clear of exfoliating at all. The medicine works in a way which encourages cells to turn over more quickly, so exfoliating can be a bit much. If you have any flaky bits I say use a wet face cloth to gently remove them. Use a gentle cleanser like Cetaphil or QV wash. I used Cetaphil moisturiser as a teenager which was great, and I use it sometimes now too, but mainly I use Rosehip oil. I use Trilogy branded one, which is kinda expensive but it lasts me ages. You can find other brands of it at a lot of health/hippie type shops. If your skin is ultra dry, then you can put Vaseline on top, it’s an occlusive which means it holds in moisture from your skin. I do it at night because it doesn’t work with make up.
Speaking of make up, try using a good primer. I use Australis’ one, but have a look at the reviews on here to see what other people like. The ingredient dimethicone is what will give you a smooth base for your foundation.
If you have any more questions, please ask, I’m a total skincare nerd and have been around the block with acne treatment for a DECADE! Gah sounds awful reading that.
For starters – SPF 30+ every single day on your face, and if you’re going to be outside for longer than 10 or so minutes you need it for your body too. Make sure you apply at least ¼ of a teaspoon to your face, most people use half that, and that’s the amount that you need to get the 30 protection. Using less means it’s more like SPF7 which will not protect your fragile skin well enough. I cannot stress how important this is, you will burn easily and also get damage which isn’t visible yet but will show up later in life if you don’t.
I would say to steer clear of exfoliating at all. The medicine works in a way which encourages cells to turn over more quickly, so exfoliating can be a bit much. If you have any flaky bits I say use a wet face cloth to gently remove them. Use a gentle cleanser like Cetaphil or QV wash. I used Cetaphil moisturiser as a teenager which was great, and I use it sometimes now too, but mainly I use Rosehip oil. I use Trilogy branded one, which is kinda expensive but it lasts me ages. You can find other brands of it at a lot of health/hippie type shops. If your skin is ultra dry, then you can put Vaseline on top, it’s an occlusive which means it holds in moisture from your skin. I do it at night because it doesn’t work with make up.
Speaking of make up, try using a good primer. I use Australis’ one, but have a look at the reviews on here to see what other people like. The ingredient dimethicone is what will give you a smooth base for your foundation.
If you have any more questions, please ask, I’m a total skincare nerd and have been around the block with acne treatment for a DECADE! Gah sounds awful reading that.
Agree with above (awesome long post by the way).
I was on similar meds and I used the Cetaphil range for my face and Alpha Keri moisturiser on my body. Like it has been said use sunscreen (you will burn SUPER easy). And the dry lips can be a pain so carry around a lip balm with you (it will be a lifesaver). Makeup wise, liquid foundation always dried out my skin so I always used just a little bit of a mineral powder (Jane Iredale was really good but it is quite pricey).
Good luck (the results will be worth it)!
I was on similar meds and I used the Cetaphil range for my face and Alpha Keri moisturiser on my body. Like it has been said use sunscreen (you will burn SUPER easy). And the dry lips can be a pain so carry around a lip balm with you (it will be a lifesaver). Makeup wise, liquid foundation always dried out my skin so I always used just a little bit of a mineral powder (Jane Iredale was really good but it is quite pricey).
Good luck (the results will be worth it)!
Hey love
I am on the same thing called roaccutane same as what you are on. I had bad acne all my teens and finally about a year ago a different doctor finally perscribed me what I knew would work it makes me really angry that I was not given it in my teens. I tried the pill doxy tablets and face wash. Proactive helped improve it but then the acne started on my cheast and as soon as i stopped using proactive the acne came back its also bad for your skin. The pills both of us are now on are great but have nasty side affects do not i repeat DO NOT get pregnant on these pills they can cause major birth defects you will have sensitve skin when you first begin taking these pills and some things you put on your skin may sting it not to worry your skin gets used to it you also will get very dry lips so get a good lip balm. Your acne may get worse just before it gets better then your skin will be flawless. Do not drink much if at all. These pills are bad for your liver. The reason doctors pescribe these are as a last resort if other things have not worked. You also need to wear sun screen as your skin is extra valnerable to sun damage long term i have noticed i have more freakles / sun spots.
good luck these do work.
I am on the same thing called roaccutane same as what you are on. I had bad acne all my teens and finally about a year ago a different doctor finally perscribed me what I knew would work it makes me really angry that I was not given it in my teens. I tried the pill doxy tablets and face wash. Proactive helped improve it but then the acne started on my cheast and as soon as i stopped using proactive the acne came back its also bad for your skin. The pills both of us are now on are great but have nasty side affects do not i repeat DO NOT get pregnant on these pills they can cause major birth defects you will have sensitve skin when you first begin taking these pills and some things you put on your skin may sting it not to worry your skin gets used to it you also will get very dry lips so get a good lip balm. Your acne may get worse just before it gets better then your skin will be flawless. Do not drink much if at all. These pills are bad for your liver. The reason doctors pescribe these are as a last resort if other things have not worked. You also need to wear sun screen as your skin is extra valnerable to sun damage long term i have noticed i have more freakles / sun spots.
good luck these do work.
Hey love
I am on the same thing called roaccutane same as what you are on. I had bad acne all my teens and finally about a year ago a different doctor finally perscribed me what I knew would work it makes me really angry that I was not given it in my teens. I tried the pill doxy tablets and face wash. Proactive helped improve it but then the acne started on my cheast and as soon as i stopped using proactive the acne came back its also bad for your skin. The pills both of us are now on are great but have nasty side affects do not i repeat DO NOT get pregnant on these pills they can cause major birth defects you will have sensitve skin when you first begin taking these pills and some things you put on your skin may sting it not to worry your skin gets used to it you also will get very dry lips so get a good lip balm. Your acne may get worse just before it gets better then your skin will be flawless. Do not drink much if at all. These pills are bad for your liver. The reason doctors pescribe these are as a last resort if other things have not worked. You also need to wear sun screen as your skin is extra valnerable to sun damage long term i have noticed i have more freakles / sun spots.
good luck these do work.
I am on the same thing called roaccutane same as what you are on. I had bad acne all my teens and finally about a year ago a different doctor finally perscribed me what I knew would work it makes me really angry that I was not given it in my teens. I tried the pill doxy tablets and face wash. Proactive helped improve it but then the acne started on my cheast and as soon as i stopped using proactive the acne came back its also bad for your skin. The pills both of us are now on are great but have nasty side affects do not i repeat DO NOT get pregnant on these pills they can cause major birth defects you will have sensitve skin when you first begin taking these pills and some things you put on your skin may sting it not to worry your skin gets used to it you also will get very dry lips so get a good lip balm. Your acne may get worse just before it gets better then your skin will be flawless. Do not drink much if at all. These pills are bad for your liver. The reason doctors pescribe these are as a last resort if other things have not worked. You also need to wear sun screen as your skin is extra valnerable to sun damage long term i have noticed i have more freakles / sun spots.
good luck these do work.
Hey love
I am on the same thing called roaccutane same as what you are on. I had bad acne all my teens and finally about a year ago a different doctor finally perscribed me what I knew would work it makes me really angry that I was not given it in my teens. I tried the pill doxy tablets and face wash. Proactive helped improve it but then the acne started on my cheast and as soon as i stopped using proactive the acne came back its also bad for your skin. The pills both of us are now on are great but have nasty side affects do not i repeat DO NOT get pregnant on these pills they can cause major birth defects you will have sensitve skin when you first begin taking these pills and some things you put on your skin may sting it not to worry your skin gets used to it you also will get very dry lips so get a good lip balm. Your acne may get worse just before it gets better then your skin will be flawless. Do not drink much if at all. These pills are bad for your liver. The reason doctors pescribe these are as a last resort if other things have not worked. You also need to wear sun screen as your skin is extra valnerable to sun damage long term i have noticed i have more freakles / sun spots.
good luck these do work.
I am on the same thing called roaccutane same as what you are on. I had bad acne all my teens and finally about a year ago a different doctor finally perscribed me what I knew would work it makes me really angry that I was not given it in my teens. I tried the pill doxy tablets and face wash. Proactive helped improve it but then the acne started on my cheast and as soon as i stopped using proactive the acne came back its also bad for your skin. The pills both of us are now on are great but have nasty side affects do not i repeat DO NOT get pregnant on these pills they can cause major birth defects you will have sensitve skin when you first begin taking these pills and some things you put on your skin may sting it not to worry your skin gets used to it you also will get very dry lips so get a good lip balm. Your acne may get worse just before it gets better then your skin will be flawless. Do not drink much if at all. These pills are bad for your liver. The reason doctors pescribe these are as a last resort if other things have not worked. You also need to wear sun screen as your skin is extra valnerable to sun damage long term i have noticed i have more freakles / sun spots.
good luck these do work.
WOW! Thank you all for your comments! xo
I was on proactive for years and it was like I became immune to it, then I tried a topical treatment called Retrieve Cream and then prescribed Doxycyline with no effect whatsoever! My last resort is now Isotretinoin or accutane as its typically known like lenarose mentioned!
I've practically become a vampire and never go out in the sun unless im smothered in sunscreen from head to toe!
Thanks for the cetaphil tip - ive never come across anyone who has used it before so will give that a go for sure. Ive always been a liquid foundation girl and have never considered powder or mineral because ive always been a bit cynical about coverage and durability even though many women I know swear by it! I will be investing in a good primer too!
Its so strange - products I have used for what seems like forever suddenly irritate me as my skin has just become so sensitive. I am having to renew my whole beauty routine to work around this temporary situation.
At the moment I feel like an absolute dry flaking mess and have just started the "initial breakout" where my skin is even worse than before! I keep thinking positive thoughts - short term pain for long term gain! :)
Cant wait to have beautiful skin again!
I was on proactive for years and it was like I became immune to it, then I tried a topical treatment called Retrieve Cream and then prescribed Doxycyline with no effect whatsoever! My last resort is now Isotretinoin or accutane as its typically known like lenarose mentioned!
I've practically become a vampire and never go out in the sun unless im smothered in sunscreen from head to toe!
Thanks for the cetaphil tip - ive never come across anyone who has used it before so will give that a go for sure. Ive always been a liquid foundation girl and have never considered powder or mineral because ive always been a bit cynical about coverage and durability even though many women I know swear by it! I will be investing in a good primer too!
Its so strange - products I have used for what seems like forever suddenly irritate me as my skin has just become so sensitive. I am having to renew my whole beauty routine to work around this temporary situation.
At the moment I feel like an absolute dry flaking mess and have just started the "initial breakout" where my skin is even worse than before! I keep thinking positive thoughts - short term pain for long term gain! :)
Cant wait to have beautiful skin again!
Hi, I used isotretinoin for about a year. What I found is that everyone's experience is different. I am near my 40s and have had bad acne for much of my life (I was getting spots before I was ten). This medication was a last resort for me as I was aware of the side effects, which put me off. I was lucky, I didn't have any dry skin problems (I stocked up on vaseline and never touched it) and didn't have any other side effects. I was on a relatively low dose however (10mg a day) so this might have had something to do with it. My skin was lovely the whole time I was using this medication so much so that I regretted not starting it sooner. It hasn't been government funded for very long though so it probably would have been quite expensive.
I used MD Formulations glycolic cleanser (still do), and followed this up with a facial oil, either a Rose Hip or Antipodes Divine Facial oil. I then made sure I used a good moisturiser, including a richer one at night, I think I was using Environ at the time. I also always had good lip balms on hand wherever I went.
I just want to caution that not everyone will be "cured" by using isotretinoin. Quite a high percentage will need to go back for a second lot, and some (including myself) will always have problems. I had two lots of iso and relapsed to the point that my acne was the worst it had ever been. I've been diagnosed as being unfortunate enough to have bad genes. I'm now on a topical cream after my doctor refused to put me back on iso again. At the moment my skin is great, but I'm also doing other things that might be helping.
I hope it works for you!
I used MD Formulations glycolic cleanser (still do), and followed this up with a facial oil, either a Rose Hip or Antipodes Divine Facial oil. I then made sure I used a good moisturiser, including a richer one at night, I think I was using Environ at the time. I also always had good lip balms on hand wherever I went.
I just want to caution that not everyone will be "cured" by using isotretinoin. Quite a high percentage will need to go back for a second lot, and some (including myself) will always have problems. I had two lots of iso and relapsed to the point that my acne was the worst it had ever been. I've been diagnosed as being unfortunate enough to have bad genes. I'm now on a topical cream after my doctor refused to put me back on iso again. At the moment my skin is great, but I'm also doing other things that might be helping.
I hope it works for you!
Hi Imoshen,
No, I have never tried Paula's Choice - I'm not too familiar with that product line. Looking at it though just quickly, I might be keen to give it a try once my MD Formulations run out as I won't be able to get that soon from my supplier (Feel Unique). I'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to skin care products as I think that a lot of products with many active ingredients don't actually contain enough in the product to do any good. That's what I like about the MD Formulations, there is a healthy amount of glycolic in their cleanser and the ingredients list isn't that long.
No, I have never tried Paula's Choice - I'm not too familiar with that product line. Looking at it though just quickly, I might be keen to give it a try once my MD Formulations run out as I won't be able to get that soon from my supplier (Feel Unique). I'm a bit of a skeptic when it comes to skin care products as I think that a lot of products with many active ingredients don't actually contain enough in the product to do any good. That's what I like about the MD Formulations, there is a healthy amount of glycolic in their cleanser and the ingredients list isn't that long.
The good thing about Paula's Choice is you can order samples!
I've linked you the NZ website which is under construction but you can order direct from the US, just make sure the shipping charges aren't horrifying (mine wasn't when I placed my order, came to US15 but that was for full sized products).
I ordered two of each of the products I wanted to try but I found this wasn't enough so to give you a decent trial, if I was to do it again, I'd order 3 or 4.
Finding people's experience with the products was difficult but if you look hard enough you'll find them and the ones I found were from people in the US.
Strawberrynet sells MD Formulations if you wanted to see if they stocked the products you've been using.
I've linked you the NZ website which is under construction but you can order direct from the US, just make sure the shipping charges aren't horrifying (mine wasn't when I placed my order, came to US15 but that was for full sized products).
I ordered two of each of the products I wanted to try but I found this wasn't enough so to give you a decent trial, if I was to do it again, I'd order 3 or 4.
Finding people's experience with the products was difficult but if you look hard enough you'll find them and the ones I found were from people in the US.
Strawberrynet sells MD Formulations if you wanted to see if they stocked the products you've been using.
I have been on this pill and although I found it had amazing results on clearing my skin up, the drying is horrible!
I used Cetaphil moisterizer on my skin as it's a really natural, unscented moisterizor which is perfect for oily/acne prone skin. As for your lips, Maybelline Baby Lips are so good, they smell amazing and make your lips so soft! Otherwise Lucas Paw Paw ointment on your lips before bed has fantastic results!
I also found that my eyes got very dry, I would reccomend keeping eyedrops handy! Other than that, make sure to drink HEAPS of water- more then you are used to so you don't suffer the drying effects as much!
If it gets too bad, ask your doctor to decrease you perscription. I was on the lowest possible doasge (one 10 tablet per day) and my skin still stayed completely clear.
Hope this helps! :)
I used Cetaphil moisterizer on my skin as it's a really natural, unscented moisterizor which is perfect for oily/acne prone skin. As for your lips, Maybelline Baby Lips are so good, they smell amazing and make your lips so soft! Otherwise Lucas Paw Paw ointment on your lips before bed has fantastic results!
I also found that my eyes got very dry, I would reccomend keeping eyedrops handy! Other than that, make sure to drink HEAPS of water- more then you are used to so you don't suffer the drying effects as much!
If it gets too bad, ask your doctor to decrease you perscription. I was on the lowest possible doasge (one 10 tablet per day) and my skin still stayed completely clear.
Hope this helps! :)
I have been on this pill and although I found it had amazing results on clearing my skin up, the drying is horrible!
I used Cetaphil moisterizer on my skin as it's a really natural, unscented moisterizor which is perfect for oily/acne prone skin. As for your lips, Maybelline Baby Lips are so good, they smell amazing and make your lips so soft! Otherwise Lucas Paw Paw ointment on your lips before bed has fantastic results!
I also found that my eyes got very dry, I would reccomend keeping eyedrops handy! Other than that, make sure to drink HEAPS of water- more then you are used to so you don't suffer the drying effects as much!
If it gets too bad, ask your doctor to decrease you perscription. I was on the lowest possible doasge (one 10 tablet per day) and my skin still stayed completely clear.
Hope this helps! :)
I used Cetaphil moisterizer on my skin as it's a really natural, unscented moisterizor which is perfect for oily/acne prone skin. As for your lips, Maybelline Baby Lips are so good, they smell amazing and make your lips so soft! Otherwise Lucas Paw Paw ointment on your lips before bed has fantastic results!
I also found that my eyes got very dry, I would reccomend keeping eyedrops handy! Other than that, make sure to drink HEAPS of water- more then you are used to so you don't suffer the drying effects as much!
If it gets too bad, ask your doctor to decrease you perscription. I was on the lowest possible doasge (one 10 tablet per day) and my skin still stayed completely clear.
Hope this helps! :)
Copyright © 2024 Beauty Review. All Rights Reserved. All prices in NZD.
Made with love by bocapa.com
back to top