Accutane Survival Products

I remember searching high and low to find products that would help combat the Accutane side effects. I used to find products people recommend through acne.org and heavily research them to ultimately be discouraged by the price and fact that I had to order it online. Through a lot of trial and error, I found products that worked beautifully and helped me get through it easier. Majority of them are drugstore products that are affordable too!

The Basics

As you continue through your Accutane plan, your skin will slowly get drier. You'll first notice it in your lips,  then you'll notice your nose flaking, perhaps a nose bleed, and then your body will feel dry. You really want to find products that are moisturizing! You can back away from the drying acne directed products and stick to gentle products.

Your face is going to go through a lot of changes through your journey! Toward the last few months of your journey you might be pleasantly surprised by the change of having less active acne. Yes, I'm sure you'll have some scarring that'll take a little to fade, but just the fact of no big pimples with multiple taunting heads staring at me was good enough for me!

Moisturizing Face Products

CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion - This is a great drugstore face moisturizer. I still use it to help my skin year round and during the cold Northeast winter months. It's gentle (non-irritating and non-comedogenic) and is great for sensitive skin. You can easily find this at drugstores in the face wash section. I remembered to use this everyday  in the morning after I washed my face and at night time, after removing my makeup. After it absorbs, it is fine to wear under makeup. Trust me, you won't want to miss a day of moisturizing!

Note: If you are going to wear this under your makeup during the day, make sure your foundation has SPF to protect your fragile skin from the sun. If not, CeraVe and Cetaphil have great moisturizers with SPF to wear during the day.

Desert Essence Jojoba Oil - I found this recommendation on one of the Accutane boards on acne.org. I am so happy that I did because it is a miracle product. After I washed my face and pumped out one pump of my moisturizer, I would put 2 drops of this oil in my hand and mix it together. Then I'd apply it to my face and go to sleep! I'd recommend using this only at night or else you'll look super oily. If my lips were super bad I would put one drop on my finger and apply it to my lips as my lip treatment for the night. It's a great oil and helps your skin get a drink of needed moisture. 

Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil - I've always had a love for products with Tea Tree Oil. I still use this and a tea tree toner very often. This product is what I used for spot treating. If I got really aggravated at a blemish, I would place this on top of it at night time after my moisturizer. I really felt like it'd make a difference and some of my friends love using it for spot treatment as well. However, be warned that the smell can be strong!

Korres Wild Rose Advanced Sleep Facial - I originally got this product as a little sample packet from Sephora. Needless to say, I fell in love with it and got the chance to get the full size in one of Sephora's holiday value packs. This is a very moisturizing mask that I used specifically at night. I felt like it gave my face some life by moisturizing it and by making it not look so dull. If you love the smell of roses, you'll like this! With that said, it does have fragrance, but I don't feel like it's so overpowering where it gives you a headache. This is certainly a treat for your face. Probably used this about once a week when I wasn't doing my jojoba oil.

CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser - This probably is my all time favorite cleanser. You can find this at the drugstore and use it all year round even when you're not dry. This can work great with your Clarisonic! I thought this was very nice because it wasn't a drying face wash, but really got everything off. It makes your face feel a little less dry and makes the process of washing your face a little less dreadful. 

Ponds Cold Cream Cleanser  - This little gem really does remove every bit of my makeup. Okay, it can be a little messy to use, but it works! What I do is I'll grab some on my finger, dab it around my face, and rub it in. Then once it's rubbed in well, I will wipe it all off with a damp wash towel. After that, I will proceed to cleanse my face with my CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser. It does leave your face feeling hydrated! I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I prefer it more than cleanser alone or a makeup wipe. It also isn't abrasive like a Clarisonic can be.

Body Products

Dove Deep Moisture Nourishing Body Wash - This is a body wash you will have to try to see how good it feels! It has a nice fragrance and helps your skin feel moisturized when you step out of the shower. I felt like this helped my body feel not so "tight" and itchy. Lathers and doesn't leave behind that residue feel like some body washes can. I'd highly recommend to use this even during the winter months when the air is very dry and cold.

Vaseline Total Moisture Cocoa Butter Lotion - This lotion has just the right consistency and is perfect for dry skin. I've always loved the smell of cocoa butter, so that was an added plus for me. I used this after I dried off from my shower to double up on the moisturize. It was great to put over my legs after they were shaved. I felt like it made them butter soft! This was great because I didn't feel like it was a product that sat on my skin and didn't sink in. It was drank up quickly and I didn't feel like it was still wet under my clothes.

Smiths Minted Rose Lip Balm - This is a great find that you can find in the to-go section at Sephora! For a Sephora lip balm, it's not that more expensive than something at a drugstore. You get a decent amount of product for the price tag. I opted for the Minted Rose, but they also have regular rose and Strawberry! The mint is not overbearing, so for people with lips that are sensitive to mint, I don't think this will be a offensive balm for you. It was hydrating and great for my flaky lips! If I didn't have this on me, a GREAT drugstore alternative is Aquaphor. I had Aquaphor in every single one of my jeans pockets because it was easy to love and carry.

Other Helpful Products

Visine - I didn't have a big problem with this, but dry eyes can be a side effect. Sometimes my eyes would get red and dry feeling so I'd just drop some Visine in my eyes. I used to use drops for my contacts, but always hated the impact of the drop on my eyeball. There are techniques to make it less ... traumatizing.

Saline Nasal Spray - Well, if your eyes dry up, your nose probably will too! I had a few bloody noses, but mainly it was bloody nasal secretions and feeling tight. Whenever it felt tight in there, I was paranoid about getting a bloody nose in class, so I'd just use my nasal spray in the bathroom. I made sure to swap out my bottle frequently because I was a germaphobe about it.

I hope that this article can be a helpful guide to anyone who stumbles upon it at any point in time. I remember I couldn't really find a straight forward guide like this with decently priced products when it was my time. Hopefully, it helped you discover new products even if you just suffer from dry skin and are not on Accutane!

No matter when you find this, if you are struggling with your journey feel free to message me or comment below! 

--Linh