Roaccutane Diaries | Month One | Skincare

If you read my blog regularly or follow me on Instagram you might have heard me talking about starting Roaccutane (also known as Accutane or more broadly as Isotretinoin) again recently. This will actually be my third time on the drug, the first was when I was about 15, then again when I was 18 and now at the grand old age of 30 (not sure when that happened!).

I’ve struggled with acne basically since puberty hit, I have oily skin and no matter what fancy products I use, antibiotics or vitamins I take, nothing really gets rid of it for long. While in the months following my first two bouts of treatment my skin was clear, slowly my acne came back though not as severely and mostly I could deal with it. For the past year however, it’s been pretty constant and nothing was helping so finally I rang my doctor to enquire about the possibility of going back on the stronger stuff. He told me the waiting list would be months so I made a private dermatology appointment shortly after that to get things moving quicker and finally got my first months’ worth of tablets on 23^rd October and I will be on a six month course!

There are a whole host of tests and questions to answer before starting treatment and a long list of side effects that they go through but this blog post will be the length of a short novel if I go through everything so I’m going to keep it skin orientated! Unfortunately I can’t remember what dose I was on the previous couple of times nor what products I used to help with dry skin so I do feel like I’m starting from fresh! My doctor prescribed me 50mg a day, she normally prescribes 40mg but we discussed the fact I had not experienced any severe side effects (depression etc.) the last two times I was on the drug and coupled with the fact my acne came back, she went higher. Throughout my course I will see the nurses every month before I am prescribed my next month’s supply so should my skin be drying out too much or if I feel any other negative side effects my dosage could change.  

 

Four days in I could not believe how quickly my skin dried out! I had stopped using retinol the week before I started Roaccutane (which is basically a strong dose of Vitamin A) and was avoiding any acids as well but I got in from work one day and couldn’t get over how flaky and tight my skin looked and felt! I took my makeup off straight away and made a few orders for some more hydrating products as I realised a lot of my stash wasn’t as suited to dry and sensitive skin as I first thought and I really wanted to simplify my routine. About two weeks in my skin started purging and I still have some huge boil like spots kicking about on my face which is just the medication working. Overall, my dryness has really settled down and the flaking when I wear makeup is minimal! I’m a serial facial mister at the best of times so I have been doing that even more! 

 

Here's a run-down of what’s been saving my skin the last month! The Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm needs no introduction – it’s the most luxurious and hydrating cleanser that removes makeup with ease! I also picked up the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser to use as a second cleanse and in the mornings and its very simple but effective! I’m all about the hydrating toners and have been reaching for Pyunkang Yul Essene Toner after cleansing. It’s a gel formula and feels so soothing on the skin! I’ll follow with a mist like the Pyunkang Yul Mist Toner to dampen my skin (and to add hydration throughout the day too) before applying Hada Labo Lotion No1 Super Hydrator. This is a huge bottle of hyaluronic acid and it’s been so effective at keeping dry patches at bay! Next, I’ll go in with the I’m From Mugwort Essence which has been a really nice extra step for me considering I usually forget about essences but this is a lovely layer of hydration my skin thanks me for! Following that, I’ll apply the Vichy Mineral 89 serum because you can never have enough hydration then if it’s the morning and I plan to wear makeup, the Bioderma Sebium Hydra* has been amazing underneath! My lips are covered in the Bioderma Atoderm lip balm* at the minute too, it keeps my lips hydrated, lasts well and is perfect underneath a face mask too! 

At night I’ll alternate between my old faithful Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Hydrating Mask or mix some Dermalogica Barrier Defence Booster* with something like the CeraVe Facial Moisturising Lotion. I was also prescribed a very fetching tub of paraffin which I used at the very start as my skin was drying out so quickly overnight however over the past couple of weeks it hasn’t been necessary though I do apply quite a few layers of moisturiser before bed! The Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask has been keeping my lips hydrated and comfortable overnight and lasts through to the morning time which is amazing! 

My body doesn’t feel dry but it took about two weeks for my favourite side effect (apart from clearer skin of course) to kick in and my once greasy scalp that needed washed every other day is now giving me six days of grease free good hair days! No flaky scalp…yet. I have also experienced a couple of nose bleeds which is another side effect of the drug and I don’t think I’ve had a nosebleed since the last time I was on it so that’s fun haha. It always seems to happen when I’m in the middle of doing my makeup – specifically when I am using my BeautyBlender around my nose so I guess that’s why, maybe I need to bounce a bit lighter! 

 

Congratulations if you made it to the end of this bumper post! I’m not sure if I’ll do monthly updates or maybe just one at three and six months but it’s nice to document and hopefully some of the skincare suggestions are helpful to you if you are also on treatment or just experience dry/sensitive skin! Let me know what your favourite products for dry or sensitive skin are! 

 

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me. All opinions are my own. See my full disclosure here. 

 

Danielle xx

 

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