6 months sounds like a long time to be on a medicine. Well trust me, it seems much longer when that medicine has side effects that include: dry & peeling skin, eczema, increased sensitivity to the sun, muscle and joint pain, dry eyes & scalp, & tangly hair.
For the 6 months that I was on Accutane, I dealt with all of these side effects. In order to manage and prevent them, I made changes to my daily routine.
Now that I am no longer on the medicine, some of those changes have become healthy daily habits that will follow me throughout my life.
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drinking water
- Staying hydrated while on Accutane is pivotal. It helps lessen joint pain and helps the skin maintain some moisture. During my treatment, I made it a point to try to drink at least 60 ounces of water a day. Drinking water is definitely a habit of mine now. I honestly crave water throughout the day (which sounds very weird but it’s true! haha).
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using SPF daily
- Accutane made my skin extremely sensitive to sunlight. During my treatment, I had to wear sunscreen on a daily basis in order to prevent unnecessary sun damage and lobster-esque sunburns.
- SPF is an important player in any attempt to prevent signs of aging, so now, I still wear SPF on my face, neck, and decollete every day. Depending on what I am doing that day and how much I plan on being outside will dictate which SPF I pick up in the morning. Usually, I wear this Andalou Naturals Ultra Sheer Daily Defense Facial Lotion SPF 18, 2.7 Ounce
but sometimes I’ll wear CeraVe Sunscreen Face Lotion SPF 50 2 oz with Zinc Oxide, Niacinamide and Ceramides for Broad Spectrum Sun Protection
either in spf 30 or 50.
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taking daily vitamins
- Accutane is an oral retinoid that you take, depending on your prescribed dosage, once or twice a day. I took 40 mg once a day for the first month and then 40 mg twice a day every month afterward. Now I use this habit to take supplements and vitamins. I’m currently taking Fish Oil, Biotin, Magnesium, & a Women’s Multi-Vitamin.
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moisturizing my body
- Before Accutane, I hardly ever applied body lotions. However, during the 6 months of treatment, if I didn’t apply a lotion or body butter daily, I would break out in little eczema patches. It was easiest for me to moisturize my body right after the shower. Now I’m so used to it, I moisturize my whole body every night.
- Right now, I am absolutely loving Andalou Naturals Body Lotion in Clementine Ginger and Body Butter in Kukui Cocoa (which smells like chocolate and is my favorite out of the two!).
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using oils on my skin & hair
- I came to love oils long before my Accutane treatment, but boy, did they save me while on the medicine. I useDesert Essence Organic Jojoba Oil — 4 fl oz
for my face and hair and NOW Avocado Oil, 16-Ounce
for mainly my body, but occasionally my hair too.
- I use Jojoba oil as an oil treatment on my hair once or twice a week and I mix Avocado oil with my body lotion or butter in my hand and apply it to my body after I shower.
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not washing my hair every day
- Having long hair is a struggle, but having long hair while on Accutane is a true test of patience and will 🙂 The dryness of my ends rivaled with that of the dunes of the Sahara and no amount of jojoba oil seemed to remedy it completely. Since I so desperately needed any natural oils that I could come by, washing my hair every day became completely out of the question. During my treatment, I was able to go 5-6 days without washing my hair and let me tell you it was awesome. It has never taken me so long to get through a bottle of shampoo and conditioner before.
- About 3 months after I stopped taking Accutane, my scalp began producing oil again. Now, I only wash my hair every 2 or 3 days.
- To make 2nd & 3rd-day hair look presentable, I use Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Dusting Powder, 4.5oz
as dry shampoo. I really like this baby powder because it smells amazing, is talc free, and absorbs oil really well.
I hope you guys found this post helpful!
For a more in-depth look at my Accutane experience, check out my blog post, My Accutane Story & Survival Kit!
Like or comment if you’d like to see my post-Accutane skin care routine!
*As always, I was not paid to talk about any of these products, just wanted to share with you guys which products I’m using! 🙂
Love always,
I have found that applying and rubbing in almond oil (provided there isn’t a nut allergy) absorbed better and had longer lasting moisture than jojoba. And almond oil is great for tightening saggy skin, if you have that. Also, applying mango butter after the almond or jojoba oil absorbed provided natural sun protection and kept the scaley flakes away. Argon oil for the hair after 3 to 4 days not washing (that is absolutely my favorite!) Any oil with Aquaphor on top seems to be the only thing to soothe my lips.
I do love almond oil too! And I will definitely have to give the mango butter a try! Thanks for the tips! 😀