Prescribed Roaccutane - recommend me a moisturiser and SPF please

[CleanQueen123]

After a long battle with my GP I've finally spoken to a dermatologist who has prescribed Roaccutane.

I've been researching it for a while so know I need decent moisturiser and SPF.

Can anyone with experience of Roaccutane recommend me some please? As budget friendly as possible. Thank you

DD used Cetaphil products and any factor 50 sun screen.

I used Superdrug solait spf 50 for the face, pick up some own brand nipple cream too for lip dm then I used Aldi day cream when needed. Think it was the over 50 one?.

Pick up some own brand hypermellose eye drops for dry eye days, just in case they get dry.

I took mine at night so I slept though the worst of it 😀.

Thank you. I thought my days of needing nipple cream were over now I'm not breastfeeding but back to it I go

How did you find the other side effects? I won't lie, the potential decline in my mental health isn't something I'm looking forward to but I'm hoping I can ride it out.

No side effects except dry skin and a susceptibility to hyper pigmentation. Asda do a 50+ sun cream which is stronger. The bad side effects make headlines but done affect everyone

I was a bit tired and my baby hair around my hairline came out but came back and it didn’t look like I was going bald or anything.

I’d take it again.

Thanks @TeamWTF. It's difficult to know what to do based on what's online.

I do have a history of depression and anxiety and I'm currently seeing a counsellor. My mental health is the best it's been for a long time so I'm hoping I'll be one of the ones not impacted by mental health issues.

I took it a long time ago when I was early 20s, I didn't find any of the side effects too awful if I am honest. Dry skin and lips were tolerable and usual moisturiser plus SPF50 facial sunscreen were fine. Worst part for me was skin getting worse from weeks 3-8 - the cystic spots and pain was horrendous.

Definitely worth it and if I were to go back in time, I would have done it sooner than I did. I was so scared that I kept putting it off and returning to doctor for alternative acne treatments which were of no use to me

Thank you @Fluffycloudland77 and @riddles26.

I've been going to the GP on and off for 8 years and nothing they've tried has worked. I'm at the stage now where I'm prepared to take the risk and give it a try. It seems to have a very high success rate so hopefully it works for me.

Didn’t say earlier but I had 2 courses as it was v slow to work (it had only just started at the end) but it was soo worth it. I made the mistake some years later of having a facial peel to try and get rid of some of the scars I have and that gave me hyperpigmentation so don’t make my mistake. Also, you can’t get pregnant at all because of birth defect issues. Without any medical training I’d say go for it but be mindful of how you’re feeling on a day to day basis. My understanding is that the mood effects are very low risk.
“Latest figures from the Medicines and Healthcare Regulation Authority show that the active ingredient of the drug, Isotretinoin, has been implicated in reports of 878 psychiatric disorders, including 44 suspected suicides, since it was registered in 1983.“ I THINK I’ve read only 14 of them were female but not sure how many have been prescribed it but

@TeamWTF I'm currently very very single so no risk of pregnancy but the doctor has very clear that two methods of contraception need to be used if I do meet someone.

The mental health side effects are what's been putting me off but equally awful skin isn't helping my mental health either so I think it's worth a go.

Looking online it does seem to impact teenagers and young men particularly far more than it impacts adult women.

My family know I'm going to be taking it and I've told them to tell me if they notice any change in my mood.

I was on Roaccutane many years ago and it worked wonders on my very stubborn acne, which has never returned. I do remember having a lot of cool showers when my skin felt a bit itchy, so worth it though.

First if you wear SPF or full make up you should cleanse it off by double cleansing.

First cleanse is to remove the spf / make up and second cleanse it to clean your skin.

I like bioderma micellar for my first cleanse as I find it gentle and effective. As you have acne I would avoid any heavy oil based removers (they'll be fine once your skin clears up) My skin is very fussy with cleansers. (quite often though in the evenings if I'm tired I find my skin is quite happy with just using the Bioderma as I use it till the pads are clear)

For a second cleanse and morning cleanse in the shower, there are many out there, I like Dermalogica special cleansing gel. The bottle is 250ml and lasts for ages as you only need a small amount. (I buy mine directly from their website). You could use this as a first and a second cleanse ie wash your face twice with this product in the evenings. You can also try Neutrogena hydro boost gel cleanser.

As for SPF I like ultrasun face (can buy this anywhere) and Frezyderm ( I bought from Amazon, dont use this under foundation though as too silicone) - I use 30 spf as I find 50 spf never agrees with my skin.

For moisturiser I often just use Superdrug Simply Pure hydrating serum on its own.

My skin is a bit awkward with moisturisers and hates most of them. It likes origins ginseng gel and Clinique moisture surge. It also likes Dermalogica skin smoothing moisturiser. You can also try Neutrogena hydro boost moisturiser.

If you dont like the sound of any of the above then try products by La Roche Posay and Vichy which you can buy in Boots.

Have a good read up on the snail threads on here in S&B. They are very knowledgeable.

As for foundation I like Lancome - teint idole or Clarins - everlasting and CYO - lifeproof long-lasting which is brilliant for the price.

My DS and DD use clearasil ultra facewash and Neutrogena clear and defend face wash. Neither of which dry our skin out at all. They also use the clearasil ultra rapid wipes esp my DS. This may be too strong for you?!? I dont know.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/3907867--Fantastic-Skincare-Vanities-Are-The-New-Shelf-Porn

I just used Aldi cream. Did the job.

I guess it's all down to how sensitive your skin is to products. Mine is very sensitive and can break out with most products esp cheaper ones hence my in-depth previous post which is based on years of trial and error.

Thanks all.

My main problem with any moisturiser is that my skin is just so oily that all moisturiser seems to make it greasy. The only thing I've ever found that doesn't is Lidl aloe vera after sun gel

I've tried so many cleaners and moisturisers over the years that have ended up in the bin because they make my skin too dry/too oily/clog my pores/cause breakouts.

I dread to think how much money I've spent.

I use Aldi's moisturiser with spf included, add their spf 50 sunscreen

DS used Aquaphor as a face moisturiser and Gold Bond as a body moisturiser and Carmex for lips. He smeared Vaseline in his nostrils.

A friend of DD2's used Aquaphor too, and stopped using shampoo (switched to conditioner only) as her scalp got very itchy. She did the Vaseline up the nose thing too.

Aquaphor is recommended for toddlers' chapped skin here (US midwest where we get wind that would skin a brass monkey in winter). It rarely irritates skin.

I think Lidl do a version of Aldi's face cream. I'll see if I can find it. My nearest Aldi is miles away.

I've seen others recommending the Vaseline up the nose thing. Luckily I've got plenty of that kicking around already.

I've also got a big bottle of Oilatum which doesn't seem to irritate although it is very thick. I guess it depends how dry my skin gets.

Get some stronger than normal pain killers like co codamol, I had one night of back ache and only co codamol worked.

I still don’t use moisturiser now I’m off it. My skin isn’t as oily as it used to be but it’s stil oily 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Thanks @Fluffycloudland77. I think I've got some actually so I'll put that aside in case of aches and pains.

It's good to see so many people saying it's worked for them and was worth the side effects.

Cetaphil daily moisturiser with spf50 was my go to when on Roaccutane. During the winter towards the end of my treatment Aquaphor Healing Ointment at night was the only thing that helped when my skin started cracking, also helped my lips at night and stopped the cracking at the corners of my lips 😊 Still use both now 3 years on. Dr Dan's Cortibalm for lips was also a life saver - had to buy on Ebay as it's American but it saved my lips

Thanks @Slowturtle. I think it's going to be a bit more trial and error but I've got some good starting points now.

Aquaphor healing ointment was my saviour for lips, I also layered it on any really dry areas on face and hands. I left tubes of the stuff everywhere.

For a moisturiser I used the Avene rich skin recovery cream; it's often on 3 for 2 in Boots. I was extremely aware of avoiding any dryness so used both the aquaphor and avene religiously; I think the key is to avoid dryness before it gets cracked and sore.
Hands down I wish I'd done roaccutane 15 years before; I had low level hormonal acne but it was persistent. It worked when nothing else did.

Good luck!