Since writing about my experience with Adult Acne and using Roaccutane in my most recent post. I have been amazed at the amount of people that have gradually reached out via instagram and email, to ask me personally about my experience whilst also sharing their own experiences and the products that they have tried to try and combat their spots. It seems that, I was not as alone as I thought and in fact people all around me, people that I know, have also struggled with spots throughout their adult years. After hearing from so many people, it makes me wonder why ‘Adult Acne’ as a topic is something that is not as widely spoken about, after all, whilst growing up in our teens, having spots and talking about our spots was considered to be a right of passage. Is it because Acne whilst an Adult is not to be considered normal or does not affect as many of us proportionally? Or is it because, we are more self-conscious in our older years, as it is something that is seemed to not be a problem for an adult? Or is it merely because we have more things to worry about that take a forefront in our Adult years?
Who knows really what the answers are for ALL, to these questions. For me, a person who has struggled with Cystic Acne for many years of my adult life. I didn’t really like to talk about it, because I felt hugely self-conscious and didn’t want to draw any further attention to it (hoping that if it wasn’t spoken about then it meant that the bumps weren’t there!), I thought that no-one else my age around me seemed to struggle with it and there were so many other things going on in my life, that it wasn’t the first thing I wanted to talk about with my close friends and family about. I just kept on hoping that it would pass with time and superstitiously thought, that if I didn’t really talk about it, that it would help it to pass quicker.
However, reflecting on my experience, hearing from other peoples experiences and just how many adult skincare products now are geared towards ‘clearer skin’ and not just the atypical ‘anti-wrinkle’ products. I am beginning to realise that Acne is more prevalent in Adults than it ever used to be and interestedly there are many theories online as to why that might be, ranging from our diet, different uses of contraception, the impact of the copper coil, hormones in our water… and the list goes on. That said, there is no definitive answer and having tried to experiment with subtracting many different things from my life and trying the ‘miracle products’ both prescription and the ‘off-the-shelf’ products, it seems that there is not a simple solution either.
As I discussed in my last post, Roaccutane really has had the biggest impact to my skin leaving me spot free for many months. Having just finished my last course only in the last month, I really do hope it has long-lasting results. However as noted in my post, there are many drawbacks to taking the prescription drug, most notably severe dryness/sensitivity to your skin on both your face and body as well as dry lips. To try and overcome these side effects, I had to try quite a few products to work out what worked best for me and helped me to maintain the side effects throughout the six month courses.
For anyone who is considering taking Roaccutane and/or is already taking the drug, I have popped the products that helped me below, in the hope that its saves you money from trying others! And makes your experience on the drug more manageable.
My Roaccutane Skincare Saviours
Day-time Skincare
Kiehls – Oil-free Cleanser
Once you start your course of Roaccutane, its really important that you are giving your skin the best chance of clearing up whilst you are on the drug. Therefore, removing oils from all your skincare products is essential and was one of the first things my Dermatologist told me to do. In addition, one of the other side effects from taking the drug is that your skin can also become very sensitive. I have now been using this cleanser whilst on and off of Roacutanne as its oil-free and gentle on my skin. Even when I have tried other products, I have always come back to this product. Since taking my second course of Roaccutane, I always make sure I double cleanse both morning and night, to make sure my skin is as clean as can be.
Foreo Skin Cleanser tool
I remember stumbling across this tool after seeing people post about this product and its anti-bacterial properties, which stop it harbouring bacteria on the tool. I use this in conjunction with my Kiehls cleanser at night, to ensure my face is clean and all make up is removed from my face too. Before buying the Foreo tool, I used to use a Clarisonic Mia, which I used to swear by, however, over time and especially whilst on Roaccutane I found that this cleanser tool was too abrasive to my skin, especially when it started to feel sensitive.
Kiehls – Oil-free Moisturiser
This is a supplement to the Kiehls Oil-free cleanser and they work great together. After using Roaccutane for one month the skin on my face became very dry. It felt great to be able to smother this moisturiser on my face to soothe it and make it feel more flexible, safe in the knowledge that I was not adding any additional unnecessary oils to my skin. Also, as an added bonus, it serves as a good primer/base to applying makeup straight after moisturising your face.
Elizabeth Arden City Smart SPF
The use of SPF whilst on Roaccutane, is non-negotiable and essential as your skin is more susceptible to the UV rays whilst taking it. This SPF is one of the very few SPFs for your face that does not contain oil, so this was a godsend and also worked well with applying make up straight after its application. Further, the SPF has a skin tone colour and after application it remains clear on the skin and does not apply a ‘white film’ to the face like most SPFs out there.
Elizabeth Arden – 8 hour Cream and Lip Balm
I literally have a tube of this everywhere – at work, by the bed, in the car, in my study and the Living room. Along with the lip balm lipsticks hidden in half a dozen handbags. Seriously, Dry Lips whilst on Roaccutane is a problem! I would wake up every morning, looking as if lips were about to fall off, the skin would peel off and would be very sore and would crack – applying this gel over your lips is literally a saviour! Would highly recommend to those on or off Roaccutane. The only downside, is doesn’t have the best of smells and does leave your licks quite sticky which isn’t the best for the other half! 😉 However, your lips will not be dry and sore – so this is a sacrifice that you will be willing to make!
Night-time skincare
Kiehls – Hydro-plumping Serum
At night time before applying my moisturiser I would apply this serum. It makes your skin feel amazing when you put it on (honestly, no over exaggerating) and its oil-free too. Whilst taking the drug, your skin really doesn’t feel great and apart from there being no spots on your skin, you don’t necessarily feel great about your skin, so applying something to your face that can instantly make your skin feel this great was amazing for me.
Skin Ceuticals – Hydrating B5 Serum
This is by far the most expensive skincare product on this list. I only started to use this four months into taking Roaccutane and would apply this before applying the Kiehls serum described above. They say that the B5 serum helps your skin to absorb and hold onto the serums and moisturiser that you apply to your skin on top. Now, whilst I cannot a-test to this technology, applying the combination of the two definitely got me through the final 2 months of the course and left my skin feeling moisturised and supple.
Laneigie – Sleep Lip mask
Just before I would go to sleep at night, I would apply this sleep mask to my lips to help minimise how sore and dry my lips would feel the following morning. It most definitely doesn’t stop you having the dry lips the following morning, however, when I forgot to apply this the night before, my lips would be so sore the following day. Also an extra plus, the mask has a lovely berry taste which is by far better than the taste of the Elizabeth Arden gel at night, so its a win for both you and your partner.
General Body Care
Lanolin
One of the things I experienced during my course of the treatment after month 2/3 was dry patches of skin, which appeared over different parts of my body, most noticeably on my joints. Where the patches would appear, they were often sore and the skin would split. However, after applying this cream to wherever these patches appeared, three days later, the patches would disappear. Honestly, this is an amazing product and especially for the price. You only have to use it sparingly on the parts of the body that need the treatment. I swear by this product and this will forever live in our bathroom cupboard.
Nature’s Bounty Multivitamin Gummies
One thing I noticed both on my first and second course of treatment, that was I always became ill, often, with cold and flu symptoms. Now, both courses of my treatment started and spanned the winter months, so I am not sure if it was a coincidence, however, I would be ill once a month feeling run down and left with flu like symptoms. When I started to notice this pattern, I ensured I upped my vitamin intake as well as got my flu jab, to ensure that I was in the best possible position to hopefully not be left feeling run down so regularly.
Unfortunately, there is no test to know whether I would have felt worse had I not taken the vitamins, however, there is absolutely no harm in ensuring your body is in its best condition internally to fight whatever might come its way and would highly recommend you taking your vitamins during this period.
Water
Water is your BEST FRIEND whilst on this treatment, as it helps with ALL of your side effects. I aimed to try and drink within 3-4 litres of water per day. I always found that if I drank less than 3 litres of water, that the joint pain I would feel in my back would be more severe and lips/skin would feel more dry. As you go further into the course of your treatment you will find the need to drink more water will be absolutely essential – to be honest, the drinking 3-4 litres of water a day, goes from being a WANT to a NEED and you will voluntarily consume as much water as possible.
The great thing about coming out of the treatment, is that drinking large amounts of water will become a part of your daily routine a new habit that you never tried to achieve but now have in your daily arsenal. There is so many benefits to drinking 3 litres of water a day, that go beyond your skincare – that you will see this new habit as an additional plus from taking Roaccutane, alongside your clear skin. And best of all its completely FREE!
Skin first. Make Up second. Smile Always.
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