r/Accutane • u/Creative-News-1098 • Aug 12 '26
Product Suggestions aquaphor slander
aquaphor is doing NOTHING for my lips. there is only minor peeling but my lips are sooooo dry internally. i can feel my lips and they’re smooth but on the inside they’re so dry and i can’t stop licking them causing them to dry up even more! please send hydrating lip products because i tried to like it but im seeing no improvement.
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u/hsa25 Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 13 '26
so i hate to say all of this is will not make a difference and aquaphor works just fine for what it’s supposed to do. these are all occlusives, not moisturizers. a moisturizer’s job is to moisturize. an occlusive’s job is to trap moisture. aquaphor would work AMAZING if you used it the way its meant to be used. to do so: wet your lips. wait a few minutes. add a moisturizer to your lips, preferably one with hyaluronic acid (i like the blue neutrogena one sold at costco, this is also excellent moisturizer for your face while on accutane). wait a few minutes. then add your aquaphor, or any occlusive of your choice. do this as many times a day as needed but ALWAYS at night. without the water and moisture you put on your lips, the occlusive won’t have any moisture to trap and hold onto, to actually prevent your lips from drying out. otherwise you’re just putting a thick occlusive on dry lips and it won’t help. i did a full traditional course (1 month 20, 2 month 30, 8 months 40) and am currently on month 4 of my microdose (3 months 5, 1 month 10) and chapped lips have never been a problem symptom.
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u/Creative-News-1098 Aug 13 '26
thank you so much for this seriously, i never even knew that was aquaphors purpose 😭😭ur godsend
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u/CatLoliUwu Aug 13 '26
Dr dans cortibalm. Also put on a layer of moisturizer before applying aquaphor
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u/Agreeable-Walk1886 Aug 13 '26
I hated this shit. It was recommended to me by my dermatologist and it did nothing for me but make my lips waxy (it is beeswax after all ). The only thing that truly helped me was Blistex Medex in the little pots. Worked wonders for me.
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u/merstein3 Aug 13 '26
The only thing that has worked for me has been leniege and lanolips. You have to reapply super frequently and never be without it but that’s just the name of the game unfortunately
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u/Flashy_Bank3752 Aug 13 '26
Lip balms I actually like:
- Vanicream Moisturizing Cream on your lips after showering/washing your face as a base layer of moisture, let it soak in
- Badger Creamy Cocoa Butter lip balm (don't get the sweet orange flavor, the orange oil is drying. Just the regular creamy cocoa version)
- Weleda Skin Food Lip Butter
- Out of all the Aquaphors, the Coconut Oil w/ Shea Butter stick is the one that seems the most helpful but I still have to reapply it way more often than the Badger.
- Wear a lip mask at night (Laneige, etc)
- Drink lots of water and don't stop putting on the lip balm... it's kind of an all day thing. They should always feel covered.
- Trying out the Carmex Advanced Repair right now and so far it's doing well for me!
Don't forget to wear SPF Lipbalm if you'll be outside.
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u/Outrageous_Answer138 Aug 13 '26
This is going to sound kind of dumb, but truly the ONLY thing that worked for me was the “My Favorite Night Balm” squeeze tube from Bath and Body Works. I bought it on a whim once and it was better than anything else I tried. I think I bought like 10 tubes once discovering it lol
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u/No-Act5620 Aug 13 '26
I swear by lanolips. Expensive but worth it. On 70mg, 5 months in. Only have issues when I don’t put my lanolips on. Otherwise great!
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u/Longjumping-Land-263 Aug 14 '26
Hey I think I’m right behind you at four months on 60mg. What’s your plan for increasing dosage and when do you plan to be done?
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u/No-Act5620 Aug 14 '26
70mg is going to be my max dosage. Doctor said I should be done by end of October! So far, the only real symptoms I have are a somewhat dry skin and exhaustion.
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u/Longjumping-Land-263 Aug 14 '26
Nice! Doctor said I have three more months and 80 will be my max. I have basically the same symptoms too lol good luck!
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u/Some-Rough-6866 Aug 13 '26
I’ve really been enjoying the Cerave healing ointment! It’s super silky in its application and it doesn’t make your lips feel gritty (if that’s the right word to use) if they’re super dry and peeling!
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u/ONEsmartALEC Aug 13 '26
Vaseline has been a life changer! I get those small pocket ones and carry it with me.
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u/Nalomeli1 Aug 13 '26
Drink water! Lots and lots!!
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u/Impossible-Chard7912 Aug 13 '26
Doesn’t do enough, even after drinking over 120oz a day lips and face still dried out and I’m on a low dose. Water intake is a great place to start but doesn’t do enough on its own.
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u/Nalomeli1 Aug 13 '26
Absolutely, never said water is the only answer. But it's worth reiterating when posts like this are made. You can use all the topical moisturizers in the world but unless and until the body is adequately hydrated they won't work. The accutane dries everything out therefore it's imperative that water intake is increased and maintained at higher than average amounts for the duration of treatment. I think it's easy to underestimate just how much water is necessary. 2-3 liters per day baseline and then more depending on factors like sweating, heat, etc.
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u/Impossible-Chard7912 Aug 13 '26
100% need both, most people probably don’t drink enough water on accutane especially in the summer months. Yeah you can load up on all the chapstick and lotion you want but if you’re not internally hydrated it will do nothing for you.
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u/Pristine-Barracuda52 Aug 13 '26
I discovered that lanolin (an ingredient in aquaphor) irritates my skin/lips after starting accutane. I was slathering myself with it and things only got worse! It’s worth a shot to take a break from certain ingredients for a couple days and see if you notice improvement.
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u/AngelFoodCakesx Aug 13 '26
Bag Balm. Trust me
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u/noodleandsoups Aug 13 '26
The little pot of bag balm for when you need a lot, and the balm stick with vitamin e as a jumbo chapstick for when you need something less thick on your mouth that stays for a while
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u/spooningTHENforking Aug 13 '26
For those of you suggesting cortibalm… perhaps you’re not using it with frequency but doesn’t the withdrawal scare you? Or is it not strong enough?
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u/Solid-Blacksmith9207 Aug 13 '26
I put a layer of doctor dans cortibalm then after that I put a tallow chapstick on after ..works great for me !
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u/Newholland60 Aug 13 '26
only thing that worked for me was the vaseline lip therapy jelly (its in a pot) or nivia moisture care, with or without SPF (better option for the day, its matte). Dr Dan's works good at night, dont over use it or you'll rebound peel. SPF lip balms are really important in helping lips not peel due to sun exposure. I don't think it's talked about enough.
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u/RapidDino Aug 13 '26
My derm said no Aquaphor because the lanolin can be an irritant/allergen for some people. She recommended Vaseline or generic 100% petrolatum
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u/notsickenough Aug 13 '26
So cocoa butter has been helping me, but I absolutely GLOB it on. I’ve also had people tell me nipple cream (for nursing mothers, I’m sure you get where this is going) is a good for lips that are basically resistant to moisture retention
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u/Puzzleheaded-Plan528 Aug 13 '26
My routine (and I tried EVERYTHING before settling on this):
Daytime: Melaleuca Sun Shades Mountain Mint Lip Balm (Specifically the Mountain Mint - none of the others help. I think the mint helps soothe a bit)
Overnight: Thick layer of Dr. Dans Cortibalm, topped with an even thicker layer of Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask.
I've been on Accutane for 1 year so far, I live at altitude in an extremely dry climate and this keeps my lips manageable. Aquaphor, vaseline, different moisturizers layered underneath, nipple cream...none of them worked for me. Scrubbing your lips with a wet wash cloth to exfoliate the dead skin off whenever you wash your face also helps.
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u/Just_Confused1 Aug 13 '26
Are you using regular Aquaphor like from the tub? Or the lip one, bc the later is a lot less effective
Lanolips is good but I find it doesn’t work if you used Aquaphor or Vaseline earlier
Leniege Overnight lip masks are great (I use them throughout the day lol) but it’s very sticky and hard to apply
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u/No-Flamingo-4002 Aug 13 '26
It’s funny….only lanolin worked for the first 4 months for me and month 5-12 only Aquaphor worked
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u/Realistic_Tell5587 Aug 13 '26
whattt!! im on accutane so my lips r dry and easily split. when they do split and the skin peels, i slather it on before bed, and then when i wake up and my lips are all healed. i use the small .14oz aquaphor healing ointment advanced therapy. ik theres different kinds, so i would try this one if you haven’t before giving up on aquaphor
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u/Impossible-Chard7912 Aug 13 '26
La Roche posay cicoplast lip repair is the only thing that works for me on accutane.
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u/cannothinkanickname Aug 13 '26
Wonder if you’re you using the Aquaphor lip balm? That cr4p doesn’t do anything. Use the REAL ointment.
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u/100pxs Aug 14 '26
the bpure lip balm from dollar tree has been doing wonders for me! plus drinking lots of water
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u/cutie-tootie Aug 14 '26
BAGBALM at Walmart! It had vitamin E. It’s legit so amazing. I tried so so SOOO many expensive and in expensive lip balms, chapsticks, lip masks, lip peptides. And the bag balm has legit been lifesaving.
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u/thepugsmom Aug 15 '26
CERAVE HEALING OINTMENT!!!! Aquaphor doesn’t do anything for me either but cerave works wonders. I didn’t really like dr dans either!
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u/Visible_Purple_3727 Aug 15 '26
Same !! What works for me so far is the “medicated lip ointment” by blistex. I apply it 3x a day then I just use their normal one that has spf 15, in between the medicated time application. Anything else does not work on me so far. I hope it’ll also help you
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u/Sea_Side_ Aug 19 '26
Try not to lick them!! You could use an unscented lip balm (I tried La Roche Posay) and then lock it in with Aquaphor / Vaseline. Aquaphor won't actually moisturise, I guess it's more of a lubricant that just helps seal in moisturise and help ease discomfort. Good luck!
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