The most common side effect of taking isotretinoin is dry lips. It’s something I’ve experienced in varying degrees dependent on what dose of medication I’ve been taking, but it has been a constant. As soon as I’ve been on anything over 30mg I’ve had to pay close attention to keeping my lips moisturised or they’ve simply peeled off, cracked and bled. I woke up in the middle of the night a couple of days ago because my top lip had cracked – the pain woke me! I’ve also woken on a few different occasions to find streaks of blood on my lower lip.
So, what have I tried to keep them moist, and what has worked best?
Neutrogena Immediate Repair Lip Balm is in a little tub. It takes a little bit of use for it to soften up so it feels like you’re getting a decent amount on your finger tip to rub on your lips, but once it has I found it pretty effective. It certainly does offer immediate relief and it improves the appearance of extremely dry lips as well as making them feel more comfortable.
Carmex SPF 15 Cherry Lip Balm is another one which I’ve got in a tub, though it’s also available in a stick and a squeezy tube. I actually bought this because I’d lost my Neutrogena and the branch of Boots I was in didn’t have any… so I punted on Carmex (I chose cherry because I like the smell, but they have a plain version too). For a start, this stuff smells delicious – my boyfriend loves it! I have to say this one is an absolute winner. I need to use it about half as often as the Neutrogena to keep my lips feeling moist and supple, and they look so much healthier since I’ve started using it!
Blistex Intensive Moisturiser wasn’t too bad, but it drove me a little bit batty to be honest. It’s easy to squirt far too much out, and even if you don’t, it’s easy to end up with very visible smears of white goo all over your lips. It feels quite greasy, and feels as if it’s just sitting on top of your lips rather than actually absorbing in. It did the job well enough if I couldn’t lay my hands on either of the above, but I wouldn’t really recommend it.
Blistex Lip Splash is rubbish, to be quite blunt. It smells a bit strange and leaves lips feeling wet and unpleasant. When your lips are peeling off in chunks, the roller ball can get caught on the dry bits and rip them off, which is not a nice experience at all.
Vaseline Lip Therapy is a must for anyone taking isotretinoin. It isn’t so good for moisturising your lips, but it’s great at protecting them. I’ve been trying to remember to slick some on at night to prevent my lips cracking while I’m asleep. I’ve also got a pot of the rosy tinted version, which is great for girls! I find that having to put lip balm on 8-10 times a day kind of renders lipstick pointless, so a tinted vaseline can come in very handy.
Chapstick is okay, but it’s not really up to the challenge of isotretinoin lips! I find it sometimes makes mine feel a bit drier, in fact.
I’d love to hear about your experiences with any other brands of lip balms and moisturisers!
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