[SimplyElegant]

Baking soda and water is as gentle as it gets for a scrub.
Persa gel is by clean and clear I think. It's 2.5% salicylic acid.

[Loreal]

hm. thanks i have heard about the baking soda deal...is that what you do? does it work pretty good?? just for like getting flakes off....

[Dragonfly]

I'm a big fan of using baking soda to exfoliate. I do it every other week.
Mix 1 tsp of baking soda with 1 tblspoon of cleanser and create a paste.
Rub gently into face for a minute, then rince well.
I have had to do a quick cleanse if I feel that some of the baking soda wasn't rince off.

This article comes from the Dermatology Blog:
Facial Scrubs: Too Much of A Good Thing | The Derm Blog

[Loreal]

Okay yay! Thanks so much for your help.
I have been off accutane for about a week and a half...so far so good... =]

[Dragonfly]

Your skin is going to look beautiful for a long time!

Have any of the unwanted side affects faded away?

I think mine went away after a week or two. I had poor night vision and couldn't wear my contacts while on Accutane.

[Loreal]

Some of the reddness is fading.. the derm said that it will fade for the whole month... currently my skin is pretty much perfectly clear... .no actual spots at all. My skin is sort of discolored naturally..soo... but someone complimented me on my skin the other day... a first! =]
the achyness and everything seems to be going away too!! i played volleyball for 7 hours the other day and i was fine! which is big for me.

[Loreal]

2 weeks completely zit freeeeee.... wooooo!!! =]

*knock On Wood

[magosienne]

yay !!

[sunshine28]

i just got off accutane last month, i couldnt live without eucerin face lotion, its the only thing that didnt irritate my skin and made it oh so soft, i also used their face wash kinda hard to find though but i love it as well, the accutane made my skin really dry and red and the eucerin face wash calmed it down alot, but besides the dry skin i think having dry lips was the worst, i always had aquaphor on me, but i found out that carmax chapstick worked really well, and alot longer than aquaphor, though it tasted kinda funny, well worth it though, ive had really amazing results with accutane, a few headaches along the way but the end results are so worth it, GOOD LUCK!

[juhlinanoy]

Your skin is looking great. My younger brother and sister had taken accutane and they had great results! There main problems in side affects were also chapped lip's and dried skin.

[SweetLikeSin]

Wow, I quickly browsed through this page to see your progress and the end result is beautiful. You skin looks great! I'm so glad the Accutane worked for you, and now you've got gorgeous, clear skin!

[bC_0614]

WOWW =O ur skin looks so smooth!!!! n good job for sticking w/ accutance despite all the side affects!! So what are u exactly using after it?? anything in paticular??

[Laura-M]

I'm approaching the end of my course and I cannot believe the difference it has made. I was quite lucky with the side effects (just dryness) but I cannot wait to be done.

Has anyone got any guidance on appropriate skincare products when I finish taking the pills? I am thinking of splashing out on some high quality stuff to keep my skin looking great. I've used Yonka and loved it but wonder if anybody has any other suggestions?

Nubia, just wanted to add that your dermatologist is probably waiting to see how you react to it. If a lower dose works for you, that's the best way I think!

[Loreal]

Thanks everyone! =]
Still clear! Today is a good day!
I've just been washing my face with Cerave cleanser (similar to Cetiphil) morning and night and using Dove Deep Moisture Moisturizer. At night I use Persa Gel (off brand...exact same thing 2 bucks cheaper..hah) on my cheeks. About once a week (ish) I use baking soda, my cleanser, and warm water as a scrub. And that's all! It's Great! Pictures eventually...sorry...
Thanks for reading and commenting!! Good luck with everyone thats doing Accutane!

[HAZELLBOO]

After reading your log, I am definately making an appt at the Derm to discuss Accutane. I can't wait to see your latest picts!
Also, does anyone know if there is any difference in the generic and the brand Accutane? Does one give less side effects, etc?

Hazellboo

[CellyCell]

Your skin is looking real good. Congrats on being zit free! lol.

[Dragonfly]

Hazel, have a talk with your pharmacist. He/she will help you with those kinds of questions at no cost to you. Accutane, generic or otherwise, has a lot of side effects so you want to make sure you fully understand the medication from a professional.

[HAZELLBOO]

Hi,
I saw my Dermatologist today and she decided to put me on Differin Gel, Duac Cream, and Bactrim for 3 months first. I was kinda happy, because I really am scared of Accutane.

The only thing is Im not supposed to use my glycolic peels with the Differin Gel. This is upsetting because the peel I did on Monday has really made a difference in just 4 days!

Im also going to wait to take the Bactrim antibiotics and the Duvac cream because I've heard bad things about Sulfa drugs, and the Duvac cream has benzoyl peroxide, which I hate. I hoping the Differin works on it's own.

I also have Tamanu oil coming in the mail soon.

Hazellboo

[Loreal]

Good luck everyone!!! It's so worth it
still cleearrrr!!!! =]=]=]
Im a fan of persa gel. although i save a whole entire dollar with the off-brand. =]

now i just wash my face and go!! (with a light layer of persa at night when i feel like it or remember)

[Andi]

Hi,
I saw my Dermatologist today and she decided to put me on Differin Gel, Duac Cream, and Bactrim for 3 months first. I was kinda happy, because I really am scared of Accutane.

The only thing is Im not supposed to use my glycolic peels with the Differin Gel. This is upsetting because the peel I did on Monday has really made a difference in just 4 days!

Hm what you´re actually supposed to do is lay off the Differin for like 2 days before you do a peel. I`ve read that in an article by a dermatologist as well as done it myself. I have used Differin for almost a year now, and my glycolic peels are 40%.
The peels actually make following treatments more effective, since the layer of dead skin cells is being removed by the peel. So whatever you use afterwards (well, not directly afterwards of course. But you can use Differin 1-2 days after the peel) will penetrate the skin better.
Also, if you´re a regular Retinoid user, your skin will benefit from the peels much more, as Retinoids kind of "thin" the skin anyway, and speed up micro-exfoliation.

Btw, I have actually had great success in fading my hyperpigmentation with MaMa Lotion (do a search in this forum, there are a couple of threads on it already). For some reason the Glycolic peels kinda stopped working for me after a while, so I switched to MaMa for a while, and now I´m also using the Glycolic again.
And my skin is finally much more even toned now! yay