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I’ve written a bunch here about my Accutane baggage (like in this post about the Neoclear laser). I had a pretty bad go of it with severe acne in my teens, but after my brother’s experience with Accutane treatment, they decided not to put me through it. 

I don’t know which of us ended up better off! Accutane is effective, but it’s a real beast of a treatment. And one of the most challenging parts of living with Accutane is the dryness. Isotretinoin users (that’s Accutane) basically stop all oil production in your oil glands. It does come back, but a lot of Accutane users seem to never get it back fully. I’m mixed about this honestly! Getting your skin’s oil production cut down significantly in your teens will help acne-prone skin, but it may not be ideal to have dry skin when you begin skin aging!

So, anyway, since I’ve talked about Accutane elsewhere, we’re not going to beat around the bush in this post. In this order, here is:

• the best chapstick for Accutane
• a dupe for the best chapstick for Accutane
• and a chapstick for Accutane that I would never recommend

​The best chapstick for Accutane is Lanolips, hands down. 

If you’re looking for a purchase-and-go solution for dry accutane lips, start with Lanolips.

Yes, it is more expensive than whatever you bought at the drugstore that didn’t work. But it is the best lip balm for Accutane or anyone else with extremely dry, flaky lips, and it will bring comfort to your face and peace to your mind and everything else that you are looking for. If you opt for the original, you can apply this sucker to your entire face, your ashy knees, wherever. And the occlusive ingredients will prevent moisture loss from your skin. I truly love their lip treatments. My favorite is the tinted baby rose gold linked below. 

So, the cost is more than you may have expected to spend. You’re not buying eighteen of these to leave them everywhere like you do with that other brand that costs a dollar. But you’ll apply it less, and you won’t have to worry about the side effects of petroleum jelly getting in your mouth. 

Some people describe the smell of lanolin as plasticky, but I think it smells like, well, sheep. So one of the perks of the Lanolips lines is that they have an added fragrance that is going to sort of balance or cover that smell. (The truth is that if a product doesn’t have that smell, it’s fake. Or it’s like a tiny percentage of lanolin.) To me the smell is fine, and i had no problem using the plain stuff, but I do think that it’s probably safest to start with a scented product, as long as you can tolerate fragrance. 

The one drawback of lanolin, the main ingredient in this product: some people are allergic to it. If you’re allergic to wool, this is not going to be the product for you! For most people, a lanolin allergy just manifests as itching, but because it can be serious or get serious, avoid this product if you’re allergic. About 1-2% of the population is allergic to lanolin. 

(BTW, this post is not sponsored, I just sincerely love this product.)

If the cost is too much or you feel like you really need a zillion options, here’s my favorite Lanolips dupe!

Best dupe chapstick for Accutane

Okay, if you’re open to the idea of lanolin as a protective barrier on your skin that prevents water loss, but the price is a sticking point, here’s a dupe:

Okay, yes, the tube is going to say nipple cream. I know that there are young men reading this post who scrolled past the Lanolips because the packaging is girly, and now they’re finding that the alternative says ‘nipple cream’. So here’s a different lip balm that’s a nondescript option for the guys. It’s also got Vitamin E in it.

 

But really, if you’re looking for something more cost-effective than the Lanolips, it’s going to say nipple cream. But you’re not going to have dry lips anymore! 

There are a lot of DIY options with the Lansinoh once you have it! You can put it in a lip gloss container and mix in your favorite lipstick for custom lip products. Or, you can tint it with an oil-based food coloring. 

I really love lanolin as an ingredient and would highly recommend it. It also makes a great lip mask overnight. You can also apply plain lanolin all over your face after hyaluronic acid sheet masks for your most hydrated skin. 

And the chapstick I don’t recommend for Accutane users

Okay, Dr Dan’s Cortibalm is out there with a marketing BLITZ. I started putting my links together for this post and all of a sudden those ads were EVERYWHERE for me. 

And it’s not that the product doesn’t work, because it does. However: the Cortibalm product is a steroid. And even on the packaging and on their website, it says it’s for short-term use. But a lot of people, when they’re dealing with the side effects of Accutane, get something that works and then don’t want to give it up, or can’t. There are a lot of acocunts in the Accutane subreddit of people having to wean themselves off Cortibalm. I also don’t love that the website says “may be used safely for long periods of time with the approval of a physician”. 

Honestly, none of the reviews on Amazon reflect people saying “I use this for less than ten days and then stop for three months”. They’re using it constantly, and the side effects of that could be serious!

The potential side effects of using a topical steroid in the long term include skin thinning and dependency. So, I’m not saying that this product doesn’t work — I’m saying that it’s an absolute last resort. It might leave you worse off a few weeks later.