Accutane is no joke. Before even going on the medication you have to take a blood test, pregnancy test, be using at least two methods of birth control, and discuss any past history of mental illness. Despite all this, I was desperate to get on the medication that has been referred to by many as a miracle. I’ve been battling constant hormonal cystic acne since middle school. It was painful, embarrassing, and both the breakouts and the red marks they left behind steadily chipped away at my already low self esteem. After years of trying every nearly every acne product on the market, prescription topicals, antibiotics, and spironolactone, last December my dermatologist and I were ready to take the plunge and turn to Accutane.

The medication changed my life, my skin is the clearest it’s ever been and my confidence reflects that, but it’s hell on your body. Accutane is essentially a huge dose of Vitamin A that is absorbed into your blood, and much like applying a topical retinol, taking Accutane can make your skin very dry and sensitive. It basically sucks all the moisture out of my whole body. This leads to flaky skin, split lips, dry itchy eyes, and in my case, nosebleeds at the worst possible times (including debuting a new white shirt and on the dance floor on a Saturday night).

While the nosebleeds were unfortunately inevitable, I had a small army of products to aid me in the fight against dehydrated, flaky skin, the MVP being Weleda Skin Food, a thick, glorious cream that borders on a balm-like texture. It has almost a waxy feel, but sinks into your skin and doesn’t leave a greasy residue, just a cushion of luxurious moisture. It has a nice herbal smell that’s not cloying, but a little medicinal.

If it sounds familiar that’s probably because Skin Food is one of the OG all-natural products. It’s been around for nearly a century and is the stuff beauty editors, makeup artists, and influencers rave about. Our deputy editor even refers to it the “$20 La Mer” because of how luxurious it feels. The base is made of beeswax and healing oils, and it also contains chamomile and calendula, two of my favorite calming ingredients, which helped soothe my dry, irritated skin and any lingering acne I was dealing with.

Although this cream is super moisturizing on it’s own, I found the best way to use Skin Food was as part of my night routine as a sealant to lock in everything I layered underneath. I would start with a hyaluronic acid serum, add an oil (usually rosehip), and then add a generous layer of Skin Food on top to seal in moisture and create a barrier, almost like a sleeping mask.

I also rely on it on super flaky days in the morning, where I apply a thin layer over a moisturizing serum. It smooths over any scaly patches and creates a really glowy base for makeup. After putting on foundation, I go back in with another dab of the cream on my cheekbones, both for a pretty natural highlight and to add a little more moisture before heading out the door.

I finished Accutane in July, and luckily my skin has regained it’s moisture levels, but you can pry my Skin Food out of my cold dead hands. I still love using it as a night mask and on any patches that need a little TLC, and will consider myself part of the Skin Food fan club forever.

Weleda Skin Food, $19, dermstore.com

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