The Course Dried Your Oil. Hard Water and Heat Finished the Job.

Ingredients · Published 2026-09-21 · 9 min read · 2154 words

Isotretinoin cuts sebum. SA taps, wind and UV finish the tightness. Cream cleanser, ointment on a timer, tinted SPF for the whole course.

Key takeaways

• Dryness is pharmacology plus a hard-water bathroom.
• Foam on a low-sebum face is how cheeks go tight by noon.
• Lips need ointment on a timer, not a flavoured tingle.
• Tinted SPF is part of the course, not an optional extra.

Source: Isotretinoin cheilitis and barrier literature / Isaacs et al. IJD 2025 SA photoprotection / hard-water cleanser residue context (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12712754/)

Cover image: Unsplash — credit