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Proactiv Solution Reviews
People have asked me about Proactiv® so much that I decided to try it so I could give my feedback. I found it to be surprisingly irritating and utterly ineffective. However, Proactiv is on the right track in recommending benzoyl peroxide, and specifically recommending it in 2.5% strength.
Where I think Proactiv veers off track:
- Cleanser: The Proactiv Cleanser contains scrubbing beads, and Proactiv recommends washing for 1-2 minutes with this cleanser. I am quite stunned at both of these oversights. It is absolutely vital to avoid irritation when treating acne, especially inflammatory acne—the kind most of us have. Scrubbing beads, and washing for this amount of time introduces unnecessary and damaging irritation, perpetuating the acne cycle.
- Toner: I think the Proactiv toner is fine, albeit unnecessary to achieve clear skin.
- Treatment: Over my 20+ years of benzoyl peroxide research and experience, I have found that for benzoyl peroxide to completely clear acne, people must apply it generously. “Use a lot!,” is my simple mantra. It is amazing what this simple act will do toward achieving completely clear skin. Unfortunately, Proactiv packages its treatment in a 1oz. container. The small size of Proactiv ’s treatment bottle leaves people skimping and often disappointed in results. Next, Proactiv combines their benzoyl peroxide treatment with moisturizer. One of the main reasons benzoyl peroxide works so well is because it is a drying and peeling agent, which helps prevent clogged pores. For this reason, it is a good idea to apply benzoyl peroxide without moisturizer, and let the benzoyl peroxide do its thing for a few minutes (5-15) before introducing moisture. Unfortunately, you don’t have that choice with the Proactiv treatment. Lastly, the treatment is heavily scented. I personally avoid scented products because they must be applied right under the nose, and tend to linger and leave me feeling a little nauseated throughout the day.
My suggestion: To completely clear acne, it will prove far more beneficial to buy a gentle cleanser without scrubbing beads, a large, unscented 2.5% benzoyl peroxide medication, and a non-comedogenic moisturizer. Then follow these steps precisely to achieve completely clear skin.
If you currently own Proactiv Solution products, don't throw out the Repairing Treatment. If you can handle the smell, it should work in a pinch, as long as you are generous with it. I would not recommend using the Proactiv cleanser. I would also forgo the toner until you’re completely clear. Then feel free to add it in if you’d like and see how things go.
As a final note, I am thankful that Proactiv hires celebrities to talk about acne. This helps reduce stigma, so thumbs up on that!
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Anonymous from San Diego, CA
November 20, 2011
| Pros | Works for maybe a month at most. You can adjust how much they send you/make you pay for |
|---|---|
| Cons | Drying Makes acne worse Ruins skin Expensive Stains EVERYTHING More sun burns |
| Bottom line | I tried using this for approximately a year because of those dang commercials that make you think it will be your acne savior. Sure, it works for about a month, but after that it just makes your skin worse than before and feel terrible. Expensive, not worth it, and all my towels are stained. On the bright side, they do have decent customer service and you don't have to do their monthly service. I adjusted mine because I wasn't using it as fast as they were sending it to me, which made the pricing not terrible as it would be paying for it monthly, just way more expensive than I would pay for something that doesn't work for me. Canceling was also really easy. |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $29.95 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
Anonymous from Delaware
November 18, 2011
| Pros | -Reduces Pimple/Cyst Size |
|---|---|
| Cons | - Does Not Clear Up Your Skin - Makes Skin Dry - Makes Acne Worse - Redness/Burning |
| Bottom line | For this product all the commercials you see on TV you would think this would work right? But it does not the first time i tried this i put on the 3 Step solution my face burned so bad and i looked in the mirror and it was extremely red like a cherry so i immediately washed it off then it stopped burning, i recommend if this happens to you to wash it off and the next day only use step 1 and 2 not the benzoyl one then a couple weeks later try step 3 and when i did that it did not burn after but i used this for 2 months or so, and this was worthless did not help improve my face at all, made more breakouts. So i gave up on it. I am now trying Doxycycline a prescribed medicine from my Dermatologist so i hope this works, i know how much this can kill your self esteem trust me im 15, a sophomore in high school and it only seems like people are staring at my face. So i dont recommend you try this but if you best luck to you because no one wants acne. |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $20.00 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
aaron from dallas texas
November 17, 2011
| Pros | Black heads gone |
|---|---|
| Cons | Drying Takes along time to pit every thing on Expensive Doesn't work Ruins skin Leaves dark red scars |
| Bottom line | I'm 14 I started using proactive when I was thirteen I never had bad acne a pimple or two every week. I thought that proactive would eliminate them all... Wrong I have been using proactive for about 6 months and my ance has never been worse. I kept telling my self that it will start working never did. Bottom line I'm tired of wasting my dads money on a product that doesn't work. I have started using Oxy maximum face wash that is only $4 and it works so much better. Just because its expensive and the celebrity's say they use doesn't mean its going to help you get clearer skin.. |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $120.00 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
Anonymous from QC, Canada
November 17, 2011
| Pros | NONE |
|---|---|
| Cons | I had an allergic reaction to the product after my first use.My face and neck are red and my face is swelling as the day goes on! I Googled "allergic reaction to Proactiv" and it turns out there are a lot of people who had the same problem I did. Apparently it can be an allergy to benzol peroxide. So I then checked for reviews for the sensitive Proactiv formula and there weren't great reviews on it either. Overall....pretty dissatisfied and pretty disappointed! |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $35.00 |
| Acne severity | light |
Shezbot from Darwin, Australia
November 15, 2011
| Pros | Worked VERY well for 2 years- 14-16 yrs old. Never dried skin |
|---|---|
| Cons | stopped using it, had BEAUTIFUL SKIN, tried using it again after about5 months.... made it worse :( |
| Bottom line | i used this for a couple of years on and off when i was younger... back when having ONE pimple was unbearable. worked absolutely great. loved it. my mum hated it as it bleached every single towel in the house :D stopped using it in about feb of this year. had the most beautiful sin ever without even doing anything to it. i thought i had grown out of my zits. amazingle clear skin for about 5 months. (started using BC pills in november last year) went off them and BOOM. acne disaster. august came and i went to see a doc, prescribed epiduo. i thought it made my face the worst its ever been. started using proactiv again for 3 weeks- now that was the WORST my face has EVER been. (check my pics in the gallery!) unfortunately it made things worse this time around but i am so glad it kept me clear for years beforehand. unfortunately im on anti-biotics now :( possibly accutane if it returns. gave it to my sister who has always had a worse face than me even though she is younger! cleared her up nicely. well worth a shot in my opinion Acne was basically always non-existant, now it is unfortunately recovering from a moderately severe breakout nd dealing with LOTS of ugly ugly hyperpigmentation :'( |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $40.00 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
Anonymous from Canada
November 13, 2011
| Pros | moderately helped smells nice leaves skin feeling cleaning mask is a great spot treatment |
|---|---|
| Cons | Stains clothes, pillows, towels, even my carpet Doesn't help completely Skin becomes incredibly dependent |
| Bottom line | I used proactiv for 2 years religiously, I had nice skin but it definitely did not solve the problem. I still would get acne on my fore head and if I differed from my regime in anyway, even by a few hours I would break out. After 2 years I decided I would try a different system recommended by my modelling agency. Things were fine until about 2 weeks after I went off proactiv. I started getting countless pimples on my forehead but also severely on my cheeks, where i had never had acne before. It turned into horrendous cystic acne that was unbearable. I went back on proactiv because I saw no alternative. It was extremely drying, to the point that I could not smile or laugh without chunks, yes chunks or skin falling off. It took 3 months for my blow up to get better but I was left with severe scarring. I continued to use proactiv for 2 more years and last Christmas I weened my self off of proactiv and I am so glad I did. I am using accutane now because I was so fed up with the small breakouts, but I have been using LUSH's dark angels, tea tree water, and imperiales very successfully for a year. If I could give any advice it would be to AVOID proactiv. Best choice I have ever made to get off of it, and for those using it, make sure to ween yourself off!!! |
| Recommended | No |
| Acne severity | moderately severe |
Jamie from Cincinnati, Ohio
November 12, 2011
| Pros | Makes skin glow Makes your skin smooth Smells nice |
|---|---|
| Cons | Doesn't clear hormonal acne at all Hard to keep up with skin care routine TOO MANY STEPS Expensive |
| Bottom line | This did not work for me. I'm 20 years old and I've been suffering from acne since I was 14, this stuff is a load of bull crap..No matter how much I used it I still got bumps on my right side of my face. So if you have hormonal acne I would suggest you not use this.. |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $40.00 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
Rockie from Atlanta, GA
November 12, 2011
| Pros | I get to exfloiate everday! I love the repairing lotion! And the mask dries out my pimples overnight. |
|---|---|
| Cons | The mask does not work fast enought. |
| Bottom line | Proactiv is a good acne treatment. It may not work right away but it does work you just have to be patient! Sometimes a pimple still comes from time to time but it doesn't stay long because I am using Proactiv. One thing people forget is that you also have to change your diet as well, that plays a BIG part in out skin. So instead of complaining about Proactiv not working do your part as well... Like drinking water instead of soda, reduce your intake on sweet/sugar, eat more fruit and vegetables, and workout/ detox! |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $30.00 |
| Acne severity | light |
Anonymous from NY
November 10, 2011
| Pros | Smells good, works really well for the first week or two, reasonable priced, |
|---|---|
| Cons | After 2 weeks it does nothing, burns really badly, the mask is really dumb and has no use, staines clothes. |
| Bottom line | It worked so well for a about a week and everything cleared up. I was sop happy I thought this is the product that I have always wanted. Slowly day by day the pimples came back one by one. Soon my acne was just as bad as before I started and this became useless. I don't recommend it plus it ruined my shirt. |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $60.00 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
Arty from BN
November 9, 2011
| Pros | Works very fast. Simple and minimum steps. Leaves your skin feeling soft. |
|---|---|
| Cons | Would sting for those who over scrub with the exfoliator. A little pricey but worth it. |
| Bottom line | There's certainly no quick and permanent fix when it comes to acne. People complain about how after not using a product, they're bombarded with more acne. I'd compare it to losing weight. You's stick with a regime then decide to give yourself a week off from working out to rewarding yourself with treats. Lo and bwhold, you've just gained all that weight back. I suffered from uneven skin tone and very painful acne on my face during my younger years. When i finally gave Proactiv a try, it made me feel normal like everyone else Sure some would find the product pricey but it's how well you portion your dosage. Remember, the kit is a 2 months supply. That's why the price is set at that. In a matter of days, people complimented on how my skin condition was improving, and i had never felt so good about myself. After years of using this product, i have maintained keeping the acne at bay. I'd recommend not to subscribe to this product if you're a first time user, and just buy the products individually if you're worried about what others say when they try to unsubscribe. |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $50.00 |
| Acne severity | moderately severe |
Total results: 5,960 Viewing page: 14 of 596
