Home
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!
Total results: 5,960 Viewing page: 4 of 596
Tonya from PA
January 29, 2012
| Pros | Makes my face smooth. After first wk i notice alot of good change. Bumps are almost gone except a few. I feel alot better about me. |
|---|---|
| Cons | I still have alot of marks on my face but pover time they will go away too as long as this cotinues to work the same. |
| Bottom line | I really like proactive. I used this proactive 3 yrs ago after I had my son, thats when acne started for me, but I only used it for a month and it worked then to.I just could'ent afford it at the time. I tried mary k sence and a few others but none ever worked like the proactive so I decided to try proactive once again. Once again I got good resaults. I read the doctor suggestion book that came with it and it said "acne is a life time problem for those who get it", so knowing that im gonna continue to use it forever. |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $19.95 |
| Acne severity | moderately severe |
ANONYMOUS from ANONYMUS
January 28, 2012
| Pros | CLEARS UP REALLY FAST W/ OLD 2009 FORMULA NO PURGING PERIOD OLD FORMULA SMELLED GOOD |
|---|---|
| Cons | STOPS WORKING AFTER 7 MONTHS |
| Bottom line | I WISH IT WOULD OF KEPT WORKING I WILL BE HONEST I USED TO PICK MY FACE BAD!!!! NO EXAGGERATION THIS WAS A MIRACLE THE FIRST WEEK! I WAS A METH USER "CLEAN 15MONTHS" THIS ONE OCCASION I PICKED MY FACE SO BAD THERE WAS HUGE SCABS IT WAS AWFUL I HAD MILD ACNE BUT FROM DRUG USE IT BECAME TERRIBLE. I DECIDED TO TRY OUT PROACTIVE IT WORKED FAST. THIS WAS IN 2009 DECEMBER. THEY CHANGED THE FORMULA A FEW MONTHS AFTER I THINK MARCH 2010 I DID NOT LIKE THE SMELL BUT IT WORKED FINE. MY ACNE WAS NEARLY GONE EXCEPT ONE OR TWO PIMPLES NOTHING SERIOUS. I STOPPED USING IT JUNE 2010 BECAUSE I WAS BREAKING OUT AGAIN. DIDN'T WORK LONG ENOUGH FOR ME AND ITS EXPENSIVE THEY FALSE ADVERTISE IN MY OPINION. EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE I HEARD OF PEOPLE THAT KEEP USING IT FOR A LONG TIME AND IT WORKS BUT NOT FOR ME. |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $70.00 |
| Acne severity | moderately severe |
Anonymous from New Hampshire
January 25, 2012
| Pros | -clears acne -makes skin soft -not too expenive -feels great to use -works tremendously |
|---|---|
| Cons | -can dry out skin |
| Bottom line | Im a teenage girl and Ive been using this for a few months now and I don't get how this doesn't work for people, it works great for me! I love it! However it does dry out skin a bit, but just use the green tea mosturiser and your skin will feel great! It cleared up my acne really fast. I get around one pimple every month but it doesn't stay long at all. This product is great! |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $50.00 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
Lana from Brunei
January 25, 2012
| Pros | - left my skin smooth - my complexion wasn't that perfect yet but I could see positive results within that first week - did not smell awful like other users seem to complain about (I've smelled worse) |
|---|---|
| Cons | - didn't completely get rid of my acne scars - if I stop using it & try other brands my skin will break out profusely - my skin still remains oily |
| Bottom line | Every individual is different. I keep hearing negative reviews about this product but fortunately it works for me. So even if this product might not work for that person it could work wonders for you. You won't know it until you try. Trying out facial products is all about trial & error. If it doesn't work then move on to the next. This might sound tedious but be patient. There are far worse scenarios out there, yours is just finding the right acne product. Good luck! |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $50.00 |
| Acne severity | severe |
Policarpa from Canada
January 24, 2012
| Pros | It really works |
|---|---|
| Cons | BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE |
| Bottom line | I loved the products! I used them when I was pregnant and it really worked... within a week my face was completely clear. However, Proactiv kept taking the money out from my credit card for 6 months but I only received the creams once!! I called customer service and apparently the supplies they sent were lost in transit 6 TIMES!!! they didn't give me the money back. After almost 2 years I decided to buy this product again.... I never got it as it was lost in transit again! Bottom line.. product is great but you cannot get it.. |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $35.00 |
| Acne severity | light |
Sarah from Aus
January 22, 2012
| Pros | Does help clear acne |
|---|---|
| Cons | Do not use if you have sensitive skin as it will make it flakey and dry Initially can dry out your skin Bleaches my pillows and towels |
| Bottom line | I have had acne problems since I was about 13. I am now 24 and still fighting acne. I had used nearly every steamlined acne fighting cleansers, etc and nothing worked. I began using Proactiv when I was 18 and it worked really well. My skin has never been completely clear, but this was the clearest it had ever been. After using it for about 2 years I decided I might not need to use such a 'harsh' product to fight (what I hoped) teenage acne. Big mistake. I began using an expensive Clinque 3-step regime and after about 3 months my acne returned worse than ever. As anyone with acne knows, this was a horrible time for me and I went on acne medication and back on Proactiv to try and clear it up. I was not sure what helped - the medication or Proactive - but in a couple of months my skin was relatively clear again. Stupidly enough about 7 months ago I stopped using Proactiv again after people told me how harsh it was for your skin. So I tried Dermalogica. Not to bag out Dermologica because I think their products work really well for a lot of people, but not for me. My acne came back quite severly. I wanted to give the Dermalogica a good run before returning to Proactiv, but after 6 months of no change I have now recently started back on Proactiv and can see results after 3 weeks. Bottom line is - everyones skin is different. I now know that my skin is extremely acne prone and Proactiv works for me so I will continue using it. It is a harsh product so if you do have sensitive skin then try something else. Tips - only use the repairing lotion at night and use a mild moisturisor in the day. No need to get ALL the Proactiv products - waste of money. Just as long as you have the essentials and then use a moisturisor that works for you. Don't 'scrub' your face with the cleanser - just gently cleanse and only for about a minute. Use the mask as a stop treatment overnight - it will draw out the existing pimple quickly. |
| Price paid | $60.00 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
Caleb from Texas
January 22, 2012
| Pros | Your skin always feels nice. |
|---|---|
| Cons | Doesn't clear you up completely.HORRIBLE customer service! |
| Bottom line | After my experience I would never recommend Proactiv to anyone. You better off going to the dermatologist. |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $35.00 |
| Acne severity | moderately severe |
Anonymous from Ottawa,ON
January 22, 2012
| Pros | -Clears acne quick -Removes dark spots -Smells fresh -Great price for how it works |
|---|---|
| Cons | -May dry skin after time |
| Bottom line | I have REALLY SENSITIVE SKIN because I am melato.It's been about a week that I've been using proactiv and I only have 3 pimples left out of the 12 I had.I find it has a nice scent so far my skin hasn't started peeling like with other acne product.At first I read these other reviews and they were all NEGATIVE I almost didn't buy it but I gave it a try and so far it's working great.:) |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $20.00 |
| Acne severity | light |
Jesse from Canada
January 22, 2012
| Pros | Absolutely none, I apologize. |
|---|---|
| Cons | Absolutely everything, from overdrying, irritation leading to more acne, increasing oil production, and leading many users on a never ending hunt to "cure their acne". |
| Bottom line | This product was the beginning of the end for me. I know many reviews get slagged for being absolutely negative towards a particular brand, but I honestly have nothing nice to say about it. Even a single dancing cookie man of a rating is being generous, but unfortunately I'm aloud to go no lower. I remember ordering this (which you must cancel before the month is up, otherwise they will continuously send you monthly supplies and charge you until the day you die) for minor issues such as blackheads and a couple of pimples; within a month after each wash my once normal skin would become an oil slick within the hour of the cleanse, a friend even commented that I looked "wet". From there I had dropped the product after a month or two, and began a never ending hunt for a solution (which for me, I have found, is to simply leave my skin alone and be gentle, while not washing at all). It is my fault for having bought into the hype, as this was once the go to product that everyone would point towards when asked about acne. I am here now to say: AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS. |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $30.00 |
| Acne severity | very light |
Jack from Canada
January 22, 2012
| Pros | Controlled acne pretty well and that's about it |
|---|---|
| Cons | Made face flaky Made my face irritated Never really did clear it up |
| Bottom line | Bottom line is my experience wasn't horrible, it controlled my acne quite well but it never cleared it up. My face always felt dry but never dirty. |
| Price paid | $50.00 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
Total results: 5,960 Viewing page: 4 of 596
