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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!
Total results: 5,960 Viewing page: 6 of 596
Jennifer from New Orleans, La
January 17, 2012
| Pros | Clears acne up. The company will suck your money away if you don't watch out. Because they always sign you up for things without you knowing it, and they can't conform to your needs. |
|---|---|
| Cons | Depending on the type of skin it might burn a little. Just bring down the amount of times you use it. |
| Bottom line | Like the product. Don't like the company. It's better to just buy it when you need it from a local store. |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $67.00 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
Rachael from Australia
January 17, 2012
| Pros | None |
|---|---|
| Cons | Made face so irritated, red and itchy that it was flaking off. It looked like i had exzma on my face. So sore that i couldn't even show basic emotions because my face was sooooo dry. |
| Bottom line | I was using the proactiv system twice a day and the exfoliating wash was so irritating that it stripped my skin of everything. It stripped it of its natural oil barrier (acid mantle). Although benzoyl peroxide in the topical cream form i find ok, but with the harsh cleanser and toner aswell, it just reaked havoc with my face. WAY TOO HARSH!! |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $10,000,000.00 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
Anonymous from Bklyn New York
January 12, 2012
| Pros | There are no pros |
|---|---|
| Cons | It was the worst stuff that I ever used. It actually burned by face. After using all the products they send two days after I used it my face turned completely red like a burn. Its a disgrace to even have this product on the market let alone have commercial's about it. Ask the people who work at the company if they use it. DOUBTFUL |
| Bottom line | The product is bad believe it doesn't help. I had to pay out of pocket for a determatologist |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $65.00 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
Claire from Buffalo, NY
January 12, 2012
| Pros | May clear up your skin Easy to order Kit is all you need |
|---|---|
| Cons | Expensive May stop working over time |
| Bottom line | I started using this in my early 20's. After using accutane as a teen, my acne had resurfaced and was as bad as ever. At the recommendation of a friend I tried this stuff and loved it! It completely cleared up my skin....for 2 years. Then it all came back. Story of my life : ) Be wary of the company if you try these products. They sign you up for a month to month plan automatically. You can opt out of it if you call them though. |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $50.00 |
| Acne severity | moderately severe |
Christy from East Bay, CA
January 12, 2012
| Pros | I love the mask! Makes my face feel great! The green tea helps too for the burning effect. |
|---|---|
| Cons | Burning / redness with steps 2 & 3 |
| Bottom line | So the product is a little harsh on my face... No big deal. Right now my acne has found its way to my chest & back. I am someone who had such severe acne as a teenager that my dermatologist put me on acutain to save my skin! Now as an adult my acne is minor on my face so I just use step 1 and the refining mask on the chin area for the small zits. But I use the full product on my chest & back and on day 3 am seeing AWESOME results. If you are looking for a product that isn't too harsh on your back or chest then I highly recommend proactive! Please keep in mind that yes, this is a 3 step system but if side affects come along... You can adjust your frequency or what steps you end up using and where. Like my dermatologist says, " you only need to treat the areas with the most acne" so don't make your whole face suffer if only little areas are needing to be treated. If you do this right... You will be happy with the results! Also, for those of you who don't want the hassle of shipping... Find a kiosk or proactive machine at your local mall. They won't ask you for a subscription you just go buy it when you need it. You also won't have to buy in a package but separate if you only want one thing. |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $60.00 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
Anonymous
January 11, 2012
| Pros | Worked for a little bit Exfoliated well |
|---|---|
| Cons | After 2 weeks acne came back Expensive |
| Bottom line | Didn't work for me. It didn't cause breakouts, but didn't help them. I have oily skin, too.Probably works on very light acne. |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $60.00 |
| Acne severity | severe |
Anonymous from ATLANTA, GA
January 11, 2012
| Pros | none |
|---|---|
| Cons | - Expensive - Irritates skin - Makes acne worse |
| Bottom line | IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING SKIN TYPES: 1. Asian 2. Mediterranean 3. African 4. Latino OR if you are bi or multiracial.. PLEASE do not use Proactive. I have Mediterranean skin, which means I also have dry, sensitive skin. People with any of these skin types can't handle ANY of the benzoyl peroxide treatments. Proactive's treatments are not made for sensitive skin types. My acne was very light and I started to use Proactive mainly for longterm affects and I wanted clear skin in the future. I read a lot of reviews that said positive and negative things about this product, however, I, of course, was stubborn and had to at least try it. My rule is that I have to try something for at least six weeks in order to completely reject it. And that's what I did. My acne cleared up completely within the first week of use, however I would wake up some mornings, and my face would be so red and irritated that I would have to moisturize it every half hour. By the second week, my skin got used to the treatments and it looked as I would finally be clear of acne. I was so wrong. The next four weeks, my skin broke out more than it ever had in my life. Not only was I breaking out terribly, but the acne was leaving hyper pigmentation behind as well. I regret 100% using Proactive. My skin is awful now, and is impossible to keep under control. I have used all natural remedies, gentle cleansers, everything, to nurse it back to health, but nothing has worked. I've also been to the dermatologist and have been informed that I may have to start Accutane. Before Proactive, I would have never even been close to qualifying as a candidate for Accutane. I have hyper pigmentation marks all over my face, it's the most frustrating thing to look at. I did a lot of research before starting Proactive, but I wish I had done a lot more so I could have prevented this. I have now wasted so much time and money on acne treatments, it's ridiculous. PLEASE |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $30.00 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
Anonymous from Toronto
January 11, 2012
| Pros | Nothing. |
|---|---|
| Cons | Everything about the product is a lie. and i mean EVERYTHING IS A LIE, DO NOT BUY IT! |
| Bottom line | Its a horrible product, it has bleach in it that only "works" while you are on it and once you stop, you break out. the product is a big scam. The big thing behind it is, they don tell you the real truth of whats REALLY in the product. It will make you break out even more. DO NOT BUY THIS!!!!! |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $100.00 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
Julie from Columbus, Ohio
January 11, 2012
| Pros | The product seems to be working. |
|---|---|
| Cons | The customer service really sucks. I followed their directions to get the automatic shipments stopped. and returned an unopened package as they directed. I called them because 10 days after receiving the product they did not credit my account. They said that the credit could take up to 6 weeks. This is ridiculous. |
| Bottom line | Buy somewhere else directly and not through their web-page. |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $99.00 |
| Acne severity | light |
Gina from USA
January 9, 2012
| Pros | the box was organized well. it would be a pro not to waste your time with this company, you will get pimples from the stress they put on you. |
|---|---|
| Cons | this has been the wost experience since i bought from proactive. 1) they do no tell you that you are charged 40-30$ a month and sent new boxes. 2) the return directions are vague which adds another 6 weeks on to no refunds and more charges. 3) customer service sucks! you call them and they act like your the idiot, they make you want to cry more. |
| Bottom line | bottom line is, DONT ORDER PROACTIVE! all they do is rob you and stress you out. cut your losses and go to a dermatologist. |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $100.00 |
| Acne severity | very light |
Total results: 5,960 Viewing page: 6 of 596
