ok, so i've been using proactive for 2 months now, it has cleared up my skin i suppose, but im getting ALOT of blackeheads...and these blackheads are later becoming serious white heads. It hurts.
plus, sometimes two pimples will form right by each other, then merge or something and become this huge UGLY red bump. :'(
i feel like the blackheads are just waiting to explode. They are all over my cheeks, so I'm scared i'm going to get additional scars in addition to my other ones from previous white heads (my skin is very scar prone). My acne is i'd say medium in severity. But should I continue using proactive or is it making it worse? Also, anybody compare proactive to the aveeno clear complexion items? Any thought?
please reply after you read this. Any adivce would really really help >.<
thnx
Hello HelloMoto21,
I've tried Proactive and Aveeno, and so many over the counter kits like Neutrogena, Oxy, Clean & Clear, Mary Kay, and even splurged on Thomas Peter Roth. I have insurance, but not for dermatology, so I have resorted to assessing and treating myself.
Proactive did not help me much. I usually had red bumps, but proactive gave me more whiteheads, perhaps a purging process. Either way, I used it for a whole year, and it just made my face more sensistive, dry, and no vast improvement.
Aveeno was definitely calming, but I didn't see improvement with that either. Luckily my combination/oily skin reacted better to the salicylic acid. I used the foaming wash, cleansing pads, daily moisturizer, and tinted moisturizer with SPF. My favorite product was the tinted moisturizer, which helped me introduce makeup that wasn't irritating. I just used an oil control powder over it. It seemed to make my face look very smooth and healthy.
After all of this, I went to the drugstore to find my Olay sensitive day lotion spf 15 that my Mom used back when I was around 12. I was curious when I saw the Olay Pro X Clear Protocol nearby. It's salicylic acid too, so I decided to try it. I've been using it for 6 months, and I really love it. It gives me the smoothness of the Aveeno, but fights my acne better over all. It's a 3 part system too with a face cleanser, a gel moisturizer, and treatment. It's a bit pricey, though, but I've found that the Olay website offers rebates. It's really cleared me up except for a few hormonal breakouts.
Long story short, I understand how it feels to jump around from product to product. At first you feel hopeful, but it just turns out to be a waste of time and money. I hope the Olay keeps working for me.
What other products have you tried?