Proactiv SCREWED up my skin!!

[~jess~ 0]

I have moderate acne and use Cetaphil products on my face. I still break out regularly, so I decided to use proactiv repairing lotion with my moisturiser to see if that would help. I only used a small amount of the repairing lotion, not the whole 3 steps, but it made my whole face bright RED, itchy, scaly and bumpy . Now I don't know what I should do to help the redness etc. HELP?

[blahchick 0]

I used the proactiv reparing lotion and same thing happened to me!

[CherryBunny3 0]

Use proactive years ago , cant even remember exactly what it did to my face but all i know it was so drying and did nothing.

[~jess~ 0]

What did you do when it happened to you? I think its getting worse, did your skin get worse throughout the day?

[Guest max_powers585]

I have moderate acne and use Cetaphil products on my face. I still break out regularly, so I decided to use proactiv repairing lotion with my moisturiser to see if that would help. I only used a small amount of the repairing lotion, not the whole 3 steps, but it made my whole face bright RED, itchy, scaly and bumpy . Now I don't know what I should do to help the redness etc. HELP?

[Melodie 0]

Proactiv made my skin breakout bad and really dry. If you stop using it you'll be fine but it might take some time for your skin to recover.

[blahchick 0]

What did you do when it happened to you? I think its getting worse, did your skin get worse throughout the day?

[beentheredonethat 6]

Sounds like an allergy either to the benzoyl peroxide or, more likely - to some other ingredient in the repairing lotion like perhaps the fragrance. The only thing you can really do is be gentle with your skin while it recovers.

[Frumpy&Bumpy 0]

I'm not saying Proactive destroyed my skin but it didn't help at all. It was such a waist of money.

I used Benzoyl Peroxide gels for 10 yrs. The first few years I had clear skin (a little dry sometimes) but no acne. THen, progressively my facec got worse and worse until no BP worked.

Now, at 35 I have not grown out of it. I think soap and BP and SA made my acne worse.

For the past 6 months I have used no soap or cleansers. Water only and my face broke out way worse at first , but is getting better now.

[cool as kim deal 47]

The thing is is that the Proactiv repairing lotion is a pretty good product and has a nice moisturizing base, so aside from the fragrance, it's one of the better 2.5% BP products out there (completely impractical with the shitty rigid bottle with the small hole and being very expensive, but still not bad compared to most clumpy drugstore BPs in tiny tubes). What usually gives non-allergic people problems with Proactiv is the bad cleanser and lack of a moisturizer, not the lotion unless they are very sensitive to fragrance. It sounds to me like you might be allergic to BP or used way too much, since that's a pretty severe reaction if you had only used a small amount on your face to start with.

[~jess~ 0]

Thanks for your help guys. Well since I only used a tiny amount of the lotion and had such a severe reaction, I think I can safely say that I am just very allergic to BP. My face is still bright red and itchy. I'm using a hydrocortisone cream on it that the derm reccomended, I just hope it doesn't make me break out more. Sigh.

[Elsewhere 33]

ProActiv does not tell you that thier "repairing lotion" is actually not lotion at all. It's BP. Since they didn't tell me that, I thought I was actually moisturizing with it when in fact I was drying my skin out and not replacing the moisture with a lotion afterwards.

Some people don't do well with BP, but find SA (the active ingredient in the Proactiv toner, I believe) works well.

[Jane86 0]

Have you thought about using Tea Tree Oil or something natural

Avene have a great product out called Clearance K with is SA (BHA) and AHA (i think a mild glycolic)

Most health stores have to order it is though- but it's pretty good from what I've heard

[GB2 0]

I almost tend to feel the same way. I went to the Dermatologist initially for acne around and under my chin/neck area. I got a BP type wash called Brevoxyl which at first I really liked. I also had another facial wash that had Glycolic acid in it. I swear, ever since I began using these products (2 years ago) my face is so unsettled and I get acne all over it now rather than in one concentrated area as in the beginning. I tried Biore Ice Wash which is salicyclic acid - - - liked that at first. My face seemed to have a nice matte appearance and feel so clean afterward. Within a week I had little zits all over my forehead. I stopped using everything and just wish my skin would settle down and go back to normal. I feel that products with all these different treatments in them do make you worse. I don't know what to wash with anymore at this point.