Proactiv Solution : Acne Treatment System

The Proactive products work to fight acne but the way that Proactive suggests to use them is much to harsh on skin. Doing the entire 3-step system twice a day is much too irritating and drying. I have gotten significant results using the toner, refining mask and moisturizer and will continue to purchase the set even though I don't use the cleanser or repairing lotion because it is cheaper than buying the products individually. (The only other thing I add to my regimen is an AHA moisturizer for night). I should note that I have access to Proactiv products through a store located in a shopping mall in my city. I have never ordered Proactiv online.

I started using Proactiv about a month ago, and at first it was great. Within days, my skin cleared up! Then, after about 1 1/2 weeks, my whole face started scabbing because it was so dry. I stopped using it for a while, then returned to it. Now it's been about a week, and yet no driness, but acne still comes alot. I know that everybody's skin is different, so I will not discourage you from using it, but anyone with skin like mine: -Oily -Sensitive, I would suggest staying away.

its good if your good at staying with a rutine

After severe acne and two rounds of Accutane, I gave proactiv a shot. I have never tried Murad or the knock off brands of Proactiv, but I love this product. It has kept my face from being oily and has kept my skin clear. I use it every other day in conjunction with my Purpose bar soap.

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.

it worked great for me but my sister used it all up so the green bottle is gone, but the refining mask sucks poo!! loved it though(:

I am 44 and have suffered on and off from acne since my teens. The only miracle treatment I found were oral antibiotics which left my skin totally clear but unfortunately stopped working after several months and I broke out worse than before. I used to buy Proactiv at the Mall. It worked, but after my skin cleared up I got lazy and stopped using it. My skin was breaking out terribly, so I decided to give it another go. Unfortunately, the kiosk was no longer there, so I had to order it online. I was shocked at how small the bottles were. I realize now that the package I used to buy for $40 was actually the 3 month supply- so $19.99 a month is no bargain, but I had no choice. At first, the product was very drying, but after a week or so, my skin adjusted. It took a couple of weeks, but soon my skin was almost totally clear. Unfortunately, I had almost completely ran out of the product at this point. I tried to call to see if I could get my next shipment sooner and it turned out it had already been sent. Problem was, it took ALMOST 2 WEEKS to arrive!!!! You have to spend extra for expedited shipping if you want it quickly. Anyway, now I have my 3 month supply and I am using it more sparingly, but I may change my delivery timeline in the future. After a week back on it my skin is perfectly clear! People that say that it changes the PH balance of your skin making it break out worse if you go off are just wrong- if you go off it your skin will break out because that is the natural state of your skin- ACNE! If you stop using it, it stops working, plain and simple. I must say I was disappointed that the refining mask does not come with every shipment- they give it to you with the introductory kit and when I bought it at the kiosk it did. It is THE BEST, and it is a great spot treatment. I still have some left but I guess I will have to order it separately. I wish I could just buy it at the mall, but for now I am stuck with the auto delivery for now.

For how bad and horrible my acne was before this product (even though it is over priced) is a miracle for my face! I do not have unrealistic "perfect" skin but it has made a HUGE impact! If I showed you before and after pictures of my skin you would SEE the difference imediately! I saw it on a comericial and tried it for 30 days! Cant live without it! I just hope it continues to work for me! I have been using it for about 5 months or so... LUV IT!!! *Where it says my acne is "Moderately severe" that is how it used to be now it is light and not too noticible.

I feel like this product really works for me and i wanted to post this review for everyone that is thinking about trying it. PLEASE TRY IT The people posting on these forums are the small amount of people that it hasnt worked for therefore they want to have a whinge and a cry about it. The people that it has worked for carry on living their happy acne free lives without thinking about people like us who read these forums for guidance and support. Im 19 years old and i had horrible acne for about a year before now. i finally tried proactiv and it has shown great results (took about two months). I have quite bad scarring now, but they will fade over time and luckily it can be covered with make up. Ive had soooo many comments about how clear my skin looks, its amazing! I kind of made my own routine: 1. In the morning i cleanse with the proactiv scrub then apply jojoba oil for the scarring. I tone with cold water. Waay cheaper. 2. In the evening i cleanse with a neutrogena cleanser that removes make up really well and then benxoyl peroxide the sh*t out of my face with the proactive repair stuff. This routine works wonders for me but people need to realize that EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT! Follow the proactiv steps first, then if it starts to dry out your skin,, dont give in,, chop and change the steps until they work for you. I hope this helps.. I truly believe that it can work for anyone if they persevere.

this totally worked for my acne problem. been using it for 2 years plus now. i've been getting A LOT of praises for my skin. my only problem is that the kit is way too expensive! I still get acne, like one or two, especially when i am stressed, but they are not as bad as before and get healed pretty quickly.