Proactiv Solution : Acne Treatment System

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2.7
5960 Reviews
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Renewing Cleanser Active Ingredient: Benzoyl Peroxide (2.5%). Inactive Ingredients: Water (aqua), magnesium aluminum silicate, glyceryl stearate, PEG-100 stearate, sorbitol, dimethyl isosorbide, disodium PEG-12 dimethicone sulfosuccinate, tridecyl stearate, neopentyl glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, polyethylene, cetyl esters, anthemis nobilis flower extract, sodium hyaluronate, sodium PCA, xanthan gum, tridecyl trimellitate, propylene glycol, Imidazolidinyl urea, methylparaben, propylparaben, fragrance (parfum). Revitalizing Toner Water (aqua), glycolic acid, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) extract, anthemis nobilis flower extract, rosa canina fruit extract, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, sodium PCA, panthenol, glycerin, propylene glycol, allantoin, polysorbate 20, hydroxyethylcellulose, sodium hydroxide, benzophenone-4, tetrasodium EDTA, imidazolidinyl urea, methylparaben, propylparaben, fragrance (parfum), blue 1 (CI 42090), yellow 5 (CI 19140). Repairing Treatment Active Ingredient: Benzoyl Peroxide (2.5%). Inactive Ingredients: Water (aqua), ethoxydiglycol, cyclotetrasiloxane, cyclopentasiloxane, cetearyl alcohol, propylene glycol, dimethicone, glyceryl stearate, PEG-100 stearate, panthenol, allantoin, xanthan gum, ceteareth-20, carbomer, triethanolamine, diazolidinyl urea, methylparaben, propylparaben, fragrance (parfum).

Items marked with red have tested a 3 or above (out of 5) in comedogenic (pore-clogging) testing.

The list of ingredients above is provided for informational purposes only. Always check the actual product label in your possession for the most accurate ingredient information due to product changes or upgrades that may not yet be reflected on our web site.

5
8.8%
4
20.9%
3
23.8%
2
21.7%
1
24.8%

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December 19, 2009

Pros:

It worked consistently for about 2 years. I'd get the occasional pimple but it clears up in a few days. God, I miss those days...never had to worry too much about acne...

Cons:

After that 2 years, it stopped working completely. Breakouts were ten times as bad as before. Bacterial infection spread from my forehead to my cheek like fire. Dries out skin, smells weird, but willing to deal if it worked

Would try it, but I'd look for other ways because it may not work after a while. Also, there are way better products out there that don't dry out your skin and have stronger elements than just the benzyl in proactive that makes it work better than the average drug store product. Now, I'm on an oral prescription called Solodyn (135 mg), which I take with food an hour before sleeping. I've been on at least 6 months and it's gotten rid of the red, pus-filled pimples and red bumps that used to bother me so much. Much easier than topical medications. I take it once daily and you get used to it. Sure you might get some side effects like dizziness or nausea but until I find something better, it's just the price you pay for clearer skin.
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April 1, 2015
Proactiv-works but not really effective
I have also had problems with acne since college until I started working, it is just mild but still disturbing. I had tried a lot of products including proactiv. It worked but no dramatic change happened. I think it's a burden financially to buy this product every two months without seeing any effect. The pimples and acnes are still coming back. Then one time, I had problem with my menstruation cycle- i have an irregular cycle. So I went to an OB-GYNE doctor and she prescribed me Gracial Pills for 6 months. It is to correct your menstrual cycle, a contraceptive plus anti-acne.I didn't know if it is really an anti-acne product but ever since I took the pills, my acne slowly disappeared and now, it's completely gone. I think the main reason for my acnes are imbalanced hormones. No joke girls.. I'm writing this to help those who would like to have acne-free face. I hope that this will also help you. :)
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August 4, 2011

Pros:

Worked the first rime I used it, smells pretty good and left my skin feeling clean.

Cons:

Stopped working after a while and expensive.

In middle school I had a very oily face, which led to little acne bumps. Proactiv cleared that up, so I continued using it hoping to contr the acne. I guess my skin became immune or it could be because my skin worsened, because it stopped working in high school. So if your acne is light, it will probably work for you.
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April 8, 2011

Pros:

it worked for 3 years my skin was pretty great

Cons:

it stopped working after about three years and my skin was worse than before
and dryness

I wish I could say for sure why it stopped working. It worked really pretty well the first couple of years. But I wonder if it didn't play a part in making things worse. My story is: I used it pretty religiously and after a month or two my skin was much better. It grew accustomed to the harshness of it. But after three years of using it, I began developing the deeper more cystic type of acne and the system didn't seem to touch it. I had to go on antibiotics because my skin was infected and painful all along my chin area. It was awful. It made me so depressed. My skin was also red, dry and peeling while I used it. That was in 2001 to 2005. I was 17 to 21. I have used various things since and my skin has ranged from pretty good to not so good, BUT never as bad as when I was using proactive (but never as good either hmm)
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June 26, 2010

Pros:

-helps dry out my mild to moderate acne relatively fast
-easy to apply
-can be worn under make up

Cons:

-makes you more susceptible to sunburn (always wear at least SPF 30!)
-can dry out skin if overused
-can get expensive
-doesn't treat certain kinds of acne

I think Proactiv works for certain kinds of acne. While it does work well for preventing acne altogether (given you use it religiously every day and night, even if you don't have acne at the moment) and on whiteheads/papules, I've found it won't treat more severe forms of acne. I've suffered from cystic acne in the past, and Proactiv did nothing, and in some instances, made my cystic acne even worse. The only thing that really helped effectively combat my cystic acne has been getting on an antibiotic (Doxycycline). However, if I feel a small zit forming or I spot whiteheads or pauples around my chin or nose, all I do is apply a little bit of the correcting lotion (BP 2.5%) and the pimples will dry up in about a weeks time at the longest. The BP treatment and the facial wash are all you really need, though the wash (also BP 2.5%) can be a bit harsh and should be used every other day. Until then, substitute your facial wash with a less harsh salicylic acid cream cleanser (that's what I did. I used Neutrogena's redness calming acne wash, it's afforadable and effective). Overall, Proactiv has worked for me, but everyone's skin is different. Make sure you know what works for you and what kind of acne you're prone to getting before you shell out all your money on Proactiv.
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November 9, 2009

Pros:

Worked for about 3 months.

Cons:

Ineffective after 3 months.

I would pay anything to have clear skin these days. I'm 25 and I have sensitive skin with cystic acne around my chin. It's really embarrassing. I always had great skin until my 20's. This product requires the use of a light oil free moisturizer after use. It will dry skin. After 3 months, my skin plateaued and stopped responding to this product. It broke my heart, I thought I had found my answer.
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November 5, 2009

Pros:

Product does work.....

Cons:

If you can wait 2-3 weeks after they've billed you. Don't even think about calling 'customer service' about your bill, they'll chew you up and spit you out leaving you feeling like a complete idiot! (She even claimed I couldn't read).....

After the first billing of the 29.95 for the kit plus 2 "free bonus gifts", I was billed an additional 29.95, (I assumed this was for the following shipment) A month later I was billed an additional 37.50. To get to the bottom of all the billing and NOT receiving any products I called "Customer Service", after 10min of dealing with their horrible automated directory I finally got someone on the phone, she told me that the 2 "free bonus gifts" is actually a 5 piece kit that comes to about 70 bucks a month! (No wonder 'B' list actors and 'D' list musicians support this product, they can't afford it on their own) The price doesn't bother me, it was how RUDE their "customer service" is... and they'll bill your account whenever they choose....
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October 19, 2009

Pros:

works the first few weeks

Cons:

doesnt work after a while

dont buy it
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April 9, 2011

Pros:

Gentle on your skin

Cons:

expensive
not potent

I started using pro active years ago, and it seriously use to be really good. in the last couple years though they changed their formula to "New Proactive" and it totally screwed everything up for me. Those of us who used old pro active probably remember it PREVENTED acne super well, not so much got rid of existing acne, but if you could get your face clear, and use pro active every day it stopped acne in its tracks. Heres what noticeably changed about proactive... the toner use to be extremely potent and strong, it use to tingle and sometimes burn sometimes when applied, but it went deep into pores, giving you a refreshing feeling, as well as giving your skin a certain glow, now the made the toner significantly weaker due to people who complain about it drying out their skin... also the repairing lotion, which use to be more of just a bp ointment, is now actually more of a moisturizer with bp in it. So before i stopped doing proactive it would leave my skin extremely oily - no longer gave me the proactive skin glow - and had even less power than it had before (It was already never good at getting rid of acne, just good at preventing and now its preventive power was significantly weakened).
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January 22, 2011

Pros:

Leaves skin feeling clean and not oily.
Visibly reduces size and inflammation of pimples.

Cons:

Takes a month or so to start seeing results, I still break out. Not enough repairing treatment in propportion to amount of cleanser and toner.

It has somewhat helped me so far over the past two months I have been using it, but it is too early to tell because proactiv and pretty much any other acne medicine must bring acne to the surface first and then it works on destroying it. Hopefully I'll be mostly clear in a month.
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