Proactiv Solution : Acne Treatment System

DON'T BUY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT'S A SCAM!!!!!!

This review is long overdue for me. And very long. I apologize in advance but am hopeful that it will help anyone who is considering using this product. I started using this brand way back when it came out, over 10 years ago. This is when I was in my late teens and had what I now know to be mild acne. But you are so vain in your teens, you think your life is going to end. My mother got it for me after some celebrity on TV told her to and it worked. It did. But again, my acne was like a random pimple once ever 2-3 weeks. Nothing. Fast forward 10+ years, I have my first baby, my skin goes absolutely bonkers and I go from having beautiful clear skin that I took for granted to this face that I wanted to hide from everyone. It was a pretty desperate time for me. I have this new baby, I am stuck at home and I feel absolutely miserable and sorry for myself the majority of the days. My very first reaction was to go back to Proactive, because my memory of it was that it worked. I call and they tell me that what I used before wasn't available any longer and that I should try this suite of products. Sure, whatever, they are the experts right? I get it. And I get on their godforsaken re-occuring billing plan. At first, I didn't really have any emotions about the product. I do remember initially feeling that the new cleanser formulation was not very nice, I didn't like the residue it left on my face, it didn't lather as well' overall I just didn't like it as much as I remember liking it before. And my acne didn't get worse but it really didn't improve either so I was kind of like 'meh' on it. After about 2 weeks, my skin started getting extremely dry. Like cracking. Cracking skin on your face is not desirable if you ask me. Cracked, chapped, peeling and bleeding lips. The skin right under my eyes was turning scaley. I had to start using eyedrops for my eyes - they were so dry that I had trouble keeping them open for prolonged periods of time. At the urging of my husband, I finally went to the dermatologist because I never in a million years thought that it was due to the products I was using. In retrospect, that is silly that it wasn't obvious but it wasn't. The dermatologist recommended that I cease using all products for a week and see what would happen. Guys, I can tell you that within 1-2 days of not using Proactive nearly all of my symptoms went away. My skin just hated that stuff. I immediately called the company and explained what had happened and asked for a refund for the products I had been using, at least the most recent order and I cancelled my re-occuring billing. Or I thought I did. The person that I spoke with on the phone was so not helpful, I had to ask for a supervisor and then explain it to them all over again. The supervisor basically told me it was my fault for ordering the wrong product, that they would not return my money but they would cancel my billing. They were, hands down, the most anti-customer experience I have ever had with any company. Before I hung up, I told them that they could expect very bad reviews from me and there was little to no reaction. Lo and behold, the reoccurring billing was NOT cancelled, I had to call them AGAIN and tell them what happened. They told me I never cancelled it in the first place and if I wanted my money back from this latest shipment, I would have to ship it back to them at my own cost. WHAT?!! Only after me having a near breakdown on the phone did someone finally agree to just take it back without me having any out of pocket but I would still have to go through the hassle of shipping it back. Man - this is long. Sorry but it does get better. :) After that, I was bound an determined to bad mouth this company to anyone I could. I was so pissed! I remembered seeing reviews and came here. But after about 5 mins, I got side tracked and started looking for some product to help my still bad skin. There were lots of recommendations throughout but the one that stood out to me was one I had never heard of, called Ninja. What stood out to me was everyone kept talking about how awesome their customer service was. Given my latest experience, that is what I was looking for. So I called them and I am so so so happy I did. The reviews were not wrong - it is hands down the best customer service I have ever experienced and the products are killer. Within 2-3 weeks, my acne from the last 3 years was all but gone and they actually called me randomly to make sure that it was all going according to plan. What the what?! I had never expected that, I was stoked and had all but forgotten about Proactive. Until yesterday when my neighbor told me randomly that she had bought Proactive for her daughter. I was floored and realized that I never had posted that review of them and here you go - more people are getting sucked into their web. So Proactive - I told you I would tell people how you treated me and likely treat loads of other people from the looks of it. And here I am doing it! Don't use this product!! There are better ones out there!=

Even though it didn't work and made my acne worse I must admit i'm glad I tried it. Now I know it doesn't work for me, and can move on to other cheaper options. I guess it works for some people, but reading the reviews here really makes me wonder how they can claim to be so successful.

this is definitely a SCAM. my face had never looked so ugly my entire life. it is a money making scam they will clean your bank account send you to collection then ruin your credit

...but if you have extra $70, and if you really want to spend time to put that HELPLESS liquid and cream on your face, if you believe that your case might be different than others', and this crap will help you, go ahead and try it... I've never written any reviews on the products I was buying online b/c don't want to spend my time on that(or sometimes just b/c of laziness) But this time I could not stay quiet! I just want to WARN you so you DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I MADE!!!! P.S. The customer service is RIDICULOUS!!! Impossible to return it and get refund

It doesn't work. I dislike how it is hyped so much and it doesn't even promise it's guarantees.

I was told to pay only $19.95 for the trial, and then they charged me 39.95 every month out of my credit card. once you sign up to use the product they will charge you every month, and you have call them to cancel the service yourself. I got charged twice + 19.95 =99.85 you can go see a dermatologist with that kinds of money. DO NOT BUY OR TRIAL waste time and money

I started this a couple of years ago when I decided prescription medication was no longer "for me". Long story behind that but maybe for another review. I really wanted something that would be effective, easy to use (not some huge skin care production that I would have to undertake every day) and reasonably priced. I had been hearing about Proactiv for some time, thanks to the TV and it being plastered around everywhere. And Katy Perry told me it worked so it had to right?! Ha ha. Well at first, I thought that I had found the motherlode. My skin cleared up for the most part, I found it easy to use and of course, the cost was ok as well. THEN the bomb dropped. Overnight, my skin exploded. I was in shock. I called them (Proactiv) to see what was up and their customer service people were clueless. It was like they were going off a script but had no real experience or knowledge of how the skin works. I would ask them questions like is there another product that I should try instead of what I am using now and they just repeated what they had said before, something along the lines of "It is a phase, it will get better". I hung up frustrated but what could I do? I did what they told me, got my next package the next month and just kept trucking. And watching my skin get worse. I was stuck because I was in this program and had the product and literally had no idea who to believe. I have to admit, I was *almost* tempted to go back to prescription because although the side effects nearly ruined my life, at least my skin was clearish. I think it was somewhere on these message boards I finally heard about Ninja Skincare and have been with them now for almost a year. The comparison is remarkable. Customer service is by far the most knowledgable acne people I have ever talked to, response time is amazingly fast and the product actually works - clearest I have been in forever. And pretty cheap. The only reason I think proactiv still has customers is because they have the big marketing budgets to lure people in with false advertising. The product is cheap and ineffective and they get you in these re-occuring billing schemes. Don't be fooled. Find something else that works first!

This company makes a lot of money off "memberships" for acne medication. Beware of the the sneaky fine print before you buy from this company. It will take a long time to get your money back. How do you think they pay for all of their TV advertisements??

I've been using Proactiv on and off for about 6 years now, and I always find myself coming back to it when my skin becomes "irreparable" by other products. I've tried everything else on the market, from prescriptions to all naturals and even oils, but Proactiv always seems to do the job just a little bit better. I would definitely say Proactiv works well on certain skin types, and can increase problems in others. I would say your safest bet when trying the 3 step system is to LISTEN to the directions. DO NOT coat your face in this product. Most of the people I know who do not like Proactiv or say it does not work coat their faces in it (using too much of step 2 and 3), or scrub too harshly (seriously, do not scrub hard or use a lot of the facewash, it WILL dry your skin out if used improperly), or just overuse it (washing too frequently, using too much product), thus increasing breakouts and skin sensitivity. Use this product mildly, and give it a good two months before coming to your conclusion about it. If you feel it's not working or increasing problems, move on to something else. Just remember this product has harsh ingredients, and you need to listen to the directions and not go overboard with the system. PROS: - It works well with my skin type - Makes my skin feel clean after washing - Gives my skin an almost "matte"-like finish, very good for the makeup I use - Step 3 is an AMAZING spot treatment. if you get a gnarly zit or breakout, slap some of the BP cream on the area for a few hours / overnight and it should dry out the area and reduce the size of the breakout. My absolute favorite part of the system. - Works good on my hormonal cystic acne and adult acne - It seems to help a lot with dark marks and acne scars left behind by larger breakouts CONS: - It's very harsh when used improperly (believe me, I've been using this product for years and I've had times where I overused it and began breaking out more rather than clearing up) - It can burn, especially on open spots or sores - It isn't for everyone, but you should use the product MILDLY for AT LEAST 8 weeks before coming to your conclusion - Doesn't seem to help much with blackheads _________________________________ REMEMBER TO USE IN MODERATION AND LISTEN TO THE DIRECTIONS! DO NOT COAT YOUR FACE IN THIS PRODUCT, DO NOT USE MORE THAN IT SAYS OR YOU MAY HAVE ADVERSE EFFECTS. THE INGREDIENTS ARE VERY HARSH ON SKIN BUT THEY DO WHAT THEY ARE MEANT TO! __________________________________ Some of my tips for people struggling with acne: - Do not pick or pop. DO NOT. Let your face heal itself. If you do feel the need to pick or pop, MAKE SURE you get the entirety of the zit out. If you leave even a little bit of sebum in your face, that zit can come back with a vengeance. Oh, and NEVER EVER press from the side. Always pop by pushing downward. If you push from the sides / squeeze the zit, the sebum can push itself down even deeper into your skin! But honestly I would just leave your breakouts alone. They will work themselves out. - Drink a lot of water. A LOT. Not only is it good for you, but you WILL see results in your skin in just a few days if you increase your water intake. - Give products time. Do not expect results overnight. Your skin works slowly, and acne products are not magic. 3 weeks AT LEAST before deciding if a product is right for you. - Eat healthier! Sugars and dairy products can increase breakouts, be wary of them. - Avoid touching your face with unclean hands. - Sleep on a clean towel or freshly cleaned pillowcase EVERY NIGHT. Oils and sweat get trapped in the fabric and can cause breakouts. I know acne is hard, but I promise you are all beautiful with or without it. Try not to stress too much over it. You'll get through it.