Proactiv Solution : Acne Treatment System

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.

You have to be consistent! It dries out your skin so getting help from any moisturizer is helpful. i also see a dermatologist she gave me some pills (monocycline).It's good to talk to your doctor before starting any product he/she may give you a medication to work well with you proativ solution.GOOD LUCK!!

When I first started using the product, my face seemed to get worse before it got better. Which I think it was the imprurities coming out. Now my skin is soft and smooth, aside from a few blemishes here and there popping up (which is my case in hereditary) I will be using it 3 weeks this coming Tuesday and so far so good! I was a little aggrivated in the beginning, but now it seems to be working as I hoped. I don't know if I will continue spending the money though. VERY expensive product!

I definitely reccomend proactiv. I saw immediate results on myself and in the end it cleared up my acne. it did dry my skin out at first, so I went down to using it once a day instead of twice. and I love the refining mask that comes with the 3 step system! it does take time to apply but it's worth it in the end.

It works well,enless you stop.

I bought Proactive Solution because I was tired of my bad skin. I didn't expect it to work, but after only 3 days people started to notice that my skin was getting better. After a week I started to break out again, but was told that it was normal. Now 2 weeks after I started using it, all my pimples are gone and the redness it starting to disappear!

Look, my clean was the clearest when I was in the hospital for a week and a half due to a spinal tap gone wrong. I didn't wash my face or wear any make-up; I laid there like a vegetable. But when I got out and washed my wash with a mild cleanser and wore my make-up again, BOOM acne. So, my Mom got me Proactiv from a friend (whom they send crazy amounts to via the automatic reorder system) and gave it to me. I started off doing it morning and night, it dried the HELL out of my face and brought EVERYTHING to the surface, huge under the skin pimples!!! I was dying, and my make-up was failing at covering it up due to all the flakey, dried out skin. I gave up and went back to a mild cleasner for a few days and dramatically my oily skin came right back with acne. So WTF, I gave it another shot, and perfected my regimen. I addressed the under the skin break outs with a their refining mask as a spot treatment and my dry skin with their Oil-Free moisturizer in the morning and Cetaphil PM moisturizer at night and skipped the toner in the morning. Below is my system. After I endured the hellish ugly breakout, I'm ALMOST all clear except for a spot on my chin and a reddish scar on my jawbone, which I'm going to try Mederma for, I'll let you know how it goes. Today I didn't wear make-up to go to breakfast with my mom, it was amazing :) AM: -ProActiv Renewing Cleanser -(Skip the Proactiv toner - too drying) -Proactiv Repairing Lotion -Proactiv Oil-Free Moisturizer Make-up -Smashbox High Definition Concealer (Fair) -Physican's Formula Organic Wear Powder (Fair Translucent) PM: Make sure you wash off all your make-up right when you get home ladies! -Dove moisturizing bar w/ clean white washcloth (gets make-up off AND dry skin) -Proactiv Renewing Cleanser -Toner (make sure your face is free from impurites) (Wait 5 mins) -Proactiv Repairing Lotion (Wait 10 mins) -CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion (Wait

I have used Proactiv for several years now, I just recently switched to a cheaper over the counter face wash to try and save money, and I completely regret it. Even after less than a month, I started breaking out. Proactiv is worth the price. I bought some more today and already after one wash my face feels wonderful again. I would recommend this to anyone, I will never use anything else ever again!

I have been using ProActive for a number of years. It has worked wonderfully for me, but it's definitely only a band-aid solution. It cleared up my mild/moderate acne very quickly, and I was able to come off the oral acne medication I was taking at the time. I never found it overly drying for my sensitive, oily skin. It did, however, leave me extra oily at times, though using the ProActive Sheer Finish Mattifying Gel helped with that. Sadly, after years of use, its effectiveness gradually wore off and I started getting more frequent 'occasional' breakouts so I decided to set out in search of other options. As soon as discontinued use my acne came back full force, and worse than ever! It's been awful, and now I'm back to square one. I would still advise people to give it a try, it did wonders for me as my skin did very well on this system. However, I am now searching for a new possibly more natural, long-lasting, acne fighting regime.

Overall, ProActiv is an amazing product IF you use it correctly EXACTLY like the directions say to, which is sometimes a pain in the butt. My personal tips for using it are: - Order the Green Tea Moisturizer along with the 3 steps, because the dryness can be terrible at times - Follow the directions exactly like you're supposed to... it's a very nit-picky product that can be a miracle in a bottle, but only if used EXACTLY right. - Order off of [link removed] or somewhere like that. Avoid the ProActiv company itself at all costs, because their customer service is incredibly annoying and it can be hell on earth trying to get out of a subscription with them. - Be sure not to get Steps 1 or 3 on your clothes, because the benzoil peroxide in those steps WILL bleach badly. Let Step 3 completely dry on your face before putting on your shirt, cause if even a little bit gets on there you're gonna have horrible bleach marks. - Try not to touch your face a lot during the day... you shouldn't do that in the first place, but especially not while using ProActiv because it can make your skin very sensitive and fragile to irritation.