Acne.org Products
Topical Antibacterial
Efficacy
54%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Note: Benzoyl peroxide clears the skin completely when applied correctly.
Topical Antibacterial
Acne.org’s Real World Take
It’s been a staple of acne treatment for decades for a reason. When used properly it can completely clear the skin. It is widely available and affordable. Comes with side effects for the first few weeks and can bleach fabric.
Topical Antibacterial
How to Get It
This is an over-the-counter treatment. Here are some places you can find it online.
Used Benzoyl Peroxide? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
January 27, 2011
Product used: Proactiv Solution (Acne Treatment System)
Cons:
Irritated my skin
Caused dryness and flaking
If discontiued use acne became worse
I would not buy this product again. Proactive was not worth the risk.
December 26, 2010
Product used: Quinoderm ((5% or 10%) Benzoyl Peroxide and (0.5%) Potassium Hydroxyquinoline Sulfate Cream)
Pros:
It's cheap, no prescription needed even though contains antibiotics, effective, starts working relatively fast.
Cons:
Stings when applying, dries out your face, can leave your face very red and sore.
A few weeks ago my GP prescribed me some tablets for my spots. He also recommended quinoderm cream. I bought the cream, not realising the qunioderm 5 cream was available, this would have been perfect if I'd have known as I have quite sensitive skin. I started using the cream a few days before I started my tablets and found that even though it stung for a few minutes after applying it, it worked very well. It did dry my skin out though and made it a little red in areas and no amount of moisturiser would help this. Once I started taking the tablets, I found that the cream was less effective and the redness on my face was getting worse. Due to this, I only used it once rather than the suggested 2-3 times a day. My skin was still red after reducing the usage and so I stopped using it altogether and moisturised more often. However, a day later (Christmas eve), after not using the cream, I woke up one morning with a very sore and very bright red face. I put on some moisturiser but it just seemed to aggravate my skin more and so I washed it off. During the rest of the day, my skin became quite itchy and extremely red (it looked like I had been sunburnt quite badly!) I took some piriton to stop it itching which helped however the redness didn't go. That night I went to bed with my face covered in talcum powder as that soothed the soreness slightly. I woke up the next day (Christmas day) with my face still as bright red and sore. I took another prition and did nothing else to my face for the rest of the day. I woke up today (Boxing day) with my face less red and my skin completely dried out and even starting to crack! I have applied moisturiser which seems to help it slightly but I am just hoping it gets better now. Overall, I would recommend quinoderm but if it's your first time using it, buy the 5 cream and only use it once at first on a small section of your skin to see how it reacts - I don't want anyone else going through what I did - especially at Christmas!
December 20, 2010
Product used: Proactiv Solution (Acne Treatment System)
Pros:
- Evened skin tone
- Quick relief of major problem spots
- If used correctly, really does help a lot with acne
Cons:
- Customer Service is HELL... I would reccomend ordering it from Amazon instead of subscribing to the monthly shipping, because if you end up wanting to cancel your membership, it literally takes several times of you calling them for them to take your credit card off the system.
- Can dry out face really badly, but you can solve this problem by getting their Green Tea Moisturizer, which is AMAZING!
- If you stop using it for ANY amount of time, the results are disasterous and you're screw
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.
November 29, 2010
Product used: Proactiv Solution (Acne Treatment System)
Pros:
-Works relatively fast
-Clears most pimples
-Clears redness
-Skin feels fresh
-Easy to use
-Refining Mask is great!
Cons:
-Does dry the face, but it's nothing a good moisturizer can't fix.
-Takes a long time to clear acne scars and cystic acne.
I've used this product for a month probably. During the first week that I had been using it, I started reading reviews about it and was terrified to continue using it because of all the horrible things people wrote about it. But I decided to continue using it, and I'm glad I did. I'm 18, and I've had moderate acne since my sophomore year of high school. I tried over the counter products, and nothing really worked that well. Within the first week, Proactiv has reduced redness tremendously, and has gotten rid of most of the bumps. I have so much more confidence. The key is to use the 3 step system everyday, and every night if you're skin can handle it. I only use it once a day, and that works for me. After doing the 3 steps, use a good moisturizer and use all over face to prevent dryness and flaking. If you wear foundation, use a mineral foundation so it wont clog your pores. This really is a great product, so don't let the bad reviews get you down. Proactiv has given me my confidence back, and I'm so much happier. Just keep in mind that it the time it takes to start working may vary from person to person, so don't quit within the first 2 weeks. And it may not work for everyone, because everyone has different skin, and acne could get a little worse before it gets better. But I would definitely give this a try!
October 7, 2010
Product used: Carley's (Clear and Smooth Skin Treatment)
Pros:
Bought things two times for my 13 y.o. daughter. This product WORKS GREAT!!! She is more than happy, and so am I.
Excellent customer service, smooth transaction and lightning fast shipping.
Will buy more and recommend to my friends.
Thanks a lot!
Cons:
None.
It's worth every penny!
September 15, 2010
Product used: Proactiv Solution (Acne Treatment System)
this is ripoff the people.if u order a kit.they send u auto genrat kit every months.if u dont pay they send it collections agency.
August 24, 2010
Product used: Proactiv Solution (Acne Treatment System)
Cons:
waste of money
This stuff is crap--It doesn't work and to try to get them to stop charging your credit card is impossible--Its a rip off and not worth one cent.
July 28, 2010
Product used: Clean & Clear (Persa-Gel 10, Maximum Strength)
Pros:
-Gets rid of acne
-Removes redness
-Prevents future breakouts!
-Super FAST
Cons:
-Drying..but every product with benzoyl peroxide causes this.
-If you use too much, it can leave a white residue behind.
I'm not one to go on websites and review products unless they are spectacular. This product did it for me! At first I started using this product and my acne went completely away in a couple weeks. After a few months of use I decided to stop using the regimen and see what happens.
After a week my acne came back with a few zits here and there, but enough to make my self-esteem plummet. I rushed back to this product and like magic, my acne went away after a few days of use.
I am nineteen now and I guess I was not blessed with perfect skin or the ability to grow out of acne, but this product will definitely be with me until they find the miracle cure for acne.
July 27, 2010
Product used: Oxy (Maximum Action Advanced Face Wash)
Pros:
Clears up smaller stuff quickly
You can really feel it working on the acne
Cons:
It does dry, but some moisturizer will fix it
Doesn't get everything, just little whiteheads and blackheads
Totally worth the money! It helps a lot with the acne and the side effects are easily fixable.
July 25, 2010
Product used: Neutrogena (On-the-Spot Acne Treatment (Old Formula))
Pros:
cleared my adult acne after 4 years of trying everything except laser and acutane
Cons:
$6/10 days
4 years ago I developed adult acne. Since then I've tried Proactive, Murad, DDF, Arbonne, Cetaphil, holistic remedies including acupuncture, cleanses, enemas, prescription ointments and oral medications, supplements, cutting out sugar and caffiene, expensive make-ups, not wearing make-up... Finally, I have clear skin by using a dime size amount of the On the Spot which I spread over face and neck and follow with a non-comedegenic, fragrance free lotion twice a day with NO redness and NO over-drying! Sometimes simple is better.
Pros:
Skin feels soft and clean for the first few days
Cleared up a few small pimples