- Blog
- Bios
- Boards
- Classifieds
- DIY
- Gallery
- Vendor Reviews
- Shop Weddingbee
Weddingbee boards
I just ordered proactive. I have acne prone skin (white heads, not black heads). A few people have recommended Proactiv, but one in particular said it was a waste of money.
I've been using it 4 days, and my skin feels good (not oily like normal) but i'm getting even more zits. i'm guessing it need to work out what's in there before it starts to look clearer anyhow...what do u think, Proactiv users?
I want flawless skin sooo bad. lol.
All new treatments will cause an initial increase in the amount of breakouts. I tried it and didn't like it. It was way too harsh on my face and caused it to be red and painful.
Pre-pregnancy that was my face product of choice. I tried other products and they all failed for me, but Proactiv has done it's job. Since I am preggie, I can't use it so I use Aveeno products which I like as well. I am hoping that after my DD is born, I can stick with Aveeno.
I found it overdrying and actually likely to cause more breakouts (if you're stripping oil off your face, your skin is going to product more, leading to more clogged pores). I use Cetaphil cleaner 2x a day, good moisturizer and sunscreen, and spot treat acne with salacylic acid spot treatment. I've gotten more compliments on my skin since I started this regime then I have at any other point in my life.
I love proactive each time I put on one of their facial masks I always see the difference.... I'm going to put one on right now......
It used to work great for me for 2 years or so, then all of a sudden it just stopped working. I don't know why but I've heard a lot of people say the same thing.
ha! so many opinions because everyone's face is different.
After 4 days on the 3 piece system, i'm still not having dry skin, and there seems to be plenty of oil (even though it is thankfully less than my normal amount).
hopefully this is a good sign.
The same thing happened to me, kericita. It worked for me for a few years in high school then started to get really painful and worthless.
I don't have an acne problem, but my BFF does and she tried it and hated it. So that's what I put in the vote. It made her skin so peely and sensitive that she stopped using it. She now uses Eminence products, and loves the results. I use it too, they have products for every skin type, and all are ecofriendly and made for sensitive skin
My husband uses it and so far, it's been the best thing he's come across. However, the fact that he's 27 and gets cystic acne has me telling him, repeatedly, he needs to see a dermatologist. But men are lazy. I'm ready to make the damn appointment for him! He has to use it diligently for it to work and it helps with all the little whitehead type pimples, but not the cystic acne he gets more often. Maybe it depends on what KIND of acne you have, too?
I tried it on two different occasions for 2 months at a time and it made my skin dry and made my face break out like crazy. Awful. I use Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser and Philosophy Hope in a Jar now. Works like a charm.
I was wondering about Proactive, too because I also wanted that flawless skin for my wedding but instead tried Clinique's 3-step Acne system along with Philosophy's Hope in a Jar for my moisterizer. I love them both and haven't had any breakouts since I started using it a couple months ago!
I use it, and it worked for about a year, maybe two. I ran out (I was buying it at a machien at the mall) and couldnt afford it for a little while. I just got more about a month ago, and now it's not seeming to work as well!
But it used to work perfectly...
The best acne product ever made!!! Did wonders for me...
I used to use Proactive and even though I have dry, sensitive skin, it worked really well! Awesome. However, it stained all of my bath towels. If you use it, it will discolor towels and clothing. So be careful! Use an old white washcloth and bath towel, wash them in the machine separatly, and be careful when putting on your shirt right after you washed your face. It even lightened my eyebrows a bit.
Oh I completely forgot about the staining! It will also bleach your pillowcases and towels because it has benzoyl peroxide.
What I've found about Proactiv:
It's a miracle for people who tend to have oily skin that is not sensitive.
If you have sensitive and/or dry skin, though, stay away! R used it for a long time and loved it. I tried it for two weeks and it was awful. My skin was a red, blotchy, peeling mess. I would never use it again. I use the Clinique 3 Step System mild formula and it works wonders for me.
I agree with @lilyfaith - I fall into the oily/nonsensitive category and it works pretty well for me (better than other options I've tried over the years.)
it's a waste of money! I used it and it kind of worked. Then I found out that they sell benzoyle peroxide, the active ingredient in proactive, at places like walmart and walgreens, and it even has a higher percentage of the active ingredient, for like $5. This works even better for me. I put this on at night and use salycilic acid ($5 too) in the morning. Works great!
Proactive is very harsh on the skin, and will dry out your skin, and cause irritation. A lot of acne products use alcohols, benzoyl peroxide and salycilic acid, which will over time over dry and irritate the skin, when you over dry acne skin, it will only start to produce more oil to compensate, and thus you have more pimples.
I would suggest you either go see a dermatologist or a reputable spa and get a skin analyisis done by an esthetician, and she can make product reccemendations for you that will be better worth your money. I've used Eminence which is a really good organic line, and I'm currently using Repechage which I'm really liking.
Same thing with me....I used it a long time ago and worked great....now it does nothing for me.
It worked great for me years ago but stopped working after a while.. since they came out with "new proactiv" and I hadn't used it in about 4 years I thought I'd try it again. It cleared me right up at first for a couple weeks, but for the last week my skin has NEVER been so dry.. and to boot I am completely broken out now, prob due to the skin being too dried out and stripped from it's natural oils like Stephbolt said.
what a disappointment :(
I think it works but it dries my face out so bad...it really does hurt! Maybe I just have sensitive skin, but I can't use it two times a day or else my face would be sore and ripped apart!
When I was a teenager it worked like a charm... but I tried it again in adulthood (at age 26) and it dried out my skin horribly and made my eyes swell shut! So I got my money back!
There is a money back guarantee so try it and if it doesn't work just send it back!
I tried proactiv and the 3 step clinique system and the clinique 3 step worked way better for me. The thing that's worked the best for me though is birth control.
I have super sensitive skin. I first tried Proactiv when I was in my late teens and my eyes swelled up so badly. I stoppped using it immediately. I was desperate at one point so I tried it again. Best thing I've ever done. I have been using it for over 10 years and I don't think I'll ever stop. I love the moisturizer too. I still break out occassionally but I realize that I have to be very careful with my face. I use Neutrogena foundation and I try not to ever use powder. Powder seems to cause breakouts for me.
@wifeywife, birth control is my miracle worker too. I'm scared to death to stop taking it when we try for a baby : (
Sooo...I've been using it now for a couple of weeks, and honestly...my skin is still oily and my face is still full of zits. maybe it takes longer? maybe i'm using it wrong?
any advice?
I used it correctly but I didn't like it but my DH loved it.
It was exciting that I was one shade of a color at the time but looking back, that color was red!
The only thing that worked for me was Johnson and Johnsons Purpose.
Other! I used it for awhile, but it was too expensive while I was in school so I found cheaper options. I had good luck with it, but it did dry out my skin.
I use tea tree oil cleanser twice a day, and spot treat with witch hazel. A few times a week I use an apricot scrub in the shower... and I use aveeno facial moisturizer with spf after I wash it. That seems to work out the best for me, and I feel like I have pretty run of the mill skin (not overly dry or oily).
I have used Proactive since college, and for me, NOTHING else has worked. I have very oily skin. I have tried other products twice and both of them worked for a couple of months and then I broke out REALLY bad - painfully bad. So, I will no longer EVER try anything else. if you do try it, be sure to get the moisturizing lotion too. And, when my skin gets a little dry, I lay off the 3rd step and only use it every other night. If you are nervous about trying it, I would go to a dematologist and see what they recomend based on your skin and acne type. Good luck!!
It thins your skin and makes you break out after you stop. Don't do it...
I use Acne Free, which is like Proactiv, but not! And its cheaper and you can just buy it at a drugstore or something (I always go to Target). But you can get the 3 stage kit, or just buy the facewash. I used to do the kit but my skin got too dry, so now I just use the facewash and I love it. I still have my breakouts, but overall it works really well on my skin.
i'm like @pendola -- the only thing that has really worked for me was Purpose fash wash, and i've honestly tried *everything*! i have slight sensitive skin & am pretty fair and while i liked the creaminess of the proactive cleanser, the whole system just dried my skin out like crazy!
my savior products are:
a great acne mask (that doesn't over-dry) is DDF's Sulfur mask. it smells like bloody hell, but it works great & also as a spot treatment!
I have oily skin just like you and Proactiv worked fine for me. It is true that it can throw off the pH balance of your skin by stripping the natural oils. I would say to just use the toner and mask sparingly and make sure to moisturize.
The best skin care system I have *ever* used, and (I've used a LOT) is Glytone. I get it from a dermatologist but you can order it online. I can't say enough good things about it.
I hated it. I really just have a little mild acne (but very oily skin) and if anything it made my skin worse. Not only that, but it made it peely, dry, and kind of scaly. The only product I felt worked was the refining mask. Everything else was terrible.
Did not work at all. Every time I see a Proactiv commercial I scream at the TV. LIES!
I've been using Proactive for about 5 months now. I don't have really bad skin (whiteheads and the occasional zit or three), but I was really breaking out lately and I kept getting those under the skin suckers (that really hurt bad).
At first my face didn't seem to get any better, I want to say it took about 2 months or so for my face to really clear up, but it's been clear since. woot woot! I've been debating if I want to stop using proactive or not. I'm kinda scared that I'll break out again if I stop.
I used proactive, and acne free and all of those other stuff that they put on the t.v. (They Didn't Work)
The best stuff I have used is Origins. I use the stuff for the combination skin and my face has cleared up. I don't get any more pimple except some black heads once and awhile. So I will do a mask and it will clear it all up.
thanks for all the advice!
@MSSUSHI- Since I've started using it (few weeks ago) I've had fewer zits but some really huge underneath ones like you described...i've had 2 or 3 of those come up just since I started! I figure it's part of the cleansing process, but one on my cheek seems like it will never reach the surface. I wonder if this is a side effect of the proactive...either way, I'll finish what I have before I give up.
So far, I'm a little dry around the nose, but no where else. I just invested in Clinique's superdefence sunscreen for oily faces. It's really nice and smooth, but doesn't make me all oily. So far, i think it's the best facial sunscreen I've ever had.
clq_68GN_158.jpg (7.2 KB, 27 downloads) 2 years old You must log in to post.
| Visit our sister sites | eHarmony Online Dating |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Create the honeymoon of your dreams.
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| MissBoPeep | 89 |
| beargoose | 54 |
| hisgoosiegirl | 51 |
| Mrs.KMM | 46 |
| BetterSherm | 42 |
| akp0702 | 41 |
| ndreighton | 40 |
| stardustintheeyes | 36 |
| Beckster329 | 36 |
| MrsPom | 35 |
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| Eireann | 5 |
| sara_tiara | 3 |
| o0olibelulao0o | 2 |
| stargurl101 | 2 |
| Mrs. Chai | 2 |
| Snow00774 | 2 |
| Unconditionallove | 2 |
| Rivendeler | 2 |
| strawbs | 2 |
| serendipity9.8 | 2 |
