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Hi girls! I have pretty good skin but lately I'm pimple city with lots of little bumpies and clogged pores. Does Proactiv work?? Any other recommendations? I admit i'm lazy about a regimen but I'm thinking if I had some better products it might motivate me. Any ideas?
I used proactiv as a teen and it worked like a charm!
I used it again recently as an adult and it gave me an allergic reaction and my eyes swelled shut! So you would have to try it - but it does have a guarantee so I took it back and got all my money back!
it has worked great for me! I just use the refining serum or something along with moisturizer in the am and i only break out when the pms is bad.
If you don't have a skincare regimen, it may be a good idea to just start one before trying out Proactive, which can be so expensive.
Get a good cleanser (with some salicylic acid, if you'd like, to exfoliate and help with blackheads), and a low-dose of benzoyl perixode lotion (you don't need the 10%, it'll just aggrevate your skin), and a good moisturizer with SPF. Use all three every morning and every night for a few weeks, and see if it makes a difference. The combo will usually help to clear up little bumps and such, especially if you stick with it (my face only breaks out when I forget to wash it at night!)
I tried Proactive and had a HORRIBLE reaction. The area I applied it (thankfully I just did a test area) became really red, raised, hot to the touch and very painful. Granted the pimple was gone, but it looked like I had the vacumm hose sucking a spot on my face.
I recommend Clean & Clear Acme Spot Treatment. I rarely ever get pimples, but when I do I dab a little dot on it before bed and it's gone by morning! I have sensitive skin too, so it's not too harsh or drying. I have been using this stuff for over 8 years - LOVE IT!
I used to use Proactiv. It worked great, but when I tried again it didn't. I opted to Clinique 3 step program and its been amazingly great.
I used proacitv as a teen and it worked very well. I have recently started using it again to get my skin wedding ready, and so far so good! I recommend it!
I used proactiv when I was around 14 or so. I didn't notice anything other than my skin dried out, eek! I've tried boatloads of cleansers since then, and I always seem to come back to just regular old Neutrogena! You know their clear bottle with the orange stuff? I prefer it to any other Neutrogena product or cleanser you can get at the store (or fancy boutique). For exfoliators I switch off between Clinique 7-day scrub and the Red Element exfoliating scrub from the Jason line.
I used it back in high school and it dried my face out so horribly that it was constantly red and painful. I'm currently using Neutrogena Advanced Solutions and it works pretty well.
I can't recommend this regimen enough:
Best place to buy the products: http://www.danielkern.com/
The 2.5% benzoyl peroxide treatment is the key - using a LOT of it, such that it takes 5-10 min to rub in, morning and night. Any good cleanser used before the treatment will work, though I was never completely clear until I started using a castille facial soap with tea tree oil and rubbing for 60 seconds before rinsing every time. (Tea tree oil is naturally antibacterial, so that helps prevent pimples from forming.)
Everything on the site is cheaper than Proactiv and even cheaper (per oz) than what you can buy in a drugstore. It has totally changed my skin.
Getting off the soapbox now... uh, no pun intended.
Proactiv seems to be completely hit or miss. I have never tried it, but my sister had a HORRIBLE reaction whereas my best friend swears by it and has great skin.
My man uses Proactive he is lazy and just uses the cleanser... he loves it & his skin is always clear except for some blackheads on his nose... I only like the Sulfur mask i do use his to spot treat
I tried proactive in HS and like the other girls it dried me out so bad and irritated me so much that i felt like my skin was worse...
Honestly I been using Acne Free (you can get at walmart or any drug store) it is very comparable to Proactive but only $19.95 for the full size kit & when i use it like i am suppose to and not get lazy it works wonderfully on my skin.
Also I use to get Microderm when i was at a beauty school doing my instructors training & it helped my skin millions ... i still get one every now and then when i make the time but I do the Neutrogena @ home microderm kit 3 times a week and i can not tell you the difference it has made in the look and feel of my skin.
PS I have mostly oily but combo sensitive skin
I swear by Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub. I have weird skin which is too oily in places (nose and forehead) and super dry in others (jawline, chin, around my mouth). I used to get pimples/zits all the time, but since I started using this a few months ago my skin is soft and virtually pimple/zit free (I'll get them if I go too long without using this product). I use it in the shower which means i don't have to have a long complicated facial cleansing routine over my sink. Its relatively inexpensive at ~$6.99 (Walgreens) and I've found it on sale for as little as $3 at Target.
Thanks so much girls, I really wanted some recommendations and this is perfect. Loooks like I have some shopping to do!!
I've never used it, but my brother and his wife both have used it and swear by it.
I used it and I thought it was working, but after 3 months my skin was only a little bit better. Once I stopped using it, my skin cleared up. I use the PanOxyl bar once a day, use an on-the-spot benzoyl peroxide treatment for pimples at night, make sure to exfoliate twice a week and use a good, non-comedogenic moisturizer daily. Works for me!
I have combination skin with the occasional breakout, and I didn't want to go the Proactiv route because I was afraid what it would do to the parts of my skin that are sensitive (i.e., cheeks). So I use Dior's Foaming Facial Cleanser, and it is fantastic. It's for oily skin, but it doesn't dry out the rest of my skin. It's $30/bottle, but the bottle will last for months with twice daily use. I highly recommend.
Why don't you just try the trial pack of Proactiv for $20? I did that and it did an AMAZING job on my skin. I usually only break out when I'm stressed. I used it and I can't believe how well it worked. I DEFINITELY recommend it.
i started using proactiv and the products were bleaching out my towels and pillowcases.. so I decided that if they were strong enough to do that, they weren't so good for my face..
I tried it several years ago and had a HORRIBLE reaction :(
I have very sensative skin, so I didn't even use as much product as they recommend, but it ended up giving my face skin (literally) a chemical burn. I had to go to the dermatologist to get Rx creams to heal it. To say I looked terrible for weeks after would be an understatement LOL
If you try it, and have sensative skin, I'd definately go easy at first - or try a product with less chemicals. Just my $.02.
My skin was bad for years until I tried the Clinique 3 step kit for acne...its really helped clear up my skin and now I save a little money by just buying a salicylic acid cleanser like Neutrogena and only the moisturizer from the Clinique kit. Love the stuff!
Sorry, I've never used Proactiv before but I thought I'd suggest something else. I've always had great skin, but for some reason this year I've had some crazy breakouts. I switched to Kate Somerville products and my skin has COMPLETELY cleared up, and I haven't had any other breakouts. Specifically, I use Exfolikate twice a week and the Daily Detox face wash (for acne-prone skin) a few times a week too. It's so amazing, I feel like I have my skin back! It is pricey, but the results are amazing. Exfolikate is also the only thing that gets rid of the blackheads on my nose!
worked for me in high school! now i use purpose (super gentle, oil free, soap free, hypoallergenic) and then just apply acne cream for random breakouts.
Ps- don't forget that stress and food-and-beverage intake affect your skin as well. Drink lots of water, eat healthy, and have some sort of stress reducer stand by (working out, yoga, etc)
my biggest complaint with Proactiv was their "system"
make it clear to customer service that you DO NOT want any shipments other then the one you specifically order.
twice i had to call and speak with a manager because twice they shipped me new supplies at random and charged $35 a box - and then wanted me to return the products without shipping reimbursement!
me: "you can either take the $35 off my credit card AND i keep the stuff, or you can take the $35 off my card and send me a return shipping label so you can get the stuff back... whatever is worth it to you."
one time they sent me a shipping label, and one time they let me keep it for free. :)
I never used proactive but before i started going to the dermatologist i used some over the counter brand that was just like proactive. I got it at meijer, well you might not have a meijer where you live. But the containers for it are all orange with blue righting. Its about $20 here.
I tried Proactiv and it worked for a month, then my pimples came back. I suggest seeing a dermatologist.
I've been using it for about a year or so now. It cleared up most of my acne, but I still break out. And I'm still kinda red and blotchy sometimes. I tried using some Biore because it would be cheaper and my skin broke out so bad!
I'm going to go ahead and say that benzoyl peroxide totally sucks. This is the active ingrediant in the Proactiv cleanser and lotion (the toner's active is glycolic acid). It definitely works for controlling acne for a lot of people, assuming you're not allergic. Benzoyl peroxide works by killing acne bacteria. The problem is it also kills your skin cells. It basically ages your skin by generating oxygen free radicals.
When I used Proactiv and other benzoyl peroxide products, they kept the acne somewhat under control, but the quality of my skin was terrible. It was just always irritated and blotchy and ugly-looking. It didn't look healthy. Not to mention the bleaching on my clothes and sheets and pillowcases was so annoying! I would definitely recommend alternatives such as tea tree oil, salicylic acid, or easing into retinoids instead of stuff that ages your skin.
I used Proactiv for a while. It got rid of my acne but it also made my skin look red all the time and I became ridiculously sun sensitive (like, 5 mins in the sun meant a burn!) Also, I have combo skin and while I found it was good for my T-zone, proactiv dried out my cheeks really badly so sometimes I would have to use extra moisturizer to avoid that flaky look.
I have very few acne problems, but my best friend has them a lot and she used Proactiv and it made her face so bad!!! If you have sensitive skin at all don't use it. We both use the Eminence skin care line and love it. Its all organic, and they have different products for every problem you could have. I'll have to ask her what she uses specifically, but there's a serum that they have that works so well for her.
If I were you I would go with something organic and all natural, Proactiv is full of chemicals and can burn your skin!
I actually swear by the Clinique skincare stuff! They have a 3-step, where you pick/get a facewash, toner, and moisturizer, and it really works the best out of everything. The gel moisturizer is to die for, too.
I had an absolutely TERRIBLE reaction. My skin was red, puffy, it itched, it burned, and it was SO DRY. This was after using Proactiv for one day. My skin didn't go back to normal until 2 weeks later. :(
I use Biore products now, and my skin is clear. I swear by their blackhead removing scrub.
Yes! I use Proactiv and swear by it! It works well to zap blemishes. However, I don't use it every day, as it's very strong and can dry out my skin. I just use it every other day. If you have problem skin, I would definitely recommend it.
I used proactiv for about 6-8 months over this past year, and even though I followed the regimen STRICTLY, it did next to nothing. My forehead became all raised and bumpy, and although I had a few less pimples, everything looked redder and more blotchy.
Definitely try less costly routines first, if you think you might be 'cleanser resistant'.
I loveeeeeeee Proactiv!!! Did wonders for my skin!!!!!
Please test it on on your neck as stated.Thank goodness I did!! I tested it as reccomended and ended up with itchy,dry, raised skin, and red blotches that looked like hickeys :(. The irritation went away within 4 days. I called thier customer service line and they are sending me another package with a different formula. In the meantime I have found that neutrogena daily facial scrub, Grisi Avena soap ($1.00), and nuetrogena 8 hour acne spot gel work well :)Good Luck.
@luckyyou:OMG this is exactly what happened to me.Did you call back and get the salycylic acid formula. What are you using now?
I used Proactive as a last resort as nothing else had worked, I have never had better skin it worked a charm. Now I alternate between proactive and clineque's 3 step process as proactive can dry out your skin a lot. and my skin is the best in my life, finally at 28 lol
I currently use Proactive, have for a few years now and it did wonders for my skin. My face was in bad shape before using this but now I rarely get a breakout and when I do, they're normally period related.
I used Proactiv a couple years ago and it worked well for the first week but then I started to break out even more while using it. I got a lot of tiny little zits all of my forehead. I've been using the Oxy Clinical system and I love it! It has worked so much better than anything I've used before.
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