Has anyone used Proactiv skin care?

[HockeyBoysMom]

I have been thinking of ordering and trying this, but I don't know anyone who has ever tried it. I am 32 years old, and for the past two years, I am suddenly struggling with acne again. I am getting awful tired of looking like a teenager. Unfortunately because I also have fairly dry and senstive skin, many of the acne products are very harsh. Since the proactive uses benzoyl peroxide instead of some of the acids others use I thought it might be a little less harsh.

 

I would appreciate some opinions if anyone has ever tried this product. Thanks.

Dusty

[lillabella]

I have been thinking of ordering and trying this, but I don't know anyone who has ever tried it. I am 32 years old, and for the past two years, I am suddenly struggling with acne again. I am getting awful tired of looking like a teenager. Unfortunately because I also have fairly dry and senstive skin, many of the acne products are very harsh. Since the proactive uses benzoyl peroxide instead of some of the acids others use I thought it might be a little less harsh.

 

I would appreciate some opinions if anyone has ever tried this product. Thanks.

Dusty

 

I have never used Proactive -- but I can tell you that benzoyl peroxide is VERY drying to your skin. For most people it takes a couple weeks for their skin to get used to Benzoyl Peroxide and during that time may experience redness, itching, burning, and severe dryness. (Obviously this is not the case for everyone) Considering that you have dry sensitive skin to begin with, I think your best bet would be to set up an appointment to see a dermatologist who can evaluate your skin and suggest a regime that will work best. Most medical insurances will cover these visits and you will probably save money in the long run. It is possible that your acne could be caused from hormones and a dermatologist can help you determine that.

 

Best of luck!

[Princessbride3]

My son used it and loved it..

[momofmeg]

What about the week before your period breakout? That is my daughter's problem. She has normally beautiful skin except for that one week a month.

[GreytRacer]

I've been using ProActive for 4 years now, and it is the first and only thing that has cleared up my skin.

 

I tried the dermatologist route first. After 2 visits and $200+ and absolutely no improvement, she told me that she "didn't think anything she had given me was going to help" Huh!?! :eek: I was almost 40 at the time and was not interested in taking the really hardcore RX drugs.

 

I also have a problem with all the "acid" in most acne products. With the ProActive, I just have to make sure that I don't use it to the sides of my nose, as that area will dry out on me and get red. Otherwise, no problem at all with the products. I also have my niece and nephew on it, with great results. The only downside is that I don't think the customer service is very good at ProActive (accounts not set up correctly, orders not shipped in a timely manner).

 

Your other option in a product called AcneFree that you can buy at any of the big chains (Target, CVS etc). It is marketed as the "same as ProActive, at a lower price" (19.99 instead of 39.99). My nephew is trying it now, and I haven't heard anything bad.

 

Good Luck!

[Sassy Chassis]

My adult acne has cleared up a lot since I started on ProActiv. I do have the same problem around my nose though, it gets very dry and red. I also had to stop the automatic "club" shipments too. I now buy the kits from a kiosk in the mall. I would say I go through a kit in about 4-5 months since I only use it once a day (and sometimes not everyday).

[mspink98]

I tried it and hated it. I ended up canceling the auto-ships (which I have to say they were very good about and didn’t hassle me at all). I was about 22 when I started on it, and not only did it bleach my towels, it actually made my skin worse. A friend of mine tried it, and had the same experience.

I suspect it’s like anything else-works for some people and not for others. It’s not the miracle cure I had hoped for.

[houstonathome]

My 25 yr old cousin and a 35 yr old friend of mine swear by Proactive. They both have great skin now. As a previous poster mentioned, it does bleach your towels. Before you get started using it make sure you have a set of white towels, or at least towels that you wont mind ruining.

 

Good luck,

 

M.

[Happy ks]

I have 2 teens in the house, so we always have something for acne and have tried Proactiv as well as other products. The Proactiv worked just OK for my son and not well at all for my daughter. She has drier skin than her brother and it dried her out terribly. I know I expected more from the product, with all the hype and testimonials.

 

My son has done quite well with a product by the name of Murad, we get it through Sephora. My daughter is on a regimen of two different lines, Dermalogica cleanser and Clinique toner and Clinique moisturizing gel. I also use the moisturizing gel at night, it's a nice, light, non-greasy moisturizer that has no perfumes to irritate the skin.

 

A lot of people make the mistake of thinking their breakouts are caused by oil and it's not always so. Sometimes it's just hormones, sometimes it's from using a product that is too harsh for your skin. I know any breakouts I get are from using foundation on my skin and the fact that I perspire along my hairline with my hot flashes. Sometimes people just treat their skin too harshly, with detergents and exfoliation, causing it to be oilier than it would be if they were more gentle with their skin.

 

I think another reason for skin irritation is the perfume that so many products use. If you have acne rosacea (as I do), stay away from the perfumed cleansers and skin creams.

 

The best thing for you to do is to see a dermatologist or a really good esthetician. We can all tell you our own stories, but your skin is unique to you.

[kalamari]

I never tried proactive,but had considered it. Obagi products were recommended to me by an oral maxiofacial surgeron when I had some surgery last year. I am hooked. It cleared up my adult breakouts, and also faded all of my sun damage. It's a cleansing routine, and the stuff in the products helps your skin not dry out, and replenishes its own moisture so you don't need to use moisturizer. Can't explain how it works, but you can buy it all on the internet. My problem tended to be stress related breakouts, and the pimples erupted underneath my skin..ended up being infected hair follicles and would almost look like small boils. Found out also it was caused by stress! But other friends of mine use obagi for adult acne and also swear by the results. http://www.obagi.com

Menina.

[lillibean]

I've used Proactiv for about 5 years and I absolutely love it!! It's the only thing that cleared up my acne (and trust me, I tried a lot of products). I'd highly suggest giving it a try, and I think they still have their bottom of the bottle guarantee - so what do you have to lose?

[herecomesthesun]

I love Proactiv. I used the 3-step kit when I was younger but now that I have mostly grown out of my acne, I just use the Deep Cleansing Wash, which is a seperate cleanser from the standard kit. It works better than anything I have ever used, even the standard cleanser that comes in their kit! I love it and won't use anything else. My skin is always perfectly clear now, but if I stop using it for a while it will begin breaking out and looking uneven again. I also use it on my back and shoulders, which will break out if I don't use the Proactiv on it daily in the shower.

 

I know some people who had problems with their skin "getting used to it". I don't know if that what was actually happening or something else, but I've heard about that happening to a few different people. I haven't had any problems with it at all - it has always worked for me and never irrritated my skin.

 

I buy my Proactiv from a kiosk at the mall. I have no experience with buying it online, but I wouldn't want to pay shipping or have to agree to some sort of plan unless that was my only option.

[Binney]

I had used ProActiv for years...but about a year ago my adult acne (I'm 44) REALLY flared up. I went up to the 9% which is only available on request. Still didn't work. There was a time when I had 6 different huge eruptions and I had had it! SO, I trekked to the dermatologist. She put me on minocycline to clear up the eruptions and Finacea to keep it in check.

 

I have to admit, I was disappointed when I left because I felt I had acne and she gave me Rx medicine for Rosacea. She was RIGHT! Whatever you call my problem, this stuff works! What really pisses me off is that my insurance company won't cover it and it is $88.00 a tube. But SO worth every penny.

 

Here is a link in case you are interested.

 

http://www.finacea-us.com/af_what_you_can_expect.shtml

[TNT]

My son used ProActiv through middle and high school. We had auto ship and it seemed we had more of it at times than we knew what to do with...we finally stopped. We then tried AcneFree from CVS much cheaper and it seemed to do just as good. He still uses it.

I also have Rosacea and use metrocream... I also thought it was adult acne. Medicine used daily will certainly keep it under control.

[DBPD911]

I use Proactiv and have for about 4 years now. (I'm 29)

I love it. I use white towels, so I'm not sure about the bleaching there but I do know that if you use it around your neck area that it can bleach the collar on your shirt. I just learned to use it on my neck at night and sleep in an old shirt.

You do end up with more sometimes when you subscribe to the auto-ship. I had 3 months supply on hand so I canceled auto-ship and just call them when I need a new shipment. They are very accomodating like that.

Good Luck!!