Proactiv - Not Sure If It's Working For Me

Well the commercials always say "results not typical"!  I'm always skeptical of that stuff, it has the same active ingredients as anything you can buy at the drugstore.  You're probably better off seeing a dermatologist for something prescription strength.

I completely agree, that's pretty much the same thing I was saying.  Proactiv is borderline a scam IMO.

I have been using proactiv for 5 years and it is the ONLY thing that keeps my skin clear! I started seeing results in less than a week. I guess it works different for everyone but when I run out of this stuff, my skin starts breaking out within days!

I used to use Proactive and had mixed results.  Recently I went to get a facial (my first one ever-and I happen to have one of those cystic pimples!!) and when I told the woman what I used on my face she was horrified!  She went on this whole speech about how she's seen so many young women who have come in for facials and use proactive that have bad skin.  She said that the ingredients separately are  great, but are often too harsh for the average person.  That it can be too drying and that when your skin is too dry it overproduces oil which makes you breakout more..it's like a vicious cycle.  At first I wasn't really sure if I believed her, I thought maybe she was just trying to sell me something.  She recommended all organic skin care for me, and I was very skeptical but decided to give it a try. I love it now, it's worked wonders for my skin.  I still get an occasional pimple or two but it's much better than  before and the overall appearance of my skin has improved immensely.  Before you give up on proactive maybe try using it a little less, or get a better moisturizer.  If that still doesn't work then I try a different skin care line. If you can go get a facial by an experienced esthetician and I'm sure they can lead you in the right direction.  Good Luck!!

I wouldnt use Proactiv. It only works on certain people, but mostly from what Ive heard, it hasnt. Also, your skin becomes dependent on it, and without it, it could lead to even worse situations.

Proactiv didn't work for me neither but my birthcontrol pill DID!I had acnea on my chest and my back now it's all gone !!!!!!

OOPs wrong topic loool I wanted to delete but I can't =s sorry

I used proactiv when i was in high school for a couple weeks.  All of a sudden my skin got really itchy and red and flaky and made my eyes all red.  I stopped using it immediately and it went away in about a week but it was really painful and I looked horrible.  I never used it again but a couple times a year my face would break out like that again.  It was horrible and sometimes would spread down to my arms.  I started using organic skincare last year and even though I still get that condition a couple times a year *I had it last week* it only lasts now for about 2 days and doesn't get red and is only a little itchy.  It's not from any allergies and I blame proactiv for it.  Also you cannot just go off proactiv cold turkey.  You need to go off gradually.  Try using a tea tree oil cleanser and a sulfur mask.  I like the ones from Garden of Wisdom.  

They certainly don't show horror stories like some of you have in those infomercials!! lol 

With any product of this type, your skin will go through a period of purging, where it gets worse before it gets better. So you have to stick with it past the point where you would normally give up and try something else. I have known people who got great results with proactiv, and others who got nothing. I've never had acne, but when I was a kid, my brother had terrible acne, and the only thing that helped was a weekly visit to the dermatologist, who put him on tetracyline and he had to use special soap and use some uv face thing to dry them out. The result was worth the cost and time, though, because he started out with just the most awful cystic acne and ended up with perfectly clear skin without a single scar or mark on his face. So I think that sometimes there is a lot more to it than just what product you use, it's a medical condition requiring medical intervention.

Proactive was the worst thing I ever did to my poor skin.  I thought it would bring miracles and all it brought was searing pain and itching.  The cleanser was not bad but everything after it was tortuous.  It was so perfumed that I could smell it on me hours later.  The toner was a viscous, oily fluid that sat on the skin.  I wanted to wash my face again after "toning."  The moisturizer was poor at best.  If I had the misfortune to sweat while I was on Proactive, my skin burned like I had put it in a flame.  I literally wanted to claw my skin off it was that bad.  My mom bought the giant like double full sized kit for me from QVC that had the body wash in it and that was actually a fair product.  It had salicylic acid in it instead of the benzoyl peroxide the regular line had.  I didn't use it long enough to see if it was really effective because I had to return it if I wanted my money back - and I did.  When it comes to Proactive, I say never again.  I've since gotten a Clarisonic and my skin, though it still breaks out here and there, has improved monumentally. 

Proactive always made my skin peel horribly! I have the cystic acne and the typical acne. Foundation was impossible to use, even with exfoliation, the foundation would stick to all the peeling skin. Uggh! Not pretty! I gave up on it and went to the Clinique Acne Solutions line which doesn't cause peeling (at least for me). I also bought a clarisonic brush last week (i'm soooo in love) and using it with the clinique my face has started to clear quite a bit in a week. I'm still waiting to see if my skin goes through the "purge" stage. I recommend both products but the clarisonic has a very hefty price tag at $195 (or at least for me). As far as fading the scars, let me know if you find anything. I'm hoping this brush may help with the scarring, but I'm not counting on it. Good luck!

For 5 years I had TERRIBLE cystic acne and regular acne, the worst of every kind! My face was so painful that I couldn't even touch it, and it looked 10 times worse then it even felt. There wasn't a patch of skin anywhere on my face that was smooth and putting make-up on top just made everything look worse. I tried EVERYTHING! Trips to the dermatologist, Retin-A cream, Accutane, Benzoyl Peroxide cream,Derma Clear, Clean&Clear, Sea Breeze, IQ Derma,and Everything you can find at Wal-mart. I even tried kidney cleanses, full body Detox, and an elimination diet to see if it was an allergic reaction. Nothing helped. My face continued to get more painful, dry, and blistered, and was so red and bumpy it looked like the face of Mars! I hated going out in public because people would stare. Looking at pictures of girls that had perfect complexions would make me cry because, after everything I tried, my face was even worse than when I first started. I thought you had to be born with perfect skin. Finally after 5 years of trying everything else and just about ready to give up, I tried Proactiv and noticed an incredible difference after the first time using it! My face felt clean for the first time and felt like the Proactiv was getting deep down into the pores and really dealing with the problem. After 3 days the swelling had gone down. After a week I only had a few pimples left. After 2 weeks I had the perfect complexion I thought I could only dream of having! It does work! All it takes is a faithful 2 times a day. Once in the morning for 60 seconds, and once at night. The Refining Mask is a MUST in addition to the 3 step kit. The Refining Mask works best on the most extreme/painful pimples. I put it on the biggest ones and by morning they're so flat I can't even tell they were so bad. If Proactiv worked for me then it can DEFINITELY work for you! I Absolutely LOVE Proactiv! (and you will too!:) 

It seems that Proactiv is either a hit or miss. I'm currently using it now and I'm on the fence. I feel bad that it isn't that great for me because my uncle bought me a lot of kits. I wanted it so bad to work for me but as of now, it isn't.

I used Proactiv in high school and it only worked on me for a little while. I saw clearer skin, but then started breaking out again. I have since switched to another cleanser, toner, and lotion. I do still use their mask for spot treatments though.

i knew someone who got a big irratation and scar from Proactive. I think if u us any 3 step system and you'll be fine

i actually used to work for them, the thing with proactiv is that you have to be commited to using it everyday both night and day,,, in order for the scars to go away they have a product called "skin lightning lotion" works really good but it depends how committed you are to using it, for you to see really good results you have to you use it for atleast 2 months straight (1 kits worth) but like any other product once you stop using it the zits will start coming back (which is the only bad thing about it) also make sure that you are using the right kit, if your skin is combination you need the combination skin kit(5 pc kit) or if your skin is dry you need a 4 pc kit with moisturizer... and so on, hope this helps.

Has anyone used what they are touting as their new micronized formula?  How does it compare tothe old formula in performance and side effects?  I found the old system just too drying and wondered if this new formula was more gentle.  Thanks.

I used this briefly, in 9th grade when I had a couple pimples in my hairline.  Worked wonders!!  Also, unintentionally, it really helped my red blotchy cheeks I had from Keratosis Pilaris.

I tried it and it did terrible things to my skin. I have very sensitive skin so it did not work. If you look at your product labels, a lot of the ingredients listed are skin irritants. Odd because they are supposed to help your skin. I am allergic to most acne medications and treatments. I am using products that are non-toxic and have no additives or preservatives. This way nothing is clogging my pores and harming my skin, just cleaning it and leaving it healthy and moisturized. To each their own. I have been to several dermatologists, all telling me the same thing and giving me the same prescriptions even after I told them they do not work and hurt my skin. RentinA, benzyl peroxide, etc. I recommend a basic cleanser and light moisturizer. Exfoliation is great 1-2 times per week. Try a mask instead of an exfoliator with microcrystals, this can irritate the skin and create tiny cuts where bacteria and get in. Brands I would recommend : www.avaandersonnontoxic.com/mhammenand Raw Gaia. There are also toxifying ingredients in your make-up so be careful about the makeup as well. I hope this helps or at least gives you something to think about. If you want more info about any of this, just send me a message. Good luck ! 

It never worked on me. But what did work was: cetaphil face wash, a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide cream and a little bit of moisturizer when I needed it. Worked perfectly.