Proactive.... YAY or NAY??

[turning40withMickey]

I use Acne Free, which is less costly, and it works for mild acne.
My DS has severe acne now, at 15, and it does nothing for him. He just started on a prescription oral medication which I hope will help.
THe dermatologist said Proactive's marketing is amazing, but if you read the label you can get similar products much cheaper. She also said it wouldn't work on DS's acne.

 

[mandy200587]

No, I tried it and it worked then it stopped working. I use Good Skin now thats sold at Kohls. It hasn't dried my face out but it makes my skin feel good.

 

[DebbieB]

I've used the cleanser only. I haven't had a major pimple in a long time. I use it in the shower, rinse it off. Never had an issue with towels.

 

[Angelhalo]

I have absolutely NOTHING bad to say about proactiv. It's AWESOME!

I haven't read the whole thread but just to let you know, you do not have to join any clubs where you get it on a monthly basis or anything like that. I used to buy mine at the mall. The place I bought it, you could pick and choose the pieces you wanted so you never had stockpiles of anything sitting around your bathroom.

My brother had TERRIBLE acne and it cleared it right up. now he just uses it for maintenance. No burning, no overdrying, no dyed towels (I just read back before my edit), it didn't come back worse than ever, and Acne Free did not work as well for him.

 

[MontanaZoo]

I just switched from proactive to using lush products, their coalface, tea tree water and mask of magnamity....I can't believe how much better the lush stuff works for me.

 

[1 goofy family]

DS uses Proactiv and has good results. I just called today to cancel the monthly delivery -- it came way too fast and was much more than he needed. He also seemed to use the cleanser more quickly than anything else, so I'm just going to buy those from a kiosk at the mall. I have tons of the other stuff.
The customer rep tried very hard to talk me out canceling membership. Apparently you pay a lot more from the mall. The delivery service allows you to buy at cost.

 

[Soarin08]

It dried my face out so bad I couldn't use it. I think it was the benzoyl peroxide (I think I might be allergic to it, because other acne products I tried with that ingredient made my skin itch and dry out). Plus my mom was mad when I accidentally bleached a set of her good towels not realized benzoyl peroxide bleaches.

 

[Angelhalo]

DS uses Proactiv and has good results. I just called today to cancel the monthly delivery -- it came way too fast and was much more than he needed. He also seemed to use the cleanser more quickly than anything else, so I'm just going to buy those from a kiosk at the mall. I have tons of the other stuff.
The customer rep tried very hard to talk me out canceling membership. Apparently you pay a lot more from the mall. The delivery service allows you to buy at cost.

Hmmm maybe it vaaries from mall to mall? Mine was cheaper buying it piece by piece at the mall but maybe it's just because I was only paying a few bucks a month for a new bottle of cleanser instead a chunk of money for a bunch of stuff that I didn't need yet.

 

[SueM in MN]

Before using it, my oldest DD had occasional, not bad pimples.
She started using ProActive and for a while, it seemed to work quite well and didn't cause any problems.
After a few months of using it, her skin got very dry. When we called the customer service number, they said she was either not rinsing it well enough or "not using the products correctly". They told her to follow the steps in the system carefully (which she was already doing) and her skin would improve. They could not answer why it had worked and then all of a sudden caused a problem. Their only answer was that all the steps in the process need to be followed exactly and that many people experienced a bit of dry skin. We asked if the had any more gentle products and were told basically that millions of people had good success with the product and if she followed the steps exactly, DD would too.

After a few weeks of following the steps exactly, her skin was more dry, red, peeling and had painful cracks. At that point, she stopped using it. When we called to cancel her subscription to ProActive, they were very aggressive to try to keep her subscription to the products. When I said she was sensitive to it and could not use it, the customer service rep tried to talk us into changing to a more gentle version (*AMAZING that they had a more gentle version then when no one would tell us about it on our other call).
Even after stopping it, we got several months worth. She refused delivery and then we got a call from customer service asking why we refused it and trying again to talk us into the more gentle version.

Apparently using ProActive sensitized her to benzoil peroxide (the main active ingredient in the product) because now if she uses anything with that ingredient, her skin gets immediately red, itchy and cracked.
The mild, occasional acne problem she had when she started with ProActive changed to mild to moderate constant acne and she still has some red bumpy scars. Her skin has not been clear since she used it - and before using it, her skin was clear more than it wasn't.
Just in case you wonder, she was 19 or 20 when she started using it, used it for about 6 months and now it's been 6 or 7 years since she first used it.

So, in addition to ruining some towels, sheets, pillowcases and pajamas, it also ruined her skin.

If you choose to try it, I'd suggest stopping AS SOON as you notice any problems and don't let their customer service people talk you into continuing.

 

[bumbershoot]

I just switched from proactive to using lush products, their coalface, tea tree water and mask of magnamity....I can't believe how much better the lush stuff works for me.

Oh yes, the tea tree water is excellent. Good in DS's cloth diaper wipe solution too, when he was in dipes.



I haven't used proactiv, but we used a heavy percentage of benzoyl peroxide when I was a teen, and it was fabulous. Looks like proactiv is nowhere near the percentage my mom's dermatologist prescribed for us, and once he retired (to open a winery that is now very well known!) she couldn't find anyone to prescribe at that level anymore. Luckily we had all basically outgrown the pimples we had (me, my brother, and my mom all used it) so it was fine.

And yes, things with *peroxide* in them will bleach things out.

 

[1 goofy family]

Hmmm maybe it vaaries from mall to mall? Mine was cheaper buying it piece by piece at the mall but maybe it's just because I was only paying a few bucks a month for a new bottle of cleanser instead a chunk of money for a bunch of stuff that I didn't need yet.

I haven't been to our mall to check, this was based on what the customer service rep told me. Even if I have to pay a little more I think I'd come out saving in the end just because I have so much unused product that keeps getting shipped every month.

 

[SueInBoston]

Did nothing for DD14, save the money for a dermatologist.

 

[LisaZee]

I swear by it. It doesn't dry my face out like a regular topical treatment, and it keeps my face clear. I'm 35 and still get breakouts on my chin and by my nose. If I run out of the product and can't get it timely, my face shows it.

QVC sells it, on auto delivery, too. You can delay or cancel shipments if you need to. They also have a supersized set, but I'm on waitlist for that one. I recommend it in general.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I tried it for mild acne, but it dried my face out horribly. I tried it for about two months and it never got better. I gave up on it. I have bad combination skin. Not much acne, but it gets very dry and then very oily in the same day. Finding a decent system has been a nightmare.

 

[beckmrk04]

Just wanted to bump this thread.

Since it was posted the other day, I decided to give Proactive a try (and forgive myself for wasting $115 on the Murad stuff I bought which is making my face a wreck).

But, when I shop online I always search for coupon codes, and www.retailmenot.com delivered BIG time! They have a link for a FREE 30 day trial. This is normally $19.95, and with the link you only pay S&H, which is $5.99. I figure for $6, I'll give it a whirl. It also enrolls you in the club (at the $19.95 price), FYI.

 

[malibuconlee]

They have self service vending machine kiosks in many malls now. You could use one of those and not have to deal with an automated delivery every month.

I thought it worked for DH, but how much of it was the fact that he was washing and moisturizing his face twice a day where he hadn't been moisturizing at all before was a question I had. I still think it worked better for him than regular facial soaps and moisturizers tho.

I say if you're not already doing those things twice a day, save the money for the time being and buy some stuff at a regular store to try. After a few weeks of a good skin care routine if you're still having problems give it a try. Just remember to buy some white washcloths and hand towels to use only with the face stuff as it will bleach out colored towels.

 

[clgwli]

Didn't work for me. It wound up over drying my skin which made me break out more. I didn't have severe acne but when you are in your 30s and still have acne it is embarassing. So I tried it and hated it. I also tried Tea Tree Oil from Body Shop and that worked great for a long time. Then I went through a hormonal issue and it also over dried my face. Now I am lucky enough to use a regular face wash that isn't drying.

 

[mickeysgal]

Mixed reviews here. DD tried it, it worked great, then it stopped working for her. We tried other things...various OTC, a dermatologist's topical treatment, etc. Nothng much clicked for her. Next step is prescription meds which we've been hesitant to do - her acne isn't that bad (just during her periods) and I'd rather not have her on any prescriptions if it's not bad enough to be necessary. She just recently went back on Proactive at night and uses a OTC during the day and so far, that combo is working. Seems like you have to take a break from the Proactive before it's effective again.

I did hear from our pediatrician that Proactive works better for girls than guys. Not sure why and not sure if this is even true.

 

[beckmrk04]

I'm just desperate for something.

I have tried countless brands of acne face washes, creams, toners, scrubs, etc. and it seems like stuff works for a while, then quits.

I am religious about washing my face every morning and every night, because I know that if I miss even one night, my skin is going to look awful.

I have tried L'Oreal, AcneFree (worked ok), Biore, Clinique, Murad, Clean and Clear, Neutrogena, and too many others to even remember. The L'Oreal acne stuff and the AcneFree worked best (even though you still have the towel bleaching problem with the acnefree). And that's not to mention the Differen, Retin-A, pills and other crap the Dermatologist put me on as a teen. I should probably find another Derm. to check up with- maybe they have new meds now.

I went ahead and ordered Proactiv because the nearest mall to me with a vending machine is over 55 miles, and there is one with a kiosk, but that's still 40 miles away. And I don't plan on going there again before Christmas.