I’ve been feeling really down about my skin. I’m at the point where I feel as though I’m being uber healthy but it’s not making enough difference. My acne problem is mild but it’s there, and I can notice it and without make up my friends also notice that it’s a significant problem for me.
So, I’ve done what I thought I’d never do again. I’ve started applying chemicals to my face. It’s been a few days now and I have to say, I am going to stick with it for a while.
Proactiv is bollocks
I started using the Proactiv system, you know the one where they have all of those hot celebrities on TV claiming that it saved their skin and now they don’t need to wear make up anymore (yeah right). So the marketing worked on me, and although I did not have success with this product in the past (it made my face really dry and itchy and I broke out even more) I was so desperate and depressed I just had to try it again. I figured this time would be different, who knows why.
After three days of using the product I realised it was not different. My face had dried up so much that it hurt to smile. Every time I smiled or stretched my face I could almost feel it crack. It was hideous. Tight dry skin also stings and feels sore and uncomfortable. Proactiv for my type of skin is bollocks. I think it would really only work on very oily skin types. I have very dry skin, so drying my skin out is not going to help at all, in fact it will probably make it worse.
What is working for me …at the moment
So, what I decided to do was to stop this four step process that Proactiv recommends. This is the Proactiv four step system:
- Cleanse (the Proactiv cleanser includes 2.5% benzyl peroxide and an exfoliant to remove dead skin cells)
- Tone (I’m not sure what the toner is but it smells really funky)
- Apply another cream which contains more 2.5% benzyl peroxide
- Moisturise with an oil free moisturiser. Theirs includes sunscreen which is ridiculous at night, but I guess you’re all chemicled up anyway aren’t you so what’s just a little bit more.
The problem with this system is it totally dries my skin out. The harsh chemicals are way too much for me. That’s also a lot of benzyl peroxide. So, now I only do step 3 and only once a day – at night.
I’m now using an organic natural cleanser and moisturiser specifically made for dry skin twice a day. Before I moisturise at night I slowly and carefully rub benzyl peroxide onto my spots. This is the only time that I use any chemicals and anything specifically for acne.
My results so far
It hasn’t been quite a week yet but I can already notice the difference. My skin is definitely getting better, for now. The problem is, it’s still drying out my skin. The parts of my face where I haven’t put the benzyl peroxide are fine. The bits where I have applied it are quite dry. It’s not too bad, but noticeable when I wear my make up. I use a mineral make up which goes on my face like a powder. Not a good thing with dry skin. It makes my make up visible and yuck, instead of the usual transparent.
I’ll give it another week or two, or for however long I can take the dryness. For now I think I need to wear make up for as little as possible. I guess I just need to be a bit braver and not care about what other people think. My acne is not that bad so I really need to get over it and grow some guts and not care if people notice a few spots on my face.
If you have a similar problem with Proactiv, then ditch the system like I did. You don’t even need to use their product. You can buy tubes of 2.5% benzyl peroxide cheaper from chemists. Really, that’s all you need.
Fran
30 responses ↓
Wow, that is a lot of benzoyl peroxide! No wonder you couldn’t move your face. Maybe if you only used it twice a week? Or (at the risk of introducing more chemicals : ) into your life) , you could try a 1% beta hydroxy acid. For me, it’s absolutely beautiful. It’s a gentler exfoliant and a great deep pore cleanser.
Yeah I know! It’s heaps.
I’ve discovered this great site, acne.org which has a regime where you use a 2.4% benzoyl peroxide twice a day. So, I’m trying that along with a beautiful natural organic cleanser and moisturiser from Miessence. Hopefully this will work. I’m confident this time.
I’ve also ordered a great book from Karen Jessett in the UK about diet for acne. She fixed her acne with food alone. I haven’t had a lot of luck with that so it’ll be interesting to see what happens when I follow her diet.
I figure this has to work, fighting it from the inside and outside at the same time!!
I used the program from acne.org (including the clear skin regimen they sell) and after two-three weeks, my skin was completely clear. I haven’t looked back since and still use it today
Hi Matt,
Yeah I love the acne.org forums, I’m a regular visitor. I tried the regimen as well and benzoyl peroxide did clear my skin a lot but only by 90% and I think in parts in made my skin worse not better because of how drying it was.
I’ve heard a lot about how bad BP is to use long term, and there was no way that I was going to use a product for the rest of my life.
At the moment I’m just eating really well and relaxing and it’s helping a lot. Keep in mind though that acne is not always caused by the same thing. Teenagers and men will respond better to the BP because of the cause of the acne. Adult women will not respond as well. But, as I said before, I’d rather use natural products and supplements over BP.
[...] can read my previous blog posts about Benzoyl Peroxide and Proactiv for more [...]
Thank you guys, what you said really helped. When i had bad spots i was in denial about them so used to cover them in make-up…not the solution trust me. So i started a new plan, no make-up whatsoever, wash my face with dove soap and water, eat your 5 a day and lastly drink water. I noticed the difference straight after my first nights sleep as sleep is brilliant for repairing the skin. I did this for about 6 weeks and my skin was practically clear. However it was very prone even by touching it to get spots again. Mine have flaired up again so i sought to chemical help. I wouldn’t say i have acne as it is just spots around my t-zone and forehead, but i was so self-conscience about them. Ive got sensitive skin so im going to try the BP. Its been recommended in a lot of sites and i am feeling pretty terrible about myself so ive done the research. x
Hi Beth,
I personally don’t like BP because of the side effects, but I agree that a lot of people do have good results with it.
Just make sure you that stop using it if you skin gets excessively dry, because this can make your skin worse – it’s what happened to me.
That’s great you saw good results with the natural treatments. Keep up with them because they will help the healing process while you’re using chemicals.
If you can also consider visiting a naturopath, they may be able to help you with the right supplements to help clear up those last few pimples – you may have something simple like hormonal spots or skin that’s too oily.
Hi everyone! I had the same problem a couple times with dry skin and i tried covering it up with makeup when i go out but it made it more noticable. A couple of months ago i went to a drug store and spend hours looking at all the different cleanser they had and i didnt know if i should get it or not if it would work on my skin. I’ve tried using a lot of different kinds of products already for my acne. So i picked up 2 products that i never tried before..”CLEARASIL ULTRA CLEANSING CREAM WASH VISIBLE IN 3 DAYS” AND “CLEARASIL DAILY DEEP CLEANSING FOAMING WASH” Please try this and e-mail me back at d3vilish_qt@hotmail.com and tell me how it worked out for you. I also us “PANOXIL GEL WITH BENZOYL PEROXIDE 10%”. I know that sounds like alot of chemical but please do try this. I’ve been suffering from acne since i turned 13 years old and i finally found the right products i’m 20 now. I know how you all feel and i want to help others to feel good about themselves. Follow this steps that i take!
In the morning:
1.wash your face with the cleansing cream wash.(this has 2% salicylic acid to treat the acne)
2.rinse your face with warm water.
3.then wash your face with daily deep cleansing foaming wash(this washes away any dirt, makeup thats left on your skin)
4.rinse your face with warm water.
5.use a clean towel and pat dry your face.
6.apply a light cream to your face before you put makeup on. Try marcelle hydrating cream.(this will help make your face smooth..i love this cream!!)
7.then you apply your makeup as usual.
Night:
Do this right before you go to bed
1.follow the same step exept #7.
2.use a q-tip dap a little bit of panoxil gel on to the spots
3.sleep with the panoxil gel wash it off in the morning.
4.repeat the steps everyday till your acne is gone.
wash your face only twice a day morning and night. If you follow the steps you’ll see the difference. Trust me when i found this product and see the difference in my face i started crying!!!!
Make sure you drink plenty of water replace any other drinks with water.
When you see that your pimple is well dried up and ready to peel after you washed your face pat dry it use your finger and gently rub on the spots you’ll see all that dead skin coming off and you’ll get a smooth spot.
Try this and tell me how it works for you give it a couple weeks dont give up cuz i didnt’ and it helped me.
e-mail me at d3vilish_qt@hotmail.com add me to msn well chat or sumthing i can even prove to you that it worked on me before and after pictures i told my 2 brothers which was more worse then my acnes and it help them so much that they always have smiles on there faces when they wakeup they thank me. The funny part is that im the youngest and ive actually the only one that experienced on the products.
Hope to hear from you guys to see if it worked on you guys.
i used proactiv for like 4 days, i used it twice a day, which was not very smart… my skin dried out right away around day 2… now my face is really tight, dry, rough, and my face stings whenever i put anything on it. i want to moisturize it, but it hurts when i put anything on it. if my skin is this dry, what should i put on it? i tried putting lots of baby lotion on it, but it was quickly absorbed into the skin and now its dry again. should i put more lotion on it or what? its really dry, its starting to peel and crack and i cant move my face…it hurts!!!! how should i treat it? will it leave? and im gonna stop using it!!!! what a rip off!!! im so mad >:(
Hi Yiffie, stop using proactiv immediately. After your skin has healed you can try using it again, but only every other day which probably isn’t even worth it.
Your skin will take a week or two to get back to balance but the good news is the dryness will go away. Cetaphil is a good option for people that have had excessive dryness from acne treatments. You can buy it from pharmacies.
Yeh I totally hear you guys, Proactiv sucks. It totally ruined my face because I went on it thinking it would unclog my pores but all it did was aggravate my skin and when I went off it my skin got so much worse. Now I’m breaking out so much more than I used to and my pores are still clogged. It’s ridiculous how Proactiv even advertises its product as ‘even just a skincare routine if you don’t have acne’….whatever. The doctor put me on Yasmin and Differin and I”m using a gentle cleanser now and hopefully that should be my saving grace in the next couple of weeks.
Hi Amy, You have a great doctor, the Yasmin and Differin combination are very good!!
Your acne may get a little worse before it gets better as your body adjusts to the hormones and exfoliates all the clogged pores. So if it doesn’t happy straight away, within 2-3 months your skin should be starting to clear up
Hey Fran! I have used pro-activ more than 3 months, it really clears all my break outs. You were so right it made my skin so flaky and dry. My parent said I have wrinkle on my face, which it made me look old and I am just 18. I stopped using it, but then my acne came back. I really hate that! You knew once I off the pro-activ, my breakout when back. Now I just use the lotion for spotted treatment! Do You think it that safe? I wanted to quit using BP on my face even spotted treat, but that the only thing can relieve my acne! Do you have any other recommendation? I did tried Tea Tree Oil as you were said, but Tea Tree Oil take very long for the pimple to be gone! I think BP had make my skin got pigmentation! I mean my acne are clears now except maybe two cyst acne left! but I have alot of pigmentations and scar. Maybe I should follow your natural treatment!
Hi Andrew, so do you still have acne now or just the two cysts? It’s hard to say with the Proactiv, but it is common for the acne to return once you stop using it. Some people also gets cysts from using it, this is not as common but it does happen. It happened to me anyway. I think this is because it made my skin very dry and thin.
The TTO won’t work as well as the BP simply because it’s not as strong. The good thing about it is it doesn’t have the same side effects as the BP does.
Following holistic treatments is a great idea. Follow my advice in the steps and mini-course, then give it 3 months and see what difference it makes. If you’re just getting a little bit of acne now, it should make a big difference.
It’s also okay to use the lotion for spot treating, much better than on your entire face anyway.
I have been using ProActiv for a while now (a couple fo weeks i guess) and have had excellent results. I did not have sever acne but i had alot of sore pimples where my fringe fell because I have oily hair I think, as well as arounf my mouth. It’s worked wonders, it does dry my cheeks out a little bit but my forehead feels way better. I tried clearasil etc and none of them worked some actually made my pimples painful. I guess it depends on the individual, but for me ProActiv is great and the 60days money back was very enticing.
Hey has anyone ever had skin pigmentation get darker after using BP ? I stoped using it after my acne was clear and now i have horrible dark pigmentation.
im so sick of my acne it drives me insane. my skin is very sensitive, and ive found the more i clense and wash and treat, the more my pimples flare up. so it doesnt leave me with many options. ive changed my diet and gone on the pill but nothing’s changed yet. i need relief and i was about to turn to proactiv when i found this forum. im quite sure a 3-step chemical infested process would push my skin over the edge! especially since im very prone to dry skin.
Hey guys….i’m feeling a bit like Rose at the moment! I just recieved proactiv today and my skin feels amazing at the moment!!! I’ve been really positive about it and i was so excited, but after reading all of these comments on it i’m a bit unsure :S I’m a dancer so some of the time my face is just covered with makeup. I know it really depends on what type of skin you have, but it’s still not very reassuring…
I’ll let you know what happens to me Rose, but I hope you work something out!!! (:
Hi everyone! I have tried Pro Activ and found it expensive and didnt do much for me. I am 31 years old and my acne seemed to get worse as I got older. I have researched myself into female adult acne. It is caused by a increase in Androgen levels in our bodies which causes acne. I have found a amazing product and cheap. Blackmores Vitex Agnus Castus! comes in tablet form. It balances a Hormonal Imbalance which is generally why our Androgen levels increase. Please try taking these natural tablets for a month to see a wonderful change in your appearance. Cheaper and works better than all the acne face creams I kept on buying. Works from the inside out. I am a mother of two and will pass this knowledge onto my daughter when she is over twelve years old, as children can take it over this age as well. Good Luck!
my acne is all cleared up ..all of it gone cause i went to my GP and she put me on the pill.. it was all gone in 3 months. now i dont have to worry about buying any ’skin clearing products’ ive also heard there is prescription oral medication that can do the same
Fran, it is probably timely that when I finally grew so desperate to find a solution for my skin breakouts after 8 months of unrelenting spots, I went to the Proactiv site (com.au) and attempted to open an account so as to have the option of the more cost effective ordering.
Low and behold, the account opening system was listed as not working. Today I came here to try again, and noticed your listing for the challenges you had with Proactiv.
Like you, I don’t like to put chemicals on my skin. I eat healthy and use natural products etc. Thing is, I got sick at the start of the year after drinking tap water in the US and my body seems to be struggling to regain good health.
Here’s the thing, though:
There are too many schools of thought that seem to believe in “one problem-one solution”.
The body is a complex multi-system organism and it may be that several things are ‘wrong’ on the inside that cause toxins to be released through the skin. That is why I look to multi-faceted treatment.
It is just unfortunate that I also have issues with “appearance” and feeling really horrid about covering up with make-up because of the nasty red inflamed spots on my jawline, and neck.
I am now trialling a wash in a natural olive oil based cleansing bar, and then use of an olive oil based moisturiser.
One of the other myths that the big beauty and related industries want us to believe is that oil based products (natural, not petrochemical) cause the skin to be oily.
No logic in that when you consider that orange oil, eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil and various other plant based oils are used as cleaning products on oil based stains.
So, I have started using pure organic extra virgin olive oil as the moisturizer on my skin after washing with the other olive oil cleansing bar.
Immediately, the moisture level of my skin seemed to boost, and next day results have been encouraging. I use a tea-tree oil based treatment on the enflamed spots that haven’t broken the skin.
Otherwise the olive oil seems to be soothing my skin – and as you pointed out, dry skin is equally painful and irritating.
I would suggest you do what you are doing – use the chemicals directly and only on the spots, and use natural oil based moisturisers. Milky-style moisturizers for dry skin are a waste of money.
Use olive oil, and try Reviv body butter (on your face too), this thick rich natural dead sea mineral moisturiser is amongst the best in the market bar none.
Try http://www.reviv.com.au and order their milk and honey body butter. It is heavenly.
I also suggest trying the Lemon Detox diet – for short periods – to detox the digestive tract.
I am about to undertake the diet for 3 days, to help soothe my gut and see if I can make a final recovery.
**I can’t access Madal Syrup here in town where I live but the nearest product with the similar effect is Black Strap Molasses. I’ll give this a go and see what the results are.
I hope this news helps others who have similar concerns.
If you knew you have dry skin why turn to such a harsh chemical??
I feel for you in the acne arena though.. =( I’m glad you’ve found something that works. I’ll never get rid of mine, it comes with medication i’ll be on for life. Ahhwell.
I’ve recently turned to proactive though, i’m liking it so far.
xo
Hey, ive been using pro activ and the results for my skin is fine, i mean i dont use it twice a day everyday, because in the begining my face was drying out.
so then my mom said use Cetaphill for some time until your skin is back to normal. and it worked!
so now, im using pro active everyother day, and the days i dont use it i use cetaphill.
I have been using proactiv for almost a week and my face was really starting to worry me, I started to get more and more botton’s on my face.. black spots started to apair mainly on my forhead and It really worried me, after the period of 1 1/2 weeks I stop using proactiv and It really worked for me… my face started to improving more….. but those of you who thinks that proactiv works wonders, I wish you all luck, thanks for reading
I’m happy to have found this website. All of this info seems very helpful. I’m hoping that I can share my case and get some feedback. I feel that I don’t have any knowledge about acne in order to properly rid of it.
I started using Proactive when I was about 16 and used it up until I was about 18. Then I started using the cheaper Wal Mart version. I have to admit these products worked great for my skin. I didn’t have any major problems. I am 22 years old now and am just beginning to deal with the downer of having acne. I stopped using the “proactive” products less than 6 months ago when I realized how terrible it really is for your skin. I decided I didn’t want my skin to be “addicted” to chemicals and I wanted it to work as it naturally should.
I wouldn’t consider my acne severe, but I am now getting fairly large pimples at least 2 to 6 at a time on my face at most times. I’ve even noticed that some of these pimple appear to be somewhat cystic as they are deep rooted and large. This has been very difficult for me to deal with emotionally because I’ve never dealt with it before and now all of a sudden at 22 I feel like an acne faced teenager. I have been using a natural product called derma e that consists of a cleanser, spot blemish treatment, and moisturizer. My face became so oily after discontinuing with proactive that I had to use something. I also apply an acne gel that is supposed to reduce the swelling of pimples. It’s supposed to be a natural product by a company called nelsons. As soon as my face starts to clear up I get new, fat pimples on my face and it’s very frustrating.
I feel that I live a pretty stress free lifestyle (exercise, yoga, occasional meditation, martial arts). I also stopped taking birth control almost a year ago. I take fish oil, black cohosh, and passion flower. The last two are herbal supplements to help deal with my PMS. Please, does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do to get rid of my acne problem. I’m especially worried that some of it is cystic. Thanks.
Chans
It was so interesting reading all of your opinions! I have been using proactiv for about 5 years now!! Wow, has it been that long? It has worked wonders, I went from having blemishes and red spots to having completely clear skin (with the ocassional tiny pimple or two i hardly even care about because theyre so small)
Recently Ive noticed my skin has been aging quicker than my friends. Not in a dramatic way, but my skin is just overall much drier looking, in a way that is skin deep. Not just on the surface. I have dull skin is what I am trying to say.
I have a gorgeous man, and my friends would never describe me as having any skin problems so for that I am so grateful. I would tell ANYONE with acne to try the product because acne is sooo traumatic to have. You are obsessed with your face and appearance and with proactiv it can eliminate that trauma!
However no it is NOT perfect. It has been drying my skin slowly for years (even though i eat extremely healthy although i dont work out, that is supposed to be helpful) No product is healthy. Im going to bookmark this site, and start moisturizing (5 years and no moisturizer, because i was afriad lotion would give me more breakouts) . I’m sure its reversable, skin cells turn over. and if you met me you wouldnt even know i had a problem.
I really was HORRIBLY depressed 5 years ago, I wanted to die. I didnt date or go out at all. I hid my face if someone looked at me. If you have these kinds of feelings worrying about dry skin should be the least of your worries then!
xo
Hey,
You need to realise before you diss the product, that maybe you should do trial and error and see how much of each step to use. Also, you cannot get results overnight like neutrogena and other competetors may claim, it is merely impossible. The key to clear proactiv skin is persistance, you need to realise that you may think you’re skin is getting worse. And yes it actually is. It gets to it’s absolute worst then eliminates all the bacteria from under the skin. Then there is no bacteria for pimples to feed on and develope. So really, as it may look like it is getting worse, it is just speeding up any pimples that were under the skin and ready to develop. So please, be persistant with proactiv.
I have been on Proactiv for less than a week. I have mild acne. I agree that your face will get worse, but my pimplew went away quickly and my face became very smooth. My biggest concern is my EXTREMELY dry skin. Also, my face became several shades darker. If I stop using the product, my face return back to its original shade?
I agree Proactiv dries my skin REALLY bad. I look pissed off at work because I don’t smile lol, but I CAN’T smile because my face would crack. Proactiv made it feel really tight. Although it’s getting my skin pretty clear so I am still using it. It’s been a week now and it doesn’t really dry up my face to where it starts to flake. Well until I tried the Refining mask a couple days ago. My chin was extremely flaking and dry after using the Refining Mask and I’m never using it again. The green tea moisturizer I got with the kit really helps the dryness out though. It’s so light and smooth. Proactiv also gave me a light complexion. I have a fair skin tone but my face would be red all the time. Proactiv helped lighten it up a little.
Please Help! I am 15 years old and have fair skin. I have been using Proactive for about two months now and when i first started using it, it too had dried out my skin, i had a hard time moving my face and wrinkles started forming around my mouth and eyes (mostly the mouth area). I also found it hard to moisturize becuase it hurt (it doesn’t anymore). After a while, it didn’t cause all those crazy things to happen after taking a short break from using it and then trying again.
Even though it reduced the number of pimples i had, and lessened the visibility of my blemishes, i still have to deal with one problem……
I still have the wrinkles around my mouth area!
And every time i smile or laugh the wrinkles begin to be more visible! i cant even smile without worring about them and my friends started saying that i look older than i really am after I laugh a lot.
Are these wrinkles permanent and is there any way how I can get rid of them? I am extremely desperate so please let me know if you can : ) Thank you for taking the time to read this.
P.S. I have also been considering using neutragena skin ID lately, is this a good idea?
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