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
Fran Kerr is the founding editor of High on Health. To cure your acne, sign up to Fran's FREE acne cure mini-course or download her latest how to guide, Eat Away Your Acne.
17 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.
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