Proactiv is easily the most advertised acne product on the market. It claims to be gentle, yet work quickly and effectively to eliminate most cases of acne. Unfortunately, I found this to be totally untrue. For me, Proactiv was harsh and time-consuming, with barely any results to show for it. I know that it’s tough to resist the temptation of giving in to all the ads, but giving proactive a shot will probably be a huge waste of your time.
Like many teenagers, I was unfortunate enough to suffer from moderate acne during my high-school years. While my acne never got too out of control, it was a very rare occasion for me to wake up in the morning and look into a mirror without any noticeable zits or pimples. My acne formed mostly around my chin and upper lip, although the occasional blemish on my cheeks, nose or forehead was not uncommon. The most important thing that I learned from dealing with my acne over time was that in terms of acne medication, less often tends to be more.
Upon receiving my first proactiv kit in the mail, I was very excited. Could this finally be the solution? Might my acne be gone forever? The packaging was quite fancy, and it made me even more anxious to try the system out right away. The kit came with a “Renewing Cleanser,” a “Revitalizing Toner,” a “Repairing Treatment,” a “Refining Mask,” and of course a “Green Tea Moisturizer.” With so many steps, it seemed like this acne system MUST work. But alas, this was not so.
The first step in the system is the renewing cleanser. This is basically just a glorified soap. While I’ll admit, I did feel nice and clean after rubbing this beady solution all over my face, I realized that most facial cleansers do the same thing anyways. Sure, it had a small amount of benzoyl peroxide in it. But what zit-zapping product on the market doesn’t? And the worst part? This stupid soap turned all of my towels and wash clothes white and orange from the bleach. Not really worth it.
The second step in the system is a revitalizing toner. To this day, I don’t really understand how any of the toner’s ingredients could help to fight acne. In fact, the first ingredient is…WATER! Dumb. Anyways, this alcohol-free substance still manages to sting as soon as you apply it-probably just as bad as alcohol would. And to top it all off, the toner gives off a strange scent that will have your friends wondering what you’ve put on your face (and probably leave you wondering the same thing).
The third step in the system is a repairing treatment. Ah, finally, the part of the system that actually gets rid of zits. Or does it? As it turns out, the only important active ingredient in this solution is…SURPRISE! BENZOYL PEROXIDE! In case you missed what I said before, nearly every acne medication on the market has this stuff in it. Wanna know why? Because it drys the heck out of your skin. And with the benzoyl peroxide in this solution combined with the benzoyl peroxide in the renewing cleanser, you can be sure that your skin will be nice and dry, maybe even red and agitated. Oh, and guess what the first inactive ingredient listed on the product is? WATER AGAIN! Aren’t you glad you’re getting your money’s worth?
Okay, so here’s my secret. I’ll confess. Although I hated the rest of the proactiv system, I didn’t mind the refining mask. This is the one part of the kit that seemed to actually do anything. Yet, it was also the most difficult to apply. If you have the time, and don’t mind looking like a zombie for a little while, this is the only saving grace of Proactive. If you want, you can apply a dot of it on your zits before bed, and they may improve slightly over time. SLIGHTLY. But trust me, it’s still far from being a miracle worker like the ads claim.
Finally, we’ve come to the last step in the system; the Green Tea Moisturizer. I guess this is an okay moisturizer. But that’s all. It does nothing to fight zits. In fact, it wouldn’t be necessary at all if it weren’t for the fact that the rest of the system does nothing but dry your skin out. They call this system gentle? Seriously?
Here’s what my ranting all boils down to: Proactiv is no different than almost any other zit products on the market. If you’re absolutely determined to try it, I recommend ordering ONLY the refining mask, as that’s the only part of the system that actually does anything beneficial. Otherwise, don’t waste your time or your money.
