Proactiv Acne Solution Review

If you have struggled with acne, spots, blackheads, pimples, or any other types of acne you might have considered trying out the (over-advertised) acne solution known as Proactiv, and yo might be wondering: "Does Proactiv work?" The 5 step kit includes:

• Proactive Refining Mask
• Renewing Cleanser
• Revitalizing Toner
• Repairing Lotion
• Green Tea Moisturizer

However you may be surprised to hear what others are saying about Proactiv. I have read literally hundreds of reviews on Proactiv, to put together this review, and heard personal stories of success and disaster. When it comes to acne and pimples, Proactiv can either be a huge success or a disaster in a bottle for your skin. The one thing customers seemed to agree over and over again, is that Proactiv dries out skin. Check out some of the pros and cons below!

Please take note that the system comes in the basic 3-step package, but can be purchased in the full 5-step treatment. Individual products can be purchased also on Amazon.

• Difficult to use
• Must follow instructions precisely
• Reddens and irritates skin
• Expensive
• Makes skin very dry and flakey for some
• Some may experience burning sensation after use
• Extremely bad and unreliable customer service*

• Gets rid of blackheads
• Smells good
• Minimizes appearance of pores
• Makes skin soft for some
• Gets rid of acne if used exactly as instructions suggest.

*Many reviewers said it is best to just purchase the kit on Amazon, instead of using the official website, because it is hard to cancel your account and many people claimed that Proactiv kept charging their bank accounts months after they canceled their subscription with them. When they contacted customer services they were very unreliable to solve their issues.

This mask is very concentrated and should be used carefully according to instructions because the chemicals can be harsh on sensitive skin, and can even be drying to oily skin.

Many customers use this mask overnight and see a reduction in pimples in 2-3 days. However the mask does not prevent future breakouts it only treats existing ones.

The main ingredient in the refining mask is sulfur. Sulfur kills bacteria on the skin that causes acne which is mainly why it only treats existing breakouts. It does not penetrate the skin like other acne fighting ingredients such as benzyl peroxide. Read more about the benefits of benzyl peroxide in acne solutions here!

The Renewing Cleanser should be used sparingly especially if you live in an area with a dry climate or a high altitude where moisture is more scarce. The product is very drying on the skin and can cause itchiness

This is another product in the kit that users have found very drying and causes flakiness on skin. It is not recommended on sensitive skin. (Most of this whole system is not recommended for dry skin just to be brief.)

The main ingredient in the Renewing Cleanser is 2.5% benzyl peroxide. Some people have experienced allergic reactions to this product so I have listed the full ingredients list here. Take a look before you purchase.

Other Ingredients: water (aqua), magnesium aluminum silicate, glyceryl stearate, PEG-100 stearate, disodium dimethicone copolyol sulfosuccinate, sorbitol, dimethyl isosorbide, polyethylene, tridecyl stearate, neopentyl glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, tridecyl trimellitate, cetyl esters, anthemis nobilis flower extract, sodium hyaluronate, sodium PCA, propylene glycol, xanthan gum, imidazolidinyl urea, methylparaben, propylparaben, fragrance (parfum).

A great website for customer reviews provided the Pros and Cons for this section. Want to see the website for yourself? Check it out here.

Pros

• Easy to apply
• Soothing
• Evens out skin tone

Cons

• Dried out skin
• Burned face
• Made skin peel
• Hurt
• Loses effectiveness after a few months

This product, like the rest of the kit, is not recommended for sensitive or dry skin, because it is very drying even though the concentration of benzyl peroxide is only 2.5%. 

The instructions recommend using this lotion all over the face, but do not do this if you have sensitive or dry skin. The Proactiv system is not meant to be customizable to a persons skin, however this is something that can be tweaked around if you find your skin getting irritated. Try using it as a spot treatment and applying it only to the areas where most pimples appear. 

The Repairing Lotion should not be used with extra moisturizer if you have dry skin and decide to use this system anyway. Apply another moisturizer like Aloe Vera, or something light, in addition to the Green Tea Moisturizer that comes with the Proactiv kit.

This product is highly recommended if you decide to use ANY of the Proactiv steps. Do not use the system without any kind of moisturizer. 

This moisturizer is very light however and many customers have found that they need an extra moisturizer to apply in the morning or right on top of the Green Tea Moisturizer.

Overall this product is considered to be a very goo moisturizer that soothes the skin and leaves it feeling refreshed. Plus, it contains no harsh chemicals!

Pros

• Great smell
• Absorbed into skin right away
• Leaves skin smooth and soft
• No greasy residue or feel
• Great for dry skin
• Reduces redness and irritation

Cons

• Expensive
• Small bottle size

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