Proactive - Miami,FL

Used it, didn't work for me, made it worse, but it could be because I wasn't consistent. I have tried Bio-Oil and it showed immediate signs of improvement, but everyone is different.

I tried it about 10 years ago and it was too drying for my skin. However, I know many others who have used it and had moderate to very good success stories. At minimum, it won't work at all - it definitely will not make your acne worse. So, it may be worth trying once.

One product that I see works a lot is Differin gel -- it is by prescription, and it is basically adapalene and clindamycin gel mixed together. A good dermatologist should be able to help you determine what is best, but if your acne is moderate (like, not just small pimples but pimples but occasional large whiteheads) then Differin may work for you. In the meantime, it will not hurt to try a product like Proactive. Many of the responders are right - ifyou don;t want to spend the money you can try the other mimic products that are currently present over the counter, of which Neutrogena is one of the best quality.

I had pretty bad acne well into my adult years, and when I finally tried Proactiv, I was amazed at how well it works! I bought the 3-pack (cleanser, moisturizer, toner) and have seen a huge improvement in my skin! I also started using Bare Minerals around the same time because I felt like my makeup was adding to the problem. But the combination of the two has been huge! I wish I had started back in high school!
PS After reading the responses below, I see a lot of people are saying that it is drying. If you actually call and order it over the phone, you can talk to someone about your skin type. The product comes in dry skin, combination, oily, etc. which you may not see when you just pick up a pack at the store. On the phone, they went over my skin type so that I picked the right one for me.

CVS has a Neutrogena line which sells in similar 3-product packs like ProActive. I simply buy the 2& Salicylic acid toner and use that nightly with a cotton ball on my face. For pimples I add a Benzol peroxide cream also from CVS. I think as long as you do something routinely to keep the skin cells turning over and the germs off your face, you will see results. Both Salicylic acid and Benzol Peroxide are very drying to the skin. You are removing the top dead cells to expose new clean cells underneath, so both the above and ProActive (which uses the same 2 chemicals) will dry your skin. The CVS version of Nivea Soft is what I use as a super moisturizer. However, if you have big cystic acne deep under the skin (which I have had in the past) a doctor can prescribe anitbiotics to clear the deep infection. Good luck.

If you use a light coating of benzoyl peroxide 10% every night on a clean moisturized face it will do the same. You may want to wait about 5 minutes after moisturizing to apply the benzoyl peroxide and apply with a light touch not rubbing it into the skin. You have to use it every night. Don't skip. Also use a nice gentle face soap. I ended up using Dove sensitive bar soap and LOVED it. I was nervous about trying it but the reviews convinced me to try. I used the off brand 10% benzoyl peroxide for years. Works great! And I've tried it all even the prescription stuff ")
I suffer with hormonal chin acne.
Got the concept from this site: http://www.acne.org/regimen.html
Great information and input from real people that suffer with acne.
Best Regards,
C.

You sound like me. I hate those under chin acne, soo painfull. I just started trying a Neutrogena scrub for about 5 bucks. It smells like lemon and has those microbeads.I use it in the morning and before bed showers. Its been about 4 days and i see a HUGE difference. I tried proactive before but it was tooo strong and felt like my face got burned. Its the Benzol peroxide that does it.
Also, washing your pillow case everyweek helps too. Its the hormones and oil building up that causes that kind of acne in my opinion

My brother and sister both tried proactive and it didn't work for either of them.
I use the Biore system it works for me.

we got it for my younger son. excellent. after a year we didn't need it any more.
khairete
S.

I used it in my mid 20s and it worked well. I don't think it's good though for people in their 40s.. at least not large doses as I believe it does in fact dry one's skin out. Granted, not as much as some products. I do like their mask in that you can use it to spot treat acne. e.g, if you have a few pimples, you can put that on them and does a pretty good job of clearing them up..

Also, when I was a teenager, I took Zinc in pill form once a day and that helped a lot too.. If you read up on it now, you ll find they are suggesting it for acne... sometimes, takes a long time for Western Medicine to catch up with the "naturals" as Zinc has been around for years..

best of luck

Skin is diet. It is always diet. Find an alternative care doc, and get someone to help you with a liver flush, and then make sure you water is correct- that is to say your body weight in pounds divided in half- that number of ounces of water every day. No sugar, no soda pop, stay away from pasty, cookies, that sort of thing- and when you have cleaned out your body your"acne" will go away.
If you have too many toxins in you body they try to escape thro your skin- clean them out and your skin no longer has to be used as an escape route.
Best, k

I have used Proactiv several times when I get a break-out and, it really does work. It doesn't work overnight though and It is drying to the skin.

I tried it and it worked pretty well, but the only thing that really worked on my adult acne was to see a dermatologist and do Accutane (in my 30s) --- I did not have any ill effects from it (although some do), and it COMPLETELY cleared my skin, and 8 years later, it is still clear. I was tired of fighting wrinklies AND acne...

I have been using proactiv for several years now, and I love it. It really helped my skin. I didn't have bad acne, but it really does help. It does dry out your skin, so make sure you use a good moisturizer as well.