The Ingredients in Proactiv
The Proactiv acne treatment line of products has become well known in recent years due mainly to heavy advertising campaigns that feature paid endorsements from stars like Jessica Simpson, Vanessa Williams, Lindsay Lohan, Ella McPherson, and Kelly Clarkson. No matter how much these celebs brag about Proactiv, the fact is that it is only the ingredients contained by the products that could possibly possess healing powers for your face.
*NOTE* For a full listing of each and every ingredient in each and every Proactiv product please scroll to the bottom of this article.
So, what are Proactiv’s ingredients? Let’s take a look: 
Proactiv acne solutions basic three-component stock package is composed of the Renewing Cleanser, Revitalizing Toner, and the Repairing Lotion. The Renewing Cleanser is first applied. It provides finely macerated apricot pits to unclog pores thus allowing the active ingredient, 2.5 percent benzoyl peroxide, to penetrate individual hair follicles and attack bacterium. The inactive ingredients are water and about twenty others that are unknown to all except the chemical engineers amongst us.
The Revitalizing Toner is an alcohol-free substance that further removes dead skin cells and unplugs the pores. Thus it helps to prevent future outbreaks. It lists no active ingredients. It is comprised of water, witch hazel, and several extracts of flowers and fruits. It also contains soothing botanicals such as panthenol and allantoin. It is said to leave the skin in a baby-new, radiant, and fragile state.
The final step of the Proactiv regime is the Repairing Lotion. As with the first step, its only active ingredient is 2.5 percent benzoyl peroxide. This is said to be milled, prescription-grade benzoyl peroxide. Other inactive ingredients are again water combined with several hard-to-pronounce chemical elements.
To put it all in a nutshell, Proactiv’s interesting ingredients are benzoyl peroxide, witch hazel, and some herbal extracts. The remainders of the products are simply combinations of water and other inert components. It is noteworthy that the benzoyl peroxide lists possible, and commonly incurred, side effects including drying, itching, flaking, reddening and/or swelling facial flesh. Users are repetitively instructed to apply a sunscreen after each of the twice-daily applications of the products. They are also warned of the bleaching effects of the benzoyl peroxide on the user’s towels, washcloths, carpets and clothing.
A Full Rundown of All the Ingredients in the 3 Proactiv Products
Step 1: Renewing Cleanser
Active Ingredient: benzoyl peroxide 2.5%.
Inactive 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).
Step 2: Revitalizing Toner
Ingredients: water (aqua), glycolic acid, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) extract, anthemis nobilis flower extract, rosa canina fruit extract, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, sodium PCA, panthenol, glycerin, propylene glycol, allantoin, polysorbate-20, hydroxyethylcellulose, sodium hydroxide, benzophenone-4, tetrasodium EDTA, methylparaben, propylparaben, imidazolidinyl urea, fragrance (parfum), blue 1, yellow 5.
Step 3: Repairing Lotion
Active Ingredient: benzoyl peroxide 2.5%.
Inactive Ingredients: water (aqua), cyclomethicone, ethoxydiglycol, propylene glycol, glyceryl stearate, PEG-100 stearate, cetearyl alcohol, dimethicone, panthenol, allantoin, carbomer, ceteareth-20, xanthan gum, triethanolamine, diazolidinyl urea, methylparaben, propylparaben, fragrance (parfum).
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- The Proactiv Solution Revitalizing Toner – The Second Step to Acne Destruction
- The Proactiv Refining Mask and How It Helps You
- Proactiv Acne Treatment: Facts and Info on the Proactiv Treatment
- The Proactiv Solution Renewing Cleanser: The First Step to Blemish-Blasting
- How to Properly Use Proactiv Acne Solution
November 18th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
proactive does not work for all people right.
December 8th, 2007 at 12:49 am
proactiv is crap, teens now days should look at real science
go to a dermatologist, they’re licensed to reduce your skin problems, they’ll give you much more powerful medications such as differin which is a retenoid.
January 7th, 2008 at 11:14 am
You can get the same effects as ProActiv for $15-$20 at any drugstore, supermarket or wal mart.
First use Clean & Clear Continuous Acne Wash (the cheaper kind with benzoyl peroxide, not the Advantage stuff)
Then use Clean & Clear Daily Pore Toner
If your skin is prone to dryness, use an oil free moisturizer like Neutrogena. If you need the exfoliant, use St. Ives Apricot Scrub prior to the acne wash.
Help things along with a treatment of green tea and honey once or twice a week.
Note: NEVER use Clean & Clear Advantage! I tried this and it was wayyy too much salycilic acid and dried my skin out so much.
January 8th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
I beg to differ, Ivan.
I’ve been using proactiv for about a month and I have virtually no acne because of it. My face used to be absolutely and completely covered, so that there wasn’t a square inch without at least some acne in it-but after using proactive my acne is virtually gone.
I tried all sorts of other things. I also went to a dermatologist and I got perscribed all sorts of drugs-but they didn’t work or I got the worst headaches.
After trying the proactiv solution, my acne is gone and I feel a lot more confident in myself because of it.
Real science? I tried “real” science. Then I tried this…and which one got rid of my acne???
Hmmm…..
January 19th, 2008 at 4:10 am
Proactive strips ur skin. I am a beauty therapist and it has ruined so many skins that i see everyday.
Go and see a beauty therapist before a dermatologist. its alot cheaper, if ur therapist then recomends u to go see a dermatologist then do that.
Most teens just need to be cleansing their skin correctly, and have the correct advice given to them.
Proactive is nearly as bad as using soap on ur skin. The product shouldnt even be on the market.
February 29th, 2008 at 10:45 am
[...] item on the list to check out would be the Renewing Cleanser and its main pimple fighting active Proactiv ingredients are 2.5% solution of hydrogen peroxide and it also uses very fine ground apricot pits as a [...]
March 20th, 2008 at 12:59 am
first of all, almost all store bought products like “clean and clear” have all kinds of junk in them that will make skin problems worse. these chemicals are not regulated by the fda. not that the fda really does the best job protecting us but.. whatever. do not buy ANYTHING that says “fragrance” in the ingredients. “fragrance” is not regulated by the fda so that means manufacturer’s can put whatever they like into anything and they don’t have to list it.
second, “Acne is not caused by dirt. This misconception probably comes from the fact that blackheads look like dirt stuck in the openings of pores. The black color is not dirt but simply oxidised keratin. In fact, the blockages of keratin that cause acne occur deep within the narrow follicle channel, where it is impossible to wash them away. These plugs are formed by the failure of the cells lining the duct to separate and flow to the surface in the sebum created there by the body.”
so teens just “cleansing their skin correctly” isn’t going to do a d*mn thing for acne. not all beauticians know what they’re talking about. even my hair dresser that also is an esthetician, believed my hair would grow faster if i trimmed it more often.
do yourself a favor and see a doctor.
June 25th, 2008 at 5:36 am
I had a terrible allergic reaction to Proactiv (no joke!). My allergist couldn’t figure out what ingredient it was, but something in the stuff made my eyes puff up so much I couldn’t open them. It was itchy and red and terrible.
Proactiv worked really well for a few months before I started having the reactions. Now I’m going to a dermatologist to get something that will get rid of my acne without causing other problems.
July 17th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
ew, i just looked at the ingredients, and it says “parfum”. why would any good skin care for FACE contain parfum?
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:22 am
well let me tell u that ppl who make stuff like proactiv dont no what they r doing compared to doctor.Just keep ur face clean by not bieng lazy and start cleaning ur face with water twice a day.
Once in the morning ang once before u go to bed and u shouldnt have any problem
July 27th, 2008 at 7:01 am
To the idiot Sean above me. You simplify things far too much. When you see people with pimples don’t judge them to be lazy and unclean because sometimes just washing your face with water isn’t enough. I wash my face regularly to no avail. (sans soap)
As for this proactive stuff. I would never buy it as it all seems far too gimmicky and contains the same active ingredient Benzoyl Peroxide of products dermatologists recommended before to me. I can’t wait to get my red itchy dry face!
There aren’t any miracle products available. I suppose accutane works but hell it makes you suicidal according to some research and probably isn’t a healthy choice at all.
July 30th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Who ever said that proactiv works for everyone who uses lied. It is for those who can use the product everyday in order to see results. People who use proactiv atleast twice a day will be guranteed results. Your face may not be cleared completly but yopu will see a diffrence within a few days. If you don’t, others will.
September 8th, 2008 at 7:24 am
I aggree with everything Birdy said [other than...the trimming your hair thing. that's a fact hun. everyone knows you trim of just a bit and it will grow faster. otherwise, the dead ends just continue to spilt and weaken your hair....etc]
Anywho…NEVER EVER EVER use Apricot scrub, ESPESSIALLY if you have acne. I’m a licsencesed esthetician, so.. I’ve learned all about the harmful effects of harsh scrubs and seen the negative effects myself myself. If you want a good exfoliant, find a liqued exfoliant w/ NO granuals. granuals just open pores to spread bacteria..and cause redness, irritation and often times dryness to sensitive skin.
I do like proactive, but even the proactive wash can be too abbrassive to use daily. It’s probably better to only use every other day or so..and if you must use daily, only use it at night. Try something oil-free and very gentle to use when you arn’t using proactive, like Cetaphil® Gentle Skin Cleanser or Aveda all-sensitive cleanser. Cetaphil is great though for those inbetween days and will help w/ redness and irritation..or any extra dryness brought on by acne products..and it’s oil-free and non-comedogenic [meaning it won't clog your pores].
My onlu other suggestion is..trying to find a product with a small amount of salyslic acid. It tends to be less harsh and drying than benzoyl peroxide. It also has anti-inflammitory qualities that will help with swelling and redness. It is not to be over-used either though.
September 14th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
I have not tried Proactive because I know it will be too strong for my skin. I did try Murad but it too was too strong even every other day. I had much better results when I used gentle cleansers with a good moisturizer morning and night. Cetaphil, Aveeno are affordable and simple gentle cleansers. Moisturized skin is healthy skin…drying your skin with chemicals (like scrubbing) could make your skin more irritated. Lets face it we all have different challenges with our skin and NO product will work for everyone. See a dermatologist if you can afford.
September 19th, 2008 at 6:02 am
I wash my Face with Neutrogena Transparent Facial Bar, original or acne formula, in the morning in the shower. After, I tone my face with just regular store brand Witch Hazel. After it dries I use a little dab of Clean & Clear Persagel 10 (which has 10% Benzoil Peroxide), and I mix in a little dab of Aloe Vera Moisturizing Gel (Clear). THIS WORKS PERFECTLY!
Just get a good cleanser, Benzoil Peroxide of some sort, Witch Hazel and an Oil Free Moisturizer, And you’ve got your own “ProActive” for under $12.00.
The only reason they’re so big, is because they get celebs and wear those silly white lab coats.
November 10th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
I have used proactive..it was made by japan..And it wasn’t like monthly..Use and stop,I was like that..that’s why it didn’t work at all.
November 13th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Stop using proactive right away. It’s the worst stuff out there on the market. It has bleach in it that strips the face, and that’s why it works so well. It’s not a long term fix. Everytime you use it, your putting bleach all over your face. That’s disgusting. Try getting all the ingreients list. They can’t give it to you. What does that say about the product? Arbonne is alot safer for you.
November 14th, 2008 at 8:40 am
Proactive is amazeing it really works good on mi skin &&makes mi skin mosturized with the lotion. it works really well &doesn’t leave a greesey after filling.
im in school right now &probably shouldn’t be doing this, but i don care. Lol.
thank youuu dermotologists.
(:
November 18th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
which is worse the original or the cure? Please go to http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com and look up the ingredients in each of the mentioned products, then go to http://www.safecosmetics.org and find something that will not pickle your brain.
December 9th, 2008 at 12:53 am
i am sixteen years old and my acne is somewhat bad. It gets better and then gets worse. i have ben to the doctors and they gave me erythromyacin. it did absolutly nothing. my self esteem is low i feel like people look at my pimples instead of me for who i am. i need help!!!! i have tried almost everything.
December 28th, 2008 at 1:50 am
You know what this company spends more money on? Its advertisement and getting celebrities to show up and say, “I love this product!” instead of spending it on on time to get this product right.
And hey I learned something today, and thats the reason why I showed up here in the first place. In products you’ll find in the back saying, PH correct with a number on it. The correct balanced number for PH is 5.5. I came here to see what was the balance for this product, and it said 3.?-4.?, anything lower or higher than 5.5 can damage your skin.
My friend used Proactive and he said that his pimples traveled everytime he put it on. He applies it in some part of the skin, and its almost like those same pimples dissapear but appear in another part of the skin almost like it its trying to escape from it. His face is pale and sensitive. He’s got some huge bags under his eyes now and looks restless. I ordered proactive but I immediately returned them after my friend’s skin changed dramatically, from bad to worse. Im looking for another product now.
Ive been doing some homework cuz I want to maintain my face young. Now that Im not using any products Im noticing that my face is looking old. These are the proprietary formulas that I believe would work for me:
• a product thats “Botanically based”, I checked if this product was based on herbal products and doesnt say anything botanical
•”pH correct” of 5.5 of course
•”Never Tested on animals”: I love animals, poor little creatures
•No “Mineral Oils” on products.
•A product that cuts out the middle man that does the advertisement to have enough man power to really test the product.
•and my god, to say the truth that a dermatologist really test the product. Alot of salespeople misinterpret and overemphasize this fact.
•Formulated w/out animal products or by-products
• Formulated w/out dyes or chemical fragrances
If anyone finds a good company that uses this formula please let me know.
phew, I feel like Im writing an angry letter or an essay for school lol. Well we were discussing this at class with my mates and someone brought up the pH thing, googled it in today and learned more about it. interesting stuff.
Well anyway, hope everyone had a happy holiday, and happy early new year.
January 4th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
I would look into ALL these ingredients especially the following:
propylene glycol, and ALL the parabens used, methyl-,butyl-,ethyl and proply- which are all linked to cancer, check it out for yourself. Regardless of if it works or not, do you really know what your putting into your skin?
January 7th, 2009 at 7:35 am
okay well for those of you who are trashing proactiv you can think what you want. For me proactiv has helped me boost my self confidence and really to a lot of teens that is a problem. So if it is helping them clear their skin and boost their confidence then why trash it? I know it has made my mom happier to see my confidence boost from where it was. I don’t think that it is right to tell someone who is actually happy with the results what to do. Have your opinions but don’t ruin it for the rest of us!
January 7th, 2009 at 7:47 am
and again to back proactiv up about the bleach comment…………… there is some form of benzoyl poroxide or salicylic acid in all face wash products not including organic!
January 20th, 2009 at 2:49 am
i’m very confused! i’m trying to decide whether to buy proactive and i decided not to because it has bad chemicals in it that are similar to bleach. But some people were saying it really helped them and cleared their skin. What do i do, it all sounds a bit scatry to me. I want to clear my face!
January 23rd, 2009 at 9:29 pm
i dont have acne i just sometimes get dry skin and a few spot and i dont want either..does anyone have any advice??? my family are visiting me in a few weeks and i want to look my best with perfect skin…quick help???
February 13th, 2009 at 7:47 am
I used pro active for years – it worked incredibly – never again had skin problems I loved it – but then a few months I started getting a weird reaction – Id wake up with reddness, and my face was swollen, my eyes were so swollen that it was as though they were closed, Im very upset because how can I continue using this if it causes such a bad reaction, i dont get why it used to work for me and now it doesnt!! I am very upset because I have tried all sorts of prescrips from my doctor and nothing ever worked until i found pro active and now i cant use it anymore!!
April 28th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
WoW, I have mixed feelings about the product, AND yet I AM going to try it. I use aveeno, went to http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/wordsearch_free.php?query=aveeno&&start=10 and was kinda scared by what I found about that too. As for proactiv containing “bleach”, I don’t think they can actually do that. I hope they can’t because I am allergic to bleach and I guess I’ll have a fat *ss law suit against them if it does
May 5th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
I am 13 and dont know what to do about my acne.I have it everywhere,including my back.Anyway,my school is going swimming all week next week and i really dont wanna look like a geek when i go swimming with a tee shirt on.I want to clear it up fast, but shood i use proactiv solution or not????
May 25th, 2009 at 9:07 am
Ok I’ve heard alot of people say that they feel confident now because of using proactiv…well, you may feel good now but think about the long run. Would you knowingly ingest toxic chemicals (known to cause cancer & immune difficiency) for the sake of so-called “beauty?” There are a number of organic, natural products that can be used instead. And has anyone ever considered what they eat? Maybe instead of lathering on tons of chemicals, we should eat healthy and drink lots of water- things nature intended. I know this is hard to say because I have been an avid proactiv supporter for a year now (and it has worked), but I just looked up all these chemicals and knowing that the skin is our largest organ, I can’t stand to absorb all these chemicals any longer. Please, do yourself a favor and do the same. Look up what chemicals your face is absorbing and you’ll be shocked. By the way, I know having clear skin is a “confidence-booster,” but that’s not the only thing that can give you confidence..and once your skin is weaned off of the toxic chemicals, it can recover and you’ll be healthy. Besides, what kind of “confidence” will you have when you get cancer or your internal organs start to fail because of toxic accumulation? Think about it. And people wonder why us Americans are the most likely to die of cancer and illness…because of “wonderful” products such as these.
May 31st, 2009 at 8:48 am
Just to let you know regarding dematologists. My son was on a regimen of Retin-A and Clindamycin. His skin cleared beautifully.He has to have bloodwork done every six months due to medications he is taking. The Retin-A caused his bilirubin to go up to 2.7(normal range is .4-1.6). Also the protein in his urine was elevated also.We are still checking the urine with a nephrologist. But after stopping the Retin-A for two months and retesting,his bilirubin went down to .4.I don’t know which is worse, the side effects on the outside or those on the inside
June 10th, 2009 at 6:57 am
First of all, stop attacking eachother. These are supposed to be helpful, not critical sites. Half the people can’t spell anyway.
Proactive works great for me but I know others who it didn’t work for. I recommend at least trying for 2 months and seeing what it does for you. I have used it for 2 years with great results. Good luck!
June 24th, 2009 at 8:02 am
ok so i may hav slightly sensitve skin….
but i used the p-a moisturiser and it completely mutalised my face…
the nxt mornin i woke it looked like i had been sunburned,
nxt day was red, lumpy, slightly swallon and itchy,
3rd day, same but 3x worse… i could barely see coz i was so swallon….
doctor has said i will be like this 4 another 5days and im takin steroid tablets…
moral of this tale is… sensitive skin STAY AWAY!!
and seriously seek professional advice before use…
not for all but for some friends it has worked wonders…
July 14th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Proactiv does NOT work for everyone out there…people’s skin reacts differently to certain products.
It’s basically a search and destroy mission to find the right product.
Here are some things that can be used…
1. AcneFree
2. SkinID
3. Neutrogena Products
4. Loreal Products
5. Google is a very good search engine
August 2nd, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Alright, first of all I would just love to point something out to Birdy. You said:
“do not buy ANYTHING that says “fragrance” in the ingredients. “fragrance” is not regulated by the fda so that means manufacturer’s can put whatever they like into anything and they don’t have to list it.”
Really? That’s funny because all of the Proactiv ingredients lists above include fragrances, or “parfum.”
And to browneyedgirl, I think it’s hillarious that you’re bashing people who can’t spell when you didn’t even spell the name of the product right. Proactiv does not have an E at the end. =)
To everyone who is talking about having an allergic reaction to the product, it’s more than likely from the benzoyl peroxide. I’ve never used Proactiv because I found out I was allergic to Benzoyl Peroxide a while ago whilst using Clean and Clear’s Persa-Gel 10. I used it for a few months with no reaction then went to camp (where I didn’t use anything, my skin cleared on its own because I was drinking lots of water and getting good sleep and exercise). When I came back I put it back on my face and woke up the next day with tons of swelling, redness, and irritation. Since then I have not been able to apply anything with Benzoyl Peroxide in it on my face, because each time I do the reaction gets worse.
And to mia. I understand what you are saying, but the only products I use now are the Clean and Clear Morning Burst face wash (which has no drugs in it, I just use it to get the grease off my face, since I shower at night) and a Burt’s Bees Peach and Willowbark Deep Pore Scrub. Since I have started using the scrub my face has cleared dramatically and feels much better. I know you say scrubs don’t work but I think the fact that this one is an almost completely natural product really helps. I would recommend any Burt’s Bees product to someone who is looking to clear their acne. I think the biggest problem is that everything now is so unnatural. Most teenagers hardly drink enough water and hardly get enough sleep (coming firsthand from someone whose acne gets worse the less sleep they get and the less water they drink). Most of the foods we eat are processed and people don’t get alot of exercise. All of these factors, plus the amount of terrible chemicals in products we use on our faces combine to make acne a terrible problem.
If you have bad acne, try a few weeks of being natural. Try to eat better foods and get more exercise. Get out in the sun, the Vitamin D will clear up your acne and help you feel better (of course, apply a noncomedogenic sunscreen)! Get a solid 8 hours of sleep (not any more, because too much sleep can be bad), and drink at least 8 glasses of water in one day. I’m pretty sure it will clear your skin, at least a little bit. The healthier your lifestyle, the better your skin. It’s like the whole “diet pill” fad. Nothing magically makes you skinnier. Being healthy makes you skinnier, and it still takes alot of time. You can use as many acne products as you want but you’re still cheating yourself out of a true wonderful complexion.
August 8th, 2009 at 9:28 am
I myself have never used ProActive and honestly, I can’t stand half of those celebrities (which made me not buy the product). I have had acne since the sixth grade (I’m 34 now) and continue to have issues. Spoken from experience over the years, salicylic acid based products have no effect. I finally tried to switch to Benzoyl peroxide but I had burning skin with the 10% solution. My best friend then bought me acne products from Sephora that contained 5% along with natural ingredients and after all of these years, I have finally seen improvement in my skin. I also work for a doctor who says that benzoyl peroxide is the top of the line stuff if you don’t want medication.
August 13th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Well….proactive seemed to have worked for me 9in the beginning and then I started gettign reacticions like redness and dryness. My skin was disgusting. PROACTIVE SUX. yes it will take away some acne, but leave you with shitty burny red dry skin.
August 15th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
I can’t believe everyone’s completely one-sided comments. Everyone’s skin is different, just like everyone’s hair is different. Rinsing with water might be plenty for some people, while others need much more powerful solutions. I know a good handful of people that use Proactiv and have impeccably clear and smooth skin, but I know others that had poor results with it.
Myself, I’ve used a Neutrogena oil free face wash with 2% salicylic acid followed by an AcneFree cream with 2% benzoyl peroxide for a few months and that’s done the best of the products I’ve tried, but I’ll still have a few pimples on my face all the time. Before I spend the money on Proactive, I’m trying out milk of magnesia. After washing my face with the Neutrogena, I’ve applied a thin coat and let it set for 5 minutes and then rinsed it off once daily. I like it so far. Milk of magnesia is like $3 for 4 ounces. This bottle will probably last me for 3 months!
You just have to try things and find what works the best.
August 29th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Does ProActive contain semen in any way. I have heard that it does and that’s why it gets skin so very clear.
Thank you
September 18th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
First of All, the comment from Ashely about considering what u eat has absolutely nothing to do with the acne!!!
I have been to many doctors, dermatologist, health professionals and they told me that everything you hear about what you eat is making you break out is CRAP!!! I see so many fat ass men and women who eat tons of McDonalds and yet they have shiny poreless skin!
If acne runs in your family you shouldnt be surprized if you have it too, because it is genetic, and can be hormonal! Proactive doesnt do an awesome job but it somewhat helped cleared most of my acne, but I only used it for a month. Try it for at least a month youll see resluts better or for worse, then youll know if you want to continue buying it. I dont think this product was made to be for severe acne,because products for severe acne dont cost $25. You will have to spend about $250 if you have severe case of acne.
And people, Dont take acutane! This is the dumbest thing I ever heard to take something so harsh on your body and can cause so many outbreaks inside that you will never will be able to fix it! Love yourselfs, and try Proactive at least for a month. Its not that expensive…
September 27th, 2009 at 8:22 am
I am very concerned that proactiv has PARABENS (methyl in the cleanser; and propyl in the toner and lotion)
September 30th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
i used proactiv once and it made my skin worse. redness inflamtion irritation more breaking out , you name it. now Ive been getting laser treatments and facials and injections the past 2-3 years and am clear. The only products I use are the ones my skin care provider gives me or recommends. other than that I wouldnt recommend anyone whose suffering from severe acne to use this product
October 6th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
It’s only benzoyl peroxide? The stuff I used in a tube as a teen?
October 20th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
I have suffered from acne for about 15 years, and after trying everything available on the market both in supermarkets and from specialists, old wives tales involving lemon juice, cucumber and / or aloe vera etc to TOOTHPASTE and methylated spirits to try and get rid of the problem skin found that proactive worked wonderfully.
Until recently I used Proactive for approx 2 and a half years. Proactive stopped my acne, but my skin now has dark brown pigmentation all over it as a side effect of the nasty chemicals in it. I recommend to anyone that is thinking about using this product or thinking about buying it for someone else to consider this – do you really know what the chemicals in this product and a lot of other ‘acne curing’ products are really doing to your skin, or to your whole body? I stumbled across this amazing site that gives the average joe a breakdown of the main nasties used in cosmetic products, and the percentage of risk they pose to our health.
Please see:
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/
and
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient/700694/BENZOYL_PEROXIDE/
and for an all natural, inexpensive ORGANIC acne remedy that you can make yourself, please have a look at this site:
http://www.thegreenbeautyguide.com.au
- the woman that created this site and the acne remedy is an amazing woman who herself in the past used a benzoyl peroxide based product, she has suffered from adult acne and her remedy has so far been working for her for around 5 years. I am in the process of buying the essential oils and ingredients to make and use it myself. Definitely worth checking out!!!
November 1st, 2009 at 11:53 pm
Yes, semen is added to the unregulated PARFUM.
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:21 am
I know it doesn’t work for all people, but I must say it worked AMAZINGLY well for me and I’m still using it without negative side effects. I would suggest to some people to try and leave out the toner, because I have some friends for whom Proactiv worked brilliantly after they cut out the toner from the routine (which overdried their skin – I myself never use their toner).
December 5th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Nate, it sounds like you’re one of those people who gets on blogs to make their product sound better. Are you a sales rep or something?
January 2nd, 2010 at 7:53 pm
I have hormonal acne. I break out twice a month and it sucks – especially because I’m 40 and I always had clear skin as a kid. I wash my face ever night and use good quality, non-toxic products and I still have the problems.
I used Proactive a few years ago with mild success and just went on their website to check out the ingredients because I’m trying to stick to ’safe’ products but if it wasn’t too bad then I might give it a shot again. HOLY CRAP! Between the 4 main products – a good portion of the dangerous ingredients I’m trying to avoid are listed in the ‘inactive’ ingredients. If they’re inactive then why can’t you just use some aloe cream or something similiar with limited additives??? Three different kinds of PARABENS and PEGs and all sort of cancer causing, hormone disrupting, dangerous toxins. I just don’t get it…. Why do these companies do this to people? If only people would start caring what they put on their skin then maybe it wouldn’t be such a big deal that this multi-billion dollar industry is allowed to regulate itself.
ARE YOU AWARE THAT ANYTHING YOU PUT ON YOUR SKIN IS SORT OF WORSE THAN INGESTING BECAUSE IT GOES STRAIGHT TO YOUR BLOOD STREAM??? PLEASE DON’T WAIT UNTIL YOU GET SICK TO LEARN ABOUT THE CRAP THEY PUT IN SKIN CARE PRODUCTS AND COSMETICS. CHECK OUT “SKIN DEEP COSMETIC SAFETY DATABASE” AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE HOW TOXIC A CERTAIN PRODUCT IS AND FIND PRODUCTS AND COMPANIES THAT SELL SAFE PRODUCTS.
January 5th, 2010 at 11:40 pm
PA worked for me. I didn’t need all the toner and lotion and crap. I washed my face with just the cleanser a couple of times a week and in between PA washes I just used plain old Biore foaming cleanser. My skin is very oily but I don’t have severe or cystic acne.
Something that really helped that my derm pointed out is that it is VERY important to make sure you NEVER go to bed with makeup on your face and change your pillow case twice a week. The rest is common sense…don’t pick at your face, drink lots of water and don’t use abrasive cleansers.
January 10th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
if you look at the main ingredient in proactive it says “benzoyl peroxide 2.5%” well i went to my doctor and got benzoyl peroxide 10%. so there is no real reason to spend your money on an acne medication that sometimes can make your skin worse or not work at all. so dont spend 20 dollars on acne treatments when you can go to your doctor and get a higher concentration of acne fighting medication on medical card or medicaid.
January 10th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
PROACTIVE DOES WORK. We are all going to die evenchully so in the meantime I say look your best. The only product out there that has worked for me has been proactiv. It would be nice to find something that does the exact same thing. I rather have chemicals on my face than have nasty pimply skin. Pimples and blackheads are the worst thing! I stopped using proactive a year back and my skin just went to shit. So I started using it again and wa la it is going back to being beatiful. I guess some people can use products in stores and others must use stronger products. But whatever I lOVE PROACTIVE.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:41 am
Proactiv works, worked for me and worked for many others, all these testimonials are not fake. YES, it is drying – YES you CAN help with that using natural agents. My skin is gorgeous – clean and clear thanks to Proactiv, glowing thanks to Jojoba oil – even skin tone – thanks to Aloe Vera Juice (pure) and smooth and wrinkle free – thanks to the organic coconut oil I use for moisture – your skin and hair LOVES coconut oil. Do your own research and bridge any products that you like for a custom suited solution that works for you. Use natural ingredients (remember everything is transdermal) and add essential oils to your favorite products that aren’t completely giving the results you desire! I’m so tired of the Proactiv debate – it WORKS when used CORRECTLY – add your own custom solutions TO IT to remedy any side affects that you get while Proactiv kills off your excess bacteria
January 31st, 2010 at 2:55 pm
I’m 28 and since highschool I’ve had seasons of mild to very sever acne. Nothing really seemed to help. I did end up taking oral anti-biotics from my doctor that helped a bit with inflamation and after a few months would tame things down but never really got rid of it. I decided to try proactiv as it was given to me as a gift, and it definately worked over the next few months in diminishing about 50% of my moderate acne. However, I decided to see a dermatologist and used Acutane for a few months and it worked very well. The server acne cleared right up. No more cysts! I’ve been off of Acutane for about a year and now I only have cyclinical ancne (when I have a period) and since I still have some of the renewal lotion, I use it 3/4 times a week.
Overall – see your doctor and inform yourself.
February 5th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
I had just mild acne and it drov me crazy so I tried proactiv. It worked amazingly for about two months then it went downhill from there. Then it only made my skin more red and swollen and irritated. I have no idea why I think because the saliscilic acid. I finally just went to the dermatologist jlwho prescribed the perfect skin cleaning routine. I suggest everyone do that if they are able to. Don’t forget to moisturize and wear sunscreen!