What do you think of Proactiv?

[Anonymous]

I've dealt with acne all my life. Not terrible, but always a few zits here and there. Some cystic.

Now I'm almost 40 and I'm getting wrinkles AND pimples. Really pisses me off!

So a neighbor has always raved about Proactiv and I finally got desperate enough to cough up the cash. It's been a few days and so far, my skin is much clearer. Doesn't do much for the wrinkles but hey, what can you do. I am waiting to see if it dries out my skin.

I saw all these reviews online from people who hate Proactive. Just wondered what the consensus is here.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I found the acne treatments from Clinique to work much better and much cheaper.

[Anonymous]

I haven't tried it, but a friend swears by it. It's definitely worth trying, though.

I'm just starting to get acne again myself at age 42, and was wondering if it's possibly part of perimenopause. ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I haven't tried it, but a friend swears by it. It's definitely worth trying, though.

I'm just starting to get acne again myself at age 42, and was wondering if it's possibly part of perimenopause. ?

Although it's possible, you're probably still too young. My gyno said I have a good 10 years left before I hit that stage, and I'm your age.

[Anonymous]

PP here

OT this time -
My friend uses Proactive and LOVES it!

[Anonymous]

I used it -- it cleared up my skin pretty well. Then, I got tired of the three/four step process (I get lazy/bored with the same routine), and my skin was TERRIBLE after it stopped the Proactive. It took a solid 2-3 months for it to clear up. Google it -- this isn't an uncommon occurence. Its like rebound acne or something.

[Anonymous]

My sister used it years ago. She had tried Acutane with no success. Her skin is perfectly clear now. She no longer uses She just uses Clinique soap and moisturizer.

[Anonymous]

Acne free is cheaper and readily available at Sam's club or Target and really cleaned up my face.

[Anonymous]

I'm a mid-30s user/believer. I do think everyone's skin is different - but if it works for you, keep with it. I'd been to 3 dermos, tried all types of medications - and nothing worked. I only tried it b/c someone gave me their extra product - and was shocked that it worked. I've been using it successfully now for 3 years, no problems.

Like someone else here, I was getting bored with it and tempted to try something else. I talked to a doctor about it and they said, why change something that's obviously working. They said the ingredients are "reputable" and there was no medical reason to switch.

[Anonymous]

OP here, about the menopause thing - I understand all women are different. I have had friends who started menopause at 40. My mom kept getting her period into her late 50s not looking forward to that. Wrinkles, pimples, gray hair AND periods.

[Anonymous]

I tried it in my early 20s and didn't like it, but I have several friends who use it with good results--you'd never know they needed to use anything from just looking at them.

Neutrogena has a new system out, if you go to their website you answer a bunch of questions about your skin and it spits out a personalized system. Worth looking at.

[Anonymous]

I have used it and have liked the results (even received complements about my "great skin" from people I hadn't seen in awhile), BUT I have stopped using it b/c it ruined so many of my towels and shirts. It took me a while to catch on to this, but after drying my face/washing my hands after touching proactiv lotions, my towels got what looked like a bleach-like stains. Also, the collars around my shirts had the same bleach-like permanent stains. My sister started using Proactiv as well and commented on the weird stains around the collars of her shirts. Ah-ha! Figured out it was the proactiv! If you decide to try it I definitely recommend using white towels only and be VERY careful of staining your clothes.

[Anonymous]

OP, ask your dermatologist about taking spironolactone for acne. It's normally prescribed for high blood pressure-- it's basically a mild diuretic-- but somehow or other as a sideproduct of being a diuretic it produces a substance that blocks the effect of androgens, male sex hormones that every woman has but that in some women seem to cause acne. I was like you, had had mild acne/oily skin practically since age 12, then after my second child was born I got horrible adult acne-- it was like being 15 again. I did a ton of research and finally asked my dermatologist about spironolactone (I think the generic name is aldactone). She said, "Oh, yeah, never thought of that, sure, let's give it a try." I started on 200 mg a day-- now take 100 mg a day-- and after a month there was less oiliness, after two months far fewer pimple, and six months later the acne was virtually gone. I now have clearer skin than I have had in my whole life and have been taking this for five years. I have changed dermatologists several times and all of them agree that this is an medication that is sort of miraculous for some women: some of us, it seems, are sort of "allergic" to the normal androgens that don't cause a reaction for other women.

Side effects: you can't use during pregnancy (androgen blocking effect could cause birth defects), and it increases the risk of a potassium imbalance (basically b/c it is a diuretic)/ You have keep an eye on potassium intake (can't eat five bananas a day), and every six months get your potassium levels checked. Not a big deal and I have had no problems.

Honestly, I know I sound like a shill for the manufacturers of this drug, but for me it was really like a miracle. ANyone who has struggled with acne will understand: it just becomes part of your identity. I used to not like to swim because my makeup would wash off.. not like to play sports because sweat would also wash off my make up.... I'd spend an hour in front of the mirror trying to camouflage pimples. Now I have no acne at all. The occasional tiny pimple, maybe one every six weeks, but basically nothing. For the first time in my life I dn't need to wear foundation. Ask your dermatologist!

[Anonymous]

Proactive is awsome. I had bad skin my entire life and tried everything. Shortly after my 36th birthday I discovered this and have been using it since. I am now 42. When I get lazy and stop using it, b/c the steps are a process and I hate routine, my skin goes back to the way it was. I recently got my older sister to try it when she began having trouble with her skin for the first time in her life (and her doctor said it was related to perimenopause although she is only in her mid-40s). Cleared her sking right up too and she's pleased. I agree that it can cause bleach like spots - but that is also true of many other products I tried over the years so that isn't specific at all to Proactive.

[Anonymous]

I used it in my late 20s and 30s and it was really good but I wanted to fight wrnkles too now that I am 40. I jus started with MD Forte line (glycolic acid) and I love it. My skin looks even better now.