Does Proactiv work as an acne prevention?

[Anonymous]

DD is interested in starting the Proactiv system as a way of avoiding acne. She doesn't have acne now - not a pimple - but DH had very bad acne as a teen.

Would it do her any harm? Seems like a good skin care routine to me.

TIA

[Anonymous]

I think it could dry her skin out. I wouldn't use it till its needed. Target sells an up and up brand version that I use. You could always try that out. Its much less expensive and I find it effective.

[Anonymous]

Proactive is very harsh on the skin and is not for a tween or teen with a perfect complexion. Consider using a product with a low concentration of salicylic acid (.5 to 1%) as a preventative.

[Anonymous]

My DD does not have acne. She used Proactiv (her older brother DOES have acne and it works well for him). It BURNED her skin. She has permanent redness on her face like a mask. Heartbroken. DO NOT USE Proactive unless you NEED it.

[Anonymous]

My DD also got burns from ProActiv. Tea tree oil helped a lot with the redness.

[Anonymous]

Terrible idea. Good idea to start with a skincare routine that can be adjusted as needed as her skin changes. No need to treat something that isn't there, and it would probably make her skin much worse.

Get her a gentle cleanser, a moisturizer, and a good SPF. Steer her away from abrasive scrub cleansers. That's all she needs right now. Like a PP said starting slowly on salicylic acid is a reasonable option. That will exfoliate and help keep her pores clear. Stridex in the red box is a great cheap option.

[Anonymous]

I burned my skin with Proactiv after using it for 2-3 days. It is very harsh. If she doesn't have a problem, why not just a daily cleanser?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I burned my skin with Proactiv after using it for 2-3 days. It is very harsh. If she doesn't have a problem, why not just a daily cleanser?

Works wonders if you do have acne but will burn her skin if she doesn't.