Pro Activ • 3-Step System • Skincare - Face

Where To Buy?

Cost on 2/28/2013 8:21:00 PM more reviews by Cost

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Oily, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Generally, i would say proactiv did work for my acne.
(Even spending hundreds going to derm to take antibiotics+products doesnt work that great for me)
It did improve it (acne) quite abit, say 40% after 6 months of use.(It stay the same after that) After finishing the starter kit, i found a dup for only $11++ at walmart(Check it out! its called "Equate Acne Cleansing System"). Its really a deal, same ingredient, works the same. Maybe different in smell, bottle, texture. But who cares about all the exterior thing when they works. And probably 5 times cheaper. You just got ripped off :)

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

smsbell on 2/26/2013 11:40:00 PM more reviews by smsbell

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I saw a dermatologist for years, a few different derms actually, and tried every product they prescribed, stopping short of Accutane. I spent a fortune trying to clear up my skin after it started breaking out in my early 20s (I'm early 30's now). My skin was in better shape, but still breaking out much more often than I wanted with blackheads and pores that seemed to get larger by the week. The derm finally said Accutane was the next step, which I was not willing to do. A friend told me she had success with Proactive and though I thought it was probably a complete waste, I decided to try. Within a few weeks, my skin looked MUCH better. I have been using it for a year now and my skin looks great and I only get small break outs easily hidden around certain times of the month. For me,this stuff worked miracles and I gladly spend the money after what I wasted on products that didn't work. My advice, try it because you just never know what will work, and what works for one person does not always work for another.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

colorfulartistry on 2/24/2013 6:04:00 PM more reviews by colorfulartistry

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Grey    

Horrible! I had random break outs, this product was selling smooth fresh looking skin with people who had much worse skin issues than I had. So decided to try it.

What I did not want to try, but ended up doing so, was burning my skin! This product is horrible. It literally burned my skin, causing large red spots, flaking skin and then MORE break outs than ever before. I remember in the 90's when oxy pads were pushed and how that use to "sting" a bit. I would rather that lovely sting directly to my eyes, over the burn this caused my skin.

It didn't start out burning, it worked up to it. So when it did burn me, I was using it in the shower, I stood directly under freezing water to cool my face down. Later that day everyone was asking me what happened to my face. I can't believe I paid for that torture. To make matters worse, it took months for my skin to go back to normal.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Msvahidaa on 2/24/2013 4:18:00 AM more reviews by Msvahidaa

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Other    

proactiv made my eyes swell up and dried up my skin up really bad kinda helped with acne but it would always come back and they keep sending it to you everytime even if you dont want it! def would not buy this ever again..

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Mellydelp on 2/23/2013 5:20:00 AM more reviews by Mellydelp

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Didn't work for my brother with bad acne
So he gave it to me (a girl with no acne)
We both have normal oily skin.
This started making my skin very oily
Waste of money......

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Laurennnuhhh on 2/17/2013 2:04:00 PM more reviews by Laurennnuhhh

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I have had acne since I was about 10 years old, I'm 16 now and my skin is clearer than ever! But not thanks to this junk stuff! I tried this when I was 10 because I had severe acne all over my cheeks, chin, nose, forehead, and just everywhere. I tried to use this twice a day like they said and I could never keep up with it. It severely dried out my skin and made my skin worse than it was. I used it off and on for the next couple of years and it never helped worth a crap! I started actually taking care of my skin, you know, washing it twice a day, moisturizing it twice a day, etc., and THAT'S what helped me rid my acne. Also, just growing older helped too. I rarely get huge zits now, except before and after my time of the month, which is normal. I still have tons of blackheads on my nose and chin, but it isn't very visible and I can live with that. This stuff is CRAP. Do not waste your money!

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

madisondennis on 2/17/2013 11:30:00 AM more reviews by madisondennis

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I have to agree with other users that proactiv did clear up my acne but that now I am hooked on it and cant seem to get off of it. Besides the fact that my acne flares up insanely after trying to quit, the proactiv company practically doesnt let you leave! I have attempted to cancel my account a few times but with hours of phone calls and little to no luck. The best I could do is space out my shipments so that Im not paying the freaking 80 bucks every 3 months for a product that (while it works) I dont enjoy.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Tifferbelle on 2/10/2013 10:42:00 AM more reviews by Tifferbelle

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I want to tell my horror story with proactiv. I started using it when I was 22 because I didn't want to be on the pill and it seemed logical at the time. It kept me 90% clear as long as I used it. I tried to quit using it when I was 26. Within 2 weeks of stopping use I was breaking out badly and it continued to get worse. I tried some other acne products without success and even went to an esthetician. Nothing helped. I was so desperate I just went back on proactiv because it was the only thing I knew worked. I used it 4 more years and started to develop large permanent brown patches on my forehead and upper lip(melasma). I knew I needed to quit it again. I did a ton of research on what else to use and other's experiences quitting proactiv. What I found out was, any time you quit proactiv cold turkey after being on it for a while, your skin will freak out. It will break out horribly. The break outs can last for 6 months to a year. Proactiv has benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide and other acids (salicylic, glycolic, aha's, etc.) dissolve the skins outer epidermal layer. The epidermal layer is what protects the lower layers from invading bacteria. Basically, your skin is relying on those products and if you quit any benzoyl peroxide or acid product cold turkey you are leaving your skin defenseless against bacteria, hence the horrible break outs. YOU HAVE TO WEAN off any acid or benzoyl peroxide product so your epidermal layer can grow back slowly. I recommend reading Evan Healy's blog. She is a holistic esthetician. She says you shouldn't do anything to the skin that prevents it from achieving balance on its own. No acids, no harsh products. While I weaned off proactiv I used Bee Yummy Skin Food. I still broke out especially around my jaw line and mouth. I took 4 months to wean, but I would recommend longer. I found out I was pregnant so I just quit it ( I was only using it every 5th day anyway). Now I am only using water on my face and I plan to do that for 6 months to let my skin recover from the years of chemical abuse. I am breaking out but I hope it will stop after 6 months or so. My break outs aren't as bad as they were last time I didn't wean. ALSO- proactiv uses animal byproducts in their stuff. I called several times trying to find out what animal byproducts they used and they couldn't tell me specifically. But they do use them. It could be pig fat, pig intestines, who knows? Another important thing---I think using proactiv ruined my liver. I found out through a naturopath that my liver bile is too acidic. I haven't been able to get it back to being more alkaline yet. I think using that crap for 8 years really did a number on my liver. Your liver has to filter everything that you put on your skin! BOTTOM LINE: DON'T EVER USE PROACTIV. It will ruin your skin and your health. Be very careful about what chemicals you use on your skin. Can you eat it? If not, then don't use it. Benzoyl Peroxide is a known carcinogen as well. There are natural ways to treat acne. Start with those. I wish I had never used proactiv and focused on natural treatments.

6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

loverbug2 on 2/9/2013 3:14:00 AM more reviews by loverbug2

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

Horrible! Stay far away from this stuff=/

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

dauncey07 on 2/7/2013 8:55:00 AM more reviews by dauncey07

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I first used Proactiv when I was 16 and I was SO unhappy with it. Though it did clear up my acne, my face was SO dry. It completely bleached my eye brows (which looked super weird because I have dark hair) and it bleached everything that touched my skin (face towels, pillow case, collars to my shirts) and people told me that without make up on, I looked pale. So reluctantly (because I had been battling moderate acne for years) I discontinued used. Well, now 11 years later .. I am still battling moderate acne *sigh* and decided to give this a try again (they do claim its a gentler formula, if that's true or not, who knows) So I went to a mall kiosk, spoke with the rep about my previous experience and she talked me into getting a kit (3 step, oil free moisturizer and make up wipes) She also had suggested to only use it ONCE, at night, since my acne isn't severe. Well, that was about a month ago, and my skin is SIGNIFICANTLY better :) Almost all my acne is gone (I got a bit of a breakout during my period) my pores are SO much smaller now, I can't even really see them anymore, my face is no longer oily (I can even wear foundation all day, and it doesn't get shiny) I am also happy to report my eye brows are still brown, lol. I do however use WHITE towels, and make sure to wash my face well before I hit the pillow (to avoid any bleaching to my bed sheets or pillowcase)
So, I will let you know how I use it: Night: Remove makeup with one make up remover toilette (which are AMAZING!) Then use the 3 step as directed, that's it. Maybe dab the mask on a blemish or two if needed. Then in the morning, I DONT use the 3 step .. I just use the moisturizer with SPF and follow that with my make up routine. It's worked wonders for me using it this way, so if you are having a serious dry out - or just starting out with the kit - do this routine.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

AIKAMBA on 2/5/2013 8:40:00 PM more reviews by AIKAMBA

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

When i called them to tell them the product was drying up my skin and causing it to be itchy and sensitive especially when am out in the sun,they still insisted i use it il get used and sent me a package that will cost me 102 dollars.
i cancelled my account a process which too forever.
am not happy at all with them.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Nephanie7 on 2/5/2013 7:07:00 PM more reviews by Nephanie7

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

Horrible! Harsh and ineffective.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Jessicadainty on 2/3/2013 11:13:00 PM more reviews by Jessicadainty

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I used the 3 step system for aprox. 4 months and did not like it or notice an improvement. It dried out my skin and the one cream burnt my skin leaving it red and irritated...and still had big pimples. I continued using it since I have read before that you need to be patient and allow 7 or 8 weeks to get results and considering how expensive it was..but I was disappointed. I don't have sensitive skin and still found it super harsh. I think money doesn't always get you the best fix as now I use aveno products from SDM and my skin has cleared right up and given me a healthy complexion.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

wynterstorm04 on 2/3/2013 10:09:00 PM more reviews by wynterstorm04

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium Brown, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

This stuff did not work at all. I eventually used it to decorate the inside of my bathroom cabinet.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

akneil on 1/31/2013 11:25:00 PM more reviews by akneil

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

This is going to be pretty in-depth.
I have been using proactiv for two months now. I have started to see results. My skin is definitely better than when I started, and it also helps to fade acne scars. Proactiv is probably one of the harshest acne systems you can use, so you need to keep that in mind. Especially if you have sensitive skin. That being said, I do like it. It has worked. I am not sure if I want to use it forever though.

I find that just using Practiv products doesn't work for me. I feel as though they need to be supplemented with other less-harsh products.
The other products I use are:
- Olay sensitive skin foaming face wash (http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=6363/Sensitive-Skin-Foaming-Face-Wash/Olay/Cleansers )
- Cetaphil moisturizing cream
(http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=1233/Moisturizing-Cream/Cetaphil/Moisturizers)

Both of these products do not break me out and are very sensitive. The cream is SUPER moisturizing - the only thing i've found to cure the proactiv dry skin issue!

The method that works best for me:

Morning:
- wash face with olay face wash
- put a small amount of proactiv repairing lotion on any acne i have and let it dry.
- then put on cetaphil cream all over face and on dry spots
- then put on makeup.
(i find the barrier of acne medication between the acne and the makeup helps to prevent it from getting worse).

Night:
- wash face with renewing cleanser
- use revitalizing toner
- use repairing lotion only on acne and acne scars (don't use on whole face) and let it dry
- use cetaphil cream over whole face (except i don't put it directly on my acne)
- use refining mask as a spot treatment, cover any acne with it and go to bed.

Notes:
- if my skin is too dry sometimes i skip a step. (not always the same one, just depends how i feel).
- it is also good to use a good exfoliator at least once a week.
i find that even though the proactiv cleanser has scrubbing beads in it, it's too drying to be scrubbing at your face with it.
- i find the refining mask is the most drying of them all. if you are finding your face is too dry, don't use this as a mask. use it as a spot treatment only.
- i hate the proactiv moisturizers. i don't think they moisturize at all. even the green tea did nothing for me, and it is super expensive. the cetaphil cream is about $30 (shoppers - canada) and you get a HUGE tub of it. don't waste your money on the proactiv lotions. especially if your skin is super dry.
- the benzoyl peroxide in the repairing lotion also helps to fade acne scars. benzoyl peroxide works by clearing away the top layer of the skin and dead skin cells. it has helped me.

Hope this helps.

UPDATE:
i am not using proactiv anymore, it is too expensive for something that didn't work well enough for me. at the end i was only using the repairing lotion and spot treatment. but now i was prescribed clindoxyl gel from my doctor. it is too harsh to use any other acne products with it, so i'm just using a mild cleanser and st. ives timeless skin lotion.
(if you're acne is bad enough you can ask your doctor for this and it should be covered under your drug plan).

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Evilqueen79 on 1/29/2013 9:12:00 PM more reviews by Evilqueen79

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

This product does work but the benzoyl peroxide burnt my face. It looked like I had a bad sunburn. My face was red and swollen I'm never using it again.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

dlapointe18 on 1/29/2013 8:13:00 PM more reviews by dlapointe18

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Let me start off by saying this-this product does work. But with many many negative side effects. After using it for about a week straight morning and night (like it suggests), it starts to dry up your face incredibly. I got these red burns underneath my eyes where I was applying it to and had people asking me if I got sunburnt in the winter. However, people also noticed my acne was cleared up. Also, if you STOP using this product altogether I found my acne came back raging in full force so I had to keep using it. I've finally found a perfect balance. I only use it at night every other night, or when my acne is very bad. This way it does not dry out my skin too much, and as long as you put on a moisturizer afterwards, you should be all set! Lastly, I just wanted to note that it did get a foul smell to Step 2 after not using it for a while.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

keekz on 1/29/2013 7:56:00 PM more reviews by keekz

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I tried this product years ago when i was a teen and had acne on my chin and forehead (cystic and whiteheads) and i bought this 3-step system thinking that it would be the cure all. Turns out it made my skin so much worse, HOWEVER, now that i am much older and have had the chance to see what my skin does/doesn't like, i know why my face hated this.

I cannot use anything with salycic acid, or any type of acid. I also didn't realize that you should wash your makeup off with an actual makeup removing cleanser, and that the face wash this comes with will not do the trick. It was a lot of money and i found that my cystic acne became worse and i got fed up and returned it. After all, who wants to break out before things get better? I just wanted it to be gone and this was not helping any.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Itsallascam on 1/26/2013 10:53:00 AM more reviews by Itsallascam

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Other   Eyes: Brown    

We ordered the 1st shipment and was billed for 2 of them but never got the 2nd shipment. I ended up canceling so that I wouldn't get ripped off again. The service is terrible.

The products packaging was tiny. Not enough for what I would consider a mother supply. I did enjoy the face wash however the toner stung a bit what you put it on but I guess that's the glycolic acid. I only used the lotion at night as it didn't have any spf and only used it to spot treat since it was drying.

Don't get sucked into the advertising its expensive, you get such a tiny amount of the product and although the face wash was merely alright everything else in the system ducked. And to add the rotten cherry on top you had to deal with shifty customers.er service.

Do not recommend. There's just as efficient face wash systems at your drugstore for a fraction of the price and you get way more product.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

gazh27 on 1/26/2013 9:13:00 AM more reviews by gazh27

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

ProActiv did absolutely nothing for me. I tried it years and years ago in the hope that it would prevent breakouts, but it made my face dry and itchy and red. Definitely not for me.

There are a lot of mixed reviews about this stuff, so if you're considering buying it but haven't tried it yet, maybe ask a friend if you can try hers (or his) and see if you have a bad reaction to it. It's pretty expensive and you probably don't want to waste your money.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No