proactive..

[Danielle9608]

Okay I am breaking out like I am 13. I need to do something. I thinking about proactive. I have looked at some reviews on the internet and heard mixed things. I would love to find something that it a non pill and I feel like if I go to the doctor that is all that they are going to give me. I have used tetracycline (pill) in the past which has worked well but it negates the potency of birth control. Have any of you girls used proactive?

[firespirit]

I have. For me it didn't really make a difference, I'm assuming this is because when I break out it's mostly hormonal (it tends to be around certain cycle times and when I have a lot of stress).

But, I don't have acne issue like most people that take pills. So if it did make a difference I might not have really noticed it.

They do have the moneyback guarantee, so if you aren't satisfied I think you just return the unused portion. I don't know how easy it is to return though.

[smileyone2002]

I have used it and the first try it didnt really work, but i think that is because i didnt use it everyday like I was supposed to. But I recently started using what I had left over and it worked for me. I think you have to be consistant with it and it does wonders! But that is my problem, I start something thinking I am going to stick through and then slack off later:whoa: But make sure if you order it you tell them how long you want it, I didnt do this the first time and every 3 or so months I got charged another 70 bucks :hothead:

[Dani]

I used it for about 2 years, it worked for a while, but I still broke out. It also discolored some of my clothes.

However, I recently went to the dermatologist, she gave me a topical that I put on 2 times a day, and I haven't had any breakouts. (No reaction to it, no disolored clothes, and I have clear skin.)

[BrideInCuffs21]

Danielle, I use to have horrible break outs and I am not kidding you within 1 week I noticed a huge difference, my face was clearing up, my skin was softer, my skin was more even and less oily.

But I have also noticed that if you go like 2 days without using pro-activ you will have a break-out (as I did before my e-pics... ugh) But I have been using pro-activ for like 6 or so years now and have aboslutely loved it...

I use to be a freak with make-up mainly to cover the problems I had, but once I used pro-activ and face cleared up I was able to go out into public without make-up and feel comfortable....

[HisMuse]

I've been using it for like...5 years or something. It's the only thing that has ever worked for me.

[WebLady]

I used Proactive for a while and never noticed much of a difference. I used it every day just like they said for like 2 or 3 weeks or so, then stopped.

[TrulyWed]

Yeah, my husband did uses it, I think it is a really good face cleaner but I wouldn't recommend it for the big day. I think a lot of it has to do with food that you eat. So maybe cut out on the sugars and stuff and that might help. If you don't do sugar then I am just pulling stuff out of my butt here lol jk good luck!

[Measha]

I started using Proactive back in June and at first I didn't stick to the 3 steps faithfully. Was off my schedule and such. Once I got into the swing of using it morning and night my skin has been pretty nice. I get break outs during periods and such when hormones fluctuate but I find if I don't touch them and keep using the solution they clear up quickly. I'm not sure if it's a "miracle" solution as they promote on TV. But it is one of the better treatments I have found. (Example: Mirad didn't do anything for my skin.)

Unless you eat highly fattening and greasy foods often, food shouldn't trigger your acne a whole lot. Stress, not getting enough water, sweat, make-up, rubbing your face too much, etc. etc. Can all make it a lot worse.

I'm guessing the "topical" the dermatologist gave Dani was "Retin-A" or a similar named gel. Usually they pair it with the pill, though it works well on its own. It costs a lot, and you break out before you clear up because it brings everything to the surface. I used it back in high school, it did wonders but I couldn't afford $90 + a tube.

Smileyone I'm wondering how you payed so much for proactive *boggle* I pay $40 bi-monthly. It might go up to that much a month, but that's because FH might start using it too. Even if I got a three month supply the price wouldn't go up that much :(

If you do sign up go online and sign up for the "Clear Skin Club" makes it cheaper and you can change delivery times to fit how fast you go through it.

[Dani]

I'm guessing the "topical" the dermatologist gave Dani was "Retin-A" or a similar named gel. Usually they pair it with the pill, though it works well on its own. It costs a lot, and you break out before you clear up because it brings everything to the surface. I used it back in high school, it did wonders but I couldn't afford $90 + a tube.




Acutally, I am using a topical called Sulfacetamide Sodium Topical Suspension USP and with my insurance I only paid mty $10 co-pay.

I was on Retin-A years ago, and it made my face irrated, red and I swear i would peel at a certain time of day everyday. That stuff was horrible.

So far so good with the topical I am on right now, even with the montly cycle.

[Measha]

Oh, interesting! I hadn't heard of this yet. You'll have to tell us more after you've been on it longer :)

The other topical I was on for a bit was just a plain salicylic acid solution. Never worked that well.

[sjk1431]

My FH uses it and it's made a huge difference for him. You just have to make sure to do all the steps and make it part of your routine.

[Joe's girl]

Well proactive works for some and not others, if you want your face to be acne free and glowing, my reccomondation would be Micro dermabrasion, it is really the only thing that can get really deep down into the pores and get all the dirt out. I reccommend getting it professionally done but there are some good over the counter ones too like kheil. The professional treatments are expensive like around $ 100 per session and you will need any where from 2 to 4. I did two and used over the counter stuff and I was ok.

[HisMuse]

I would also suggest going to see a dermatologist as well. I was also put on a medication that helps control my hormones which helped with breakouts too. Both that and proactiv are what saved me.

[smileyone2002]

lol..i dont know how I got charged that much, it seems to be the story of my life. I never read things fully, I prob had some package with all the gadgets...to tell you the truth I really dont remember what I was getting! But I have some left over, and it does work with me when I do it everyday twice a day, and since I have broke out terribly this past week I think I will start it back up. I started eating fast-food this past week and i think that is what has done it:hothead:

[Danielle9608]

Ok, well an update on this. I decided to try proactive and apparently I am allergic to it. It made my face puffy itchy and red. I have an appointment with the dermatologist in Nov. In the meantime my doctor wrote me a prescription for an anti bacterial topical cream and told me to wash my face with Dove soap. So far no chance but at least its not all red and itchy.

[ikkin510]

Proactive did not work for me. I have (always have) had bad acne though. I used Proactive daily for 5 months and had no difference. Of course not much a dermatologist perscribed helped me either. Just one pill that I took for 6 months. My face cleared up just in time for the wedding. But it wasn't something I could continue taking do to side affects. So I started to break out again a few months later.
I hope the dermatologist can come up with something for you that works!

[cassiopeia]

I had never had acne in my life until this summer. Ever. Starting in June I was having horrible breakouts, and I started picking at them. It was horrible. I tried proactiv, but I have large pores and anything abrasive (like proactive, or the neutrogena at home "micro dermabrasion" kits) with beads or anything else gets stuck in my pores and makes me even MORE bumpy. Ew.

What I have found that has been working really well is the Murad (http://www.murad.com/?roiid=14188) system in conjunction with a few Dermalogica http://www.dermalogica.com/default2.asp?region=?&location=?) products. Both of them were developed by Drs/Dermal Institutes; that is probably all just PR spin, but I buy into it!

What worked for me was to start off with a clean slate: I got my first facial (if you can find someone who uses Manuka honey, you should try it, it's fantastic ) and had all my icky pores extracted. Again, ew. And also, ouch. WELL worth it though. Then I started using the Murad Acne system religiously. You can get Murad kits at Sephora (http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P55427&categoryId=B70) and probably other places online. In addition to the Murad line, every other day I use this amazing, AMAZING exfoliator (it is $$ but I swear to you it is worth ever penny) (http://www.dermalogica.com/product_dir/product_detail.asp?location=US&Region=B&ProductId=21&Category=conditioners) it leaves my face looking, and feeling totally clean and you only need a teeny tiny bit of the product every time you use it. I expect the $50 bottle I am using to last me most of a year. I use their Active oil free moisturizer at night (the Murad moisturizer isn't as strong).

Everyone's skin is different and I couldn't afford to go to a Dermatologist and insurance wouldn't cover it, so I hope your derm will help you come up with a good solution. Anyone else still looking for something that works should try our Murad or Dermalogica. If I could afford it I would invest in all the Dermalogica products for acne, I think their stuff is amazing!

[crazycatlady]

ok so i have never had zits in my whole life. well now, at age 20, im starting to get acne! specifically about a week before my period i get a few zits on my face. mostly my chin and every now and then on my forehead. but by the time they go away its been a couple weeks and new ones pop up. its like a continuous cycle of zits. i wash my face with neutrogena but my fiancee always tells me "its not bacteria, its the hormones in your body that is causing it pertially". so my doctor put me on this birth control called nortrel which i guess is pretty high dose of estrogen for PCOS. It hasnt been long enough to tell if it helps with acne also, but I was wondering if anyone had tried proactive. I see the commercials all the time but I never trust the testimonials. So I didn't know if anyone on here had tried to and could say whether it really works or not. I don't want to spend 50 bucks on something that doesn't work y'know?

[WebLady]

As I mentioned earlier in this thread; I tried Proactive a while back and didn't see much change so I stopped.

I recently started using this Clean & Clear Advantage stuff and noticed a change almost right away.

http://a1468.g.akamai.net/f/1468/580/1d/pics.Drugstore.com/prodimg/87659/300.jpg

It also comes in a kit with cleanser and moisterizer -

http://a1468.g.akamai.net/f/1468/580/1d/pics.Drugstore.com/prodimg/164349/300.jpg

[Blusher]

if you use it in the steps then it works really good.-my cuz had really bad acne and she started using it when she went away to university and it was like a miracle for her.....
if you go to a dermatologist (sp?) they have lots of options that are non pill form--i was on some pill when i was like 14 and it was great but when i because sexually active @ 15 I didn't want to take it anymore just incase (due to birth defects) so i switched to just cream and it was wonderful- I can't remember what its called but i still use it and its great!!!

[Rainbow Brite]

If you're going to buy Proactive - get it on Ebay. It's much cheaper than buying it from their site or from a kiosk at the mall. It works pretty good for me if I use it every single day. My skin is too sensitive for any benzoil peroxide amounts over the 2.5% in Proactive.

[Measha]

Murad didn't work at ALL for me :(

The proactive works fairly well. I still break out now and then (especially around my period) but at least it clears them up fast.

[HisMuse]

Murad didn't work at ALL for me :(

The proactive works fairly well. I still break out now and then (especially around my period) but at least it clears them up fast.

TOM always brings on the acne, no matter what I'm doing. Sucks.

[woohoo2me]

i see comercials for this stuff everywhere.... has anyone used it or heard of somone using it?? whats it like? does it actually work? or is no different then anyother stuff..?

[Dani]

I used it for a while, it is a 3 part cleansing process. However, it worked GREAT for the few months, but I didn't really see any change in my skin after that. But that's just me.

[brendalin]

I know that there was another post on here somewhere that talked about proactive. I remember a lot of the girls saying that they did not have good luck with it. My sister and I on the other hand have been using it, and I think that it works wonders. I don't have to use it all the time, just "certain" times. However my cousin can't use it (but she has very bad skin)

Sorry if this dosen't help much. i really think skin care products are so hard to predict. Good Luck!

[WebLady]

Here is another thread on the topic -
http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=11460

ETA - This thread has been merged there :)

[woohoo2me]

thanks!! :D

[L.J.Aguirre]

victor used proactive.... didnt do a thing for him. but i used to have really bad skin. i went to clinique and they have different kits for different faces. theyre pricey but they work wonders!