September 26, 2008

Review: Proactiv Solution


Proactiv is a Benzoyl Peroxide based treatment for the treatment of mild to moderate forms of acne. You buy it through those really annoying informercials on TV or online. The package was AU$29.95 every month but I know for US customers it is US$19.95. I think they've jacked up the prices recently too cause now I see it for AU$30 something on the informecials!

What's in it: I myself bought the basic package so I got a 2 month supply of the Renewing Cleanser, Revitalizing Toner, Repairing Lotion and I got 2 gifts with it, the Green Tea Moisturiser and the Refining Mask (which was my FAVOURITE part!)

I was using Proactiv for about 6 months about 2 years ago and then again at the start of this year for a few months. From my own experience Proactiv does work for me, during the time that I was using Proactiv, I seriously had NO PIMPLES WHATSOEVER. I had to feel sorry for my sister though, who tried Proactiv for one day and had a serious allergic reaction to it, which left her with little red bumps all over her face for a few days. This just shows how the treatment works differently for everyone and everyone will get different results. There are some possibe side effects like:
  • Dryness and peeling of the skin
  • Sensitivity to sunlight
  • Allergic reactions (as I mentioned before) such as redness and itching, hives, burning and swelling
  • Induce collar-specific discoloration of clothes
How to use it:
  • Renewing Cleanser - Dampen your face a little bit and then work the product between your hands and gently massage them all over the face, avoiding the eye area. Do NOT use roughly, you should be scrubbing gently for 30 seconds to a minute, whatever floats your boat :P Wash off with warm water and dry your face.
  • Revitalizing Toner: Put a little bit of the toner onto a tissue, cotton wool or cotton pad and swipe it all over your face quickly. Wait for it to dry.
  • Reparing Lotion: You shouldn't use too much of the Reparining Lotion as I found it to be very drying on my skin, so I used JUST enough to cover my face.
  • MOISTURISE, MOISTURISE, MOISTURISE! Especially if you have dry skin! The repairing lotion will peel the crap out of your skin after awhile, I promise you that!
  • Repeat every morning and night.
Pros:
  • It works! Your skin just glows after using it.
  • Although I know those steps sound a lot, it actually doesn't take a long time to do, and once you get into a routine, you kinda feel bad for not using it.
  • The Refining Mask was heaven to me! I even used it for when I can feel a pimple popping up, I'd dab a little bit of the mask over the area of the pimple at night and sleep overnight with it. I found that it made the pimple come up and heal faster.
  • Convenience of it being just sent to your door every 2 months.
  • 60 day money back guarantee, if you don't like it, send it back! :)
Cons:
  • You may find yourself to be in the group of people that have an allergic reaction to it. Trust me, it is NOT pretty, I saw my own sister go through it, she refused to leave the house for the week because her face was just all covered in red bumps.
  • I did find there to be a period of it having to get worse before it gets better. Just for the first 2 weeks, my skin went a little haywire, but after that, it was FLAWLESS.
  • I think the price is a bit too expensive for me since they've increased the price.
  • I found the customer service is not the best with Proactiv, I changed addresses, and I had to call 3 times just to get them to send to the right place.
  • Drying for your skin. (This can be counteracted by moisturiser though!)
  • Some people may not like the smell of Proactiv, it's like they tried to cover the chemical/peroxide smell with flowers or some herbal thing, and it just doesn't mix very well.
  • Some people argue that your skin can get addicted to Proactiv. And once you go off, your skin gets BAD! I personally haven't experienced this, yes my flawless skin didn't stay but i got pimples as often as I did before I started using Proactiv, actually, even less.
Rating out of 5: I'll rate Proactiv a 4 out of 5. I did find the second time that I used it, it didn't get me to the state that I was before, but maybe that's just cause I didn't use it for long enough :) Although it did work for me, I can't stress enough about how different Proactiv will react to everyone's skin, I've read stuff about Proactiv where people completely despised it and stuff where people just love it, so if you're curious, just try it out! There's no harm in trying :) And if it doesn't work, then you can always return it at the end of 60 days! :D

Ingredients:
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
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).

Proactiv Refining Mask:
Active ingredient: Sulfur 6%
Inactive ingredients: Water (Aqua), Kaolin, Glycreth-26, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Linolenic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Arachidonic Acid, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Hydrated Silica, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lemongrass Exrtract, Geranium Extact, Tea Tree Oil, Ethoxydiglycol Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Glycerin, Fragrance (Parfum)

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