I personally dont have time to wait four whole weeks for zits to go away. nope, not happenin'. But i decided to try it anyway. I waited the four weeks patiently, washing 2ce a day, everyday. waiting,waiting, waiting some more. I waited for SIX WHOLE WEEKS, and finally trashed it. It never worked. Yeha, this is crap. Congrads Jessica Simpson, but this aint workin. I mean, c'mon, I just got some new stuff, & it worked. Right away, no six week wait... this may cost a ton, but its not worth the mula.

MAYBE IT WORKS FOR SOME PPL BUT NOTHING IN THIS WORLD WORKS FOR EVERYONE. THE MAIN COMPLAINT I HAVE IS THE POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. DID YOU KNOW THAT THE AGENTS GET REWARDED FOR NOT CANCELING AN ACCOUNT? DID YOU KNOW THAT THEY GET REPREMANDED FOR NOT PROBING ENOUGH. (ANYTHING TO "SAVE" AN ACCOUNT)
I BELEIVE THAT CUSTOMERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO CANCEL OR CHANGE THIER ACCOUNT WITHOUT BEING HASSLED. GUTHY- RENKER SHOULD FOCUS ON CUSTOMER SERVICE NOT HOW MANY ACCOUNTS ARE SAVED OR CANCELED. MAKE SURE IF YOU HAVE AN ACCOUNT AND WANT TO CANCEL, TO DO A FOLLOW UP CALL WITHIN 20 MINUTES. ASK THE REPRESENATIVE WHAT THE LAST AGENT DID TO YOUR ACCOUNT. DEMAND A LETTER OF CANCELATION AND GET THE AGENTS NAME. DOCUMENT TIME AND DATES OF ALL OF YOUR CALLS. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO CANCEL MAKE SURE THE REP DOESN'T SAY THAT YOUR ACCOUNT IS ON HOLD. HOLD JUST MEANS A FEW MONTHS. AFTER THE HOLD HAS ENDED, YOU WILL GET AUTO SHIPPINGS (EVEN IF YOU MOVED FROM THAT ADDRESS). GUESS WHAT, IF YOU MOVE AND AN ASSHOLE GETS ONE OF YOUR SHIPMENTS, DON'T BE NIEVE AND THINK THAT THEY WILL RETURN IT FOR YOU. HAVE FUN TRYING TO GET THE PEOPLE AT PROACTIV TO BELIEVE YOU MOVED AND NEVER RECIEVED IT. THIS IS WHERE DOCUMENTATION OF YOUR CALLS PLAY IN HAND. ONCE AGAIN, GET THE NAMES OF THE AGENTS, TIME AND DATES, AND THE ACTION YOU WANTED TO TAKE PLACE. HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!

its not good for anything but drying out skin and causing swollen red bumps. IT dried up all my whiteheads but it just left the skin discolored and blotchy and scarred afterwards

I suffer from acne vulgaris, its a genetic condition that i have unfortunately inherited from my father as he suffered from it very badly as a teenager. Ive been to countless dermatologists who have prescribed me everything from tablets to roacutain to doxycycline amongst differin and various other topical treatements, in the end I decided to try proactive and found that it has suprisingly worked well for me, ofcourse it left my skin dry within the first few days but then i stopped using the second step and found that the redness and itchyness went away. So now i just use the 1st step, 3rd step and refining mask, Im glad to say my acne is starting to clear up but we should all know that this takes a lengthy time to occur for everyone. A healthy diet and good sleep helps as well, also drinking 2 L of water a day.

I have used this product for 3 months and my skin is broken-out worse then ever. I don't know if it's stress, bad luck or Proactiv. I'am way too old for zits but I've tried everything on the market, about to give up & just keep my oily, dottie face.

This product was soooooo horrible it cleared up my skin then when I stopped using it it made it worse. I dont want to have to pay freaken 29.95 whatever the price every month. I use this new product acnefree and its the same as proactiv three step solution. Same ingrediants but its half the price. Its something I can afford and it works wonders for my face. I have mild acne and I noticed it working in three days. It may cause irritation but it really depends on the person. You can buy acnefree at department stores, drugstores, I got mine at CVS for 15 dollars. They also have kits depending on you acne if its severe, if it mild, or red, dry skin, oily skin, everything. They even compare it to proactiv on the back of the kit and its ten times better.

the people that say it is great must be getting paid!!! it sucks so bad it made my skin so oily even worse then usual and broke me out worse!!! then I started to see aging i was ya know!!! I knew it was proactive I dident like it from the beggining shouldent of even used it!!! acne free worked for me just dont ever overuse any product!!!!

I noticed that the skin of my face was aging. I began to suspect PROACTIVE and did some research online. Well....Proactive DOES CAUSE PREMATURE AGING AS WELL AS CANCER!!!! It has the same effect as the SUN!!!! However, because Proactive management does not give us a damn about us, they are not telling us!!!!



It also contains Benzoyl Peroxide which generates free radicals in the skin. Repeated use of Benzoyl Peroxide generates free radicals that damage the skin's structure and cellular DNA, resulting in premature aging of the skin. The degree of the damage and aging caused by Benzoyl Peroxide is determined by the concentration of the entity, the frequency of application and the duration of its use.

Like many others I was sucker and fell for the commercials and ordered what I thought would be the wonder product for my skin. Although I only had a few blemishes, I wanted the perfect skin like Jessica Simpson. And I had it...for about a week out of the 6 months I used. And that wasn't even until my first layer of skin completely bleached and flaked off of my face because of Proactive's harsh chemicals.

It was a nightmare and still is. At first the skin turns red and flakey. That is due to the benzoyle peroxide stripping your skin of the natural oils and completely drying it out. Then, because the skin becomes so dried out it starts producing more oil to keep up with the drying. And you guessed it...more pimples pop up than ever before. I kept thinking that it wasn't the Proactive because it was supposed to be the wonder wash for acne until I did some research and found out it WAS the Proactive causing my skin to get worse.

I haven't used it in 2 weeks now and my face has gotten even worse because my skin was so used to the twice a day treatment. However, I refuse to use Proactive again in a desperate attempt to clear it up because I know it will just keep getting worse. Now that I am off of Proactive my skin will eventually get back to it's natural balance, though it will take time to reverse the Proactive damage. In the meantime I just was my face with a gentle salicylic cleanser and maintain my patience.

Oh, and if you have ordered it...good luck canceling. They keep shipping and charging. Ordering Proactive Solution was horrible mistake I wish I could take back!!!

HORRIBLE!!! I have always had acne ever since puberty and I thought the this "miracle" stuff would work..My skin became SUPER dry.. It was so embarassing. Everywhere around my mouth was literally flaking off. My cheeks turned extremely read as wel.. I would never recommend this product to anyone. I notice that when I expose my skin to some sunlight, it clears up my acne a little. All the acne on my back went away..my face is still busted a little though :[...DO NOT BUY>>YOU WILL BE COMPLETLY UNSATISFIED

I HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH ACNE FOR ABOUR TEN YEARS. I TRIED MANY DIFFERENT ACNE TREATMENTS. I HAD THE MOST HOPE IN PROACTIV AND WAS REALLY LET DOWN. IT WORKED FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND THEN MADE ME SKIN WORSE. I STARTED GETTING THESE BOILS ON MY FACE. THEY WERE LIKE NO PIMPLE I HAD EVER HAD, THEY WERE LIKE FREAKING BOILS!!! THEY HURT AND MY FACE WAS CONSTANTLY DRY AND HURTING. I GOT THEM ON MY NECK AND MY FACE. I BELIEVE IT CAN WORK FOR SOME PEOPLE BUT IT DEFINITELY DIDN'T WORK FOR ME. THE MASK DIDN'T WORK EITHER. IT MADE THE BOILS WORSE EVERYTIME I USED IT ON THEM. THEIR MARKETING REALLY MAKES YOU BELIEVE THAT IT WILL WORK FOR YOU. FOR ME, IT SUCKED. I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND IT. I STARTED USING "SKIN LOGICS" BY BEAUTY CONTROL. IT IS AWESOME. THE MOISTURIZER IS THE BEST I'VE EVER USED. IF YOU'RE STILL TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING TO CURE YOUR ACNE, I'D DEFINITELY RECOMMEND LOOKING IT UP.

I TRIED PROACTIV WHEN I WAS 14 DIDN'T WORK! IT RIED IT AGAIN AFTER I HAD MY FIRST SON STILL DIDN'T WORK! I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY THINK THEIR PRODUCT IS SO GREAT THEY CANT EVEN PUT IT ON SHELVES IN STORES! I KNOW A FEW PEOPLE THAT HAVE TRIED PROACTIV AND THEY SAY THE SAME THING EVERYONE ELSE DOES EVERYTHING SUCKS BUT THE MASK! I NEVER SEEN ANY DIFFERENCE WHEN USING THIS PRODUCT...I DIDN'T REDUCE IN REDNESS MY ACNE STAYED MY BLACKHEADS WERE STILL THERE THHIS PRODUCT IS JUST PLAIN HORRIBLE!

I tried this when it first came out. I normally have really oily skin which led to breakouts. After a day or two of using Proactive, my skin was so dry it was flaking off!!!! AND I STILL HAD ZITS!!! After a week, I threw it away. I have tried practically everything since, including Rx topical gels and antibiotics which didn't solve the problem either.

Redently I began using Arbonne's FC5 line for oily/combination skin. If you need more than that, they also have the Clear Advantage line. I absolutely LOVE it! All of their products are botanically based, pH correct, dermatologist tested and hypoallergenic. They also include NO animal products or biproducts.

If anyone has any questions about their products and would like to try them for 20 - 80% off, feel free to email me at shereewillhoite@att.net.

the products do work, but its definately not the wonder drug or anything. my problem with proactive is that they kept sending me bills for products that i never recieved. they said that they sent my second month but i never recieved it. then they continued to bill me for it. i called and told and told them i had never recieved the package and i wasnt going to pay the $67. well i thought everything had been worked out. the bills stopped. well the other day i recieved a bill from a collection agency in the mail. i called proavtive and they told me that there is nothing that they can do about it now since they aready sent it to debt collection! WTF i have to pay almost $ 70 for some crap i didnt even get or it will mess up my credit! i will NEVER do business with them again! and i hope anyone that reads this wont either!!!!!!!!!!!

I used Proactiv for over a year, and it worked so-so on my acne, but did nothing for my blackheads or pore size. As I was shopping around for a new product, it was brought to my attention that the microbead exfoliants in Proactiv face wash are made of POLYETHYLENE (that's plastic, folks!) In fact, LOTS of OTC face washes have polyethylene in them. The thing is, that these microplastics do not degrade. They go down your drain, into your waste treatment system, and eventually into our rivers, lakes, and oceans. Fish, birds, shellfish, and other marine life ingest these tiny plastic beads, and it's unknown how long it takes for them to leave the animals' bodies - if they ever do!
So if you eat fish or shellfish, or if you care at all about the state of our marine ecosystem (and you should because it provides most of the oxygen you breathe), find yourself a natural cleanser WITHOUT POLYETHYLENE. There are a ton of them out there. Bonus: they're way less expensive too!

I have oily skin and had trouble with acne since I was 14. I tried proactive and at first it was okay but after a few uses, my skin felt VERY tight and my forehead & cheeks were burning & red due to my sensitive skin. I automatically stopped using it & called the company to cancel my account; They lie when they say no questions asked because they ask 101 reasons why I did not like the product instead of taking my word for it. Now I am 16 turning 17 soon and my face has cleared up due to a gel product proscribed by my dermatologist.

I have been using Proactiv for 11ish years and have been 100% satisfied. Yes, it is expensive, but my face has never felt better OR looked better in my life. My skin is not oily or dry, but just perfect now. I can wear any makeup and will not break out.

This stuff is worth all your money!

HORRIBLE.

I really wanted to believe that this would work because I feel so ugly and hopeless.
I tried soo many things even went to a doctor, still nothing is working :/ I have to
start highschool in a month. looking like this! :(
I just want something to work and products like this that say they will clear your skin give ppl false hope.
I HATE PROACTIV.

Dont buy it. :/

if anything, differnin is the only thing that has work at all.

DO NOT!! I REPEAT DO NOT USE PROACTIV...MY SKIN IS FINE NO SEVERE BREAKOUTS EXCEPT FOR THE OCCASIONAL PIMPLE EVERY NOW AND THEN BUT I WANTED A FACE CLEANSER JUST TO USE SO I ORDER THE BASIC PACKAGE OF PROACTIV AND PAID THE EXTRA SHIPPING FEE OF 12 BUCKS FOR 2-3 DAY SHIPMENT.A COUPLE DAYS PAST & I REALIZED I HAD NOT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION IN MY E-MAIL THAT MY ORDER WAS SHIP OUT ( BAD business). A WEEK LATER I GOT AN E-MAIL SAYING THAT THE PACKAGE I ORDERED WHERE NOT IN STOCK( WHICH WAS THE BASIC 3 PRODUCT SOLUTION THE MAIN THING PEOPLE ORDER HOW COULD IT NOT BE IN STOCK ONCE AGAIN BAD BUSINESS) THEY HAD NOT YET CHARGED ME SO THERE WAS NO REFUND NEEDED. THERE ONCE THE TRIAL 1 MONTH PACKAGE IN STOCK ( THE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME SO I ORDERED THAT ). I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD RECEIVED IT IN 5-7 DAYS..A COUPLE DAYS PASS & ONCE AGAIN I HAVE RECEIVED NO NOTIFICATION IN THE E-MAIL THAT MY ORDER WAS SHIP OUT ( ONCE AGAIN BAD BUSINESS ) SO I CALLED READY TO CANCEL THE ORDER CAUSE I HAVE HAD IT WITH THE UNPROFESSIONAL PRACTICES..THE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT SHE APOLOGIZED FOR ME NOT RECEIVING A NOTIFICATION THAT MY ORDER WAS SHIP AND SHE TRACK IT AND MY ORDER SHOULD ARRIVE IN 2-3 DAYS..THE NEXT DAY I CHECK MY BANK ACCOUNT TO REALIZE THAT I HAD BEEN CHARGED A SECOND TIME FOR A PROACTIV PACKAGE ( WHICH MEANS THE REPRESENTATIVE LIED & MY PACKAGE WAS NOT SHIP SO SHE WENT AHEAD & CHARGE ME AN ADDITIONAL UNAUTHORIZED TIME. SO I WAS FUMING & CALLED THEM TOLD THEM THE SITUATION IN THE MOST IMPOLITE WAY I COULD THEY REFUNDED ME FOR THE ADDITIONAL CHARGED INSPITE OF THAT I WANTED A COMPLETE REFUND. 2WKS LATER I AM STILL WAITIN FOR 1 PACKAGE TO ARRIVE.!!!! ****DO NOT I REPEAT DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS PROACTIVE CORPARTION*** I FEW YRS BACK THE ALSO WENT IN TO MY MOTHER'S ACCOUNT & CHARGED HER AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE FOR A 2ND PROACTIV PACKAGE SO THIS IS A HABIT OF THERES. PLZ I REPEAT STAY AWAY FROM THESE PEOPLE..I REGRET DOIN IT FURTHER MORE I WILL NOT BE USING THE PROACTIV SOLUTION DUE TO THE BAD REVIEWS THAT UPON ENTRY IT CLEARS UP THE SKIN BUT AFTERWARD MAKES IT EVEN WORSE!!!!STAY AWAY!!

Not only did Proactive make my acne worst, my face became whiter then the rest of my body. It was bleaching my face. I work as a receptionist at a dermatologist office and when I asked the doctor what he thinks about Proactive he said that its terrible and that he would never tell his patients to use it because it doesnt do anything for your skin. HE prescribed me another acne treatment called CLenziderm M.D and the product is amazing. IT cleared my acne and my skin color became normal again.

This product is very cdonfusing to me. I have mild acne and it comes and goes. Ive had people recommend it and also people tell me its not worth the money. Luckily my cousin gave me his because it clears his up using not even half of the bottles. So i started using it and then it cleared it up. Little did i know that you have to keep using it on daily basis or you will break out even more. Because your skin gets immune to it. Proactiv dys out your pores completely! but you will breakout even more. the refining mask works great though i'd have to say. But the 3 step isnt working for me. However it did back in 8th grade lol. So im not sure if i can recommend this unless you want to keep buying new bottles every 2 months.

I never had acne as a teenager. In fact, I didn't start to get acne until I was about 24 and even then, it would only be a few zits here and there. I decided to use proactiv because my bf had been using it for years and I guess I thought I would try it as well. I should have known better though because his face STILL breaks out and he get's those awful swollen pimples that takes weeks to go away. I've also noticed that when he misses a day of using Proactiv, his face breaks out even more. Anyways, I did start to use Proactiv last summer when I began to break out and noticed that it did burn/sting at first and over time it started to clear up my skin. However, if I missed a day or ran out of one product... on came the zits and pimples! yikes! So then I'd have to run out and buy more product ASAP. Evenutally I started using less and less of the product and my skin was clearing up on it's own. I even went back to using my regular Olay face wash and Olay lotion. It's been a year and just last week I began to break out again... I ran right to the Proactiv. Low-and-behold it caused a major reaction and even more pimples. I've stopped using all Proactiv products because the main ingrediant Benzol Peroixde is terrible for people with sensitive skin (which I clearly have). After spending 4 days at home crying and feeling completely ugly, I decided to consult a dermotologist. His first reaction was that I can created servere acne using the Proactiv products. He perscribed an oral medicince called Minocycline. I've been doing a lot of research on this product and it seems as though it COULD work but has very serious side effects. I haven't started taking it yet becuase I'm worried about the side effects. So for now, I've been washing my face with Cetaphil Antibacterial Bar Soap which doesn't cause any kind of reaction and does not contain any alcohols in it. Also, I have been using an oil-free (non-comedogenic) with an spf 15. For now, it's been working ok... I'm still very depressed about the way my once smooth and pimple free face looks and now I might even be left with scars on my face from where I broke out so badly. :(
I can't say that I will ever recommend this product to anyone.

This product doesn't even work that well. I came across this acne free kit in walmart, and bought it, even though i figured it would suck. It is the best thing that ever happened to my skin. It's 20 dollars less than proactiv, you don't have to buy online and wait for it and also pay shipping and handling, and it all together works amazingly. For anyone with acne or anyone who's wasting their $ on proactiv, buy acne free at walmart, target, your grocery store, w/e. It's amazing

I hear alot about the negative on Proactiv Solution.
One: it is a scam from online orders setting up auto shipments and people don't know it is happening. I checked the online ordering and it does tell the consumer about the auto shipments. People just don't read:their fault not the company's fault. I have also heard it causes more acne to occur. Incorrect. According to my Doctor and info I have read. Acne is not curable except basically by body chemistry changing. All topical products can control acne if it works for individuals but isn't designed to cure acne. Acutane is the only thing that comes close to that and it is quite dangerous and doesn't always work. Acne is not age descriptive: all ages can develop acne.People are always ready to critize but fail to do the research.All products have to be used as directed and not all skin types are equal.Skin changes with time and sometimes a product will work and in time change.I work with all kinds of skin care products.They can't all be lumped together in one catagory.People have to try things to work for their individual issue.Ingredients that usually control acne can have a drying effect and can be too harsh for sensitive skin especailly if used too often or too much at a time.If a person has a reaction to an ingredient,they should be very cautious using any product containing that ingredient.Also don't mix different product companies for skin care as the ingredients can cause adverse reactions when mixed.I know many people who use Proactiv just to keep their skin clean and in good condition in all age groups.Many senior citizens I know love the product.So complaints and raves are based on each INDIVIDUAL as far as results.That doesn't mean it is a bad product but it is the most recommended acne product on the market.Acne is caused by bacteria and oil collection in pores so for anyone afflicted with acne, my first advice is stop using products that have an oil base,use oil free products from makeup to creams to sunscreens. Find what works for you and stick with it until it stops working - and yes things that work for a while do sometimes stop working because body chemistry changes.To let you know Proactiv has other formulas for skin that doesn't clear up or is very sensitive or has a reaction to the regular formula that most people use start with.Most people don't know that.I hope this sheds some light on all areas positive,negative and in between.What works for you may not work for someone else and visa versa.That doesn't make a product bad just not right for you. It may work for someone else.

this productworked realy well at first, but then i started getting red splotches all over my face and they itched too, so i stoped using it but they continued. and now that ive gone to a dermatologist she told the capillaries in my skin had busted! :O
it was terible! but the refining mask works well; but not the other stuff.

it basically just made my skin worse
its really harsh and your putting so much chemicals on your face
it made my skin a lot worse than it was before i tried it
pretty much a gimmick, cleansers i get from the drug store, like olay cleansers work better.

This product REALLY WORKS!!!! Proactiv is the best acne treatment ever! I tried that Clean & Clear crap.... and it just made me break out more! So then I tried Proactiv and my skin is completely clear now. Especially the Refining mask just leave it on overnight, and your acne will be gone! PLZ Try it! =D

Horrible!! It does not work at all. It made my skin have more pimples and embarrasing dryness. I do not advise you purchase this. it would be more effective to go see a dermatologist.

I started using this product when I was 14, i had mild acne at the time and I thought that this product could heal it, but it never did it would make some pimples disappear but it never really healed my acne completely, I would always get pimples, I am now 21 and still have to use it because about a year ago I stopped using it, and my acne was the worst I ever had, I was getting these huge bumps that would not go away, it sucks because now I am in college and Im supposed to be having a great time but am not because im embarrased about my acne. Like many people said this product has something that makes your skin addictive that when you stop using it you breakout worse than ever. I strongly recommend to think twice before you use this product I Hate the feeling of waking up and seeing yourself in the mirror and seeing a new bump. I hate acne!!

I am shocked to see reviews here that reflect my opinion. I grew up with very clear skin. After having my daughter I broke out very bad. It seemed to never get clear. I decided to try proactiv. Tried it and immediately bam it was going to work. I loved the way my face felt after using it. I just knew I found a product for a lifetime. My face began clearning up just like I hoped. Once my face was almost clear... bammmmmm. A huge bump appeared. I figured well it's just one bump and proactiv will get rid of that. So I kept on using it. Another bump appeared just as large. So I tried to cut down on using proactiv thinking it was too strong for me. When I did that my whole face broke out in little white heads and blackheads. So I started using proactiv regualary again. It cleared up the small bumps but every so often a very stubborn huge bump would appear. So I figured that proactiv had to be the issue. I thought wow this stuff is like crack. Once you use it, its hard to get off of it because of the side effects. Well I quit that stuff and tried other products. I had easier results, but my face still never got totally clear. No hard side effects, but these products just don't work for my face. So I broke my promise and started using proactiv again thinking maybe I'll use just the face cleanser and nothing else. Well I've been doing it and it works great until two weeks ago my nose began to hurt and I knew what was about to happen. Bam huge bump and it's still here. I made up my mind to day that no matter what, me and proactiv are through. I'm going to the dermotolgist to figure out a solution that doesn't involve that cycst making product. My birthday is monday and this dag on bump better be gone or I'm going to sue proactiv for damaging my self esteem. This product is addictive like crack. Never ever use it.

I did not like Proactive at all. First of all, it only made a slight difference in my complexion. Secondly, I'm only 26 and I began to notice fine lines around my eyes and mouth after using the product. They were definitely not there before. After checking out the effects of benzoyl peroxide on the internet, I found out it can cause skin cancer and premature aging. Now I only use Cetaphil. It's better on my skin and washes away completely. Also, I canceled my Proactive account over the phone and they kept sending it and charging my bank account. Everytime I sent it back, my account was credited but I still had to pay shipping and handling. Never again will I use that crap (or anything with benz. peroxide for that matter)!!!

I have used proactiv for about 5 years. I started using it because I would have frequent breakouts. My acne wasn't terrible, but it was always present. Proactiv cleared my acne. I would still have the odd breakout, and I would get the odd painful large bumps under my skin. I tried quitting it 2 years ago and made it 2 weeks before going back on proactiv. I broke out really bad (small black and white heads all over my face - especially my nose and chin and my forehead was covered). 2 years later, I have done more research and have made the decision to live green (organic food and organic house/body products). The fact the proactiv rid of my freckles, caused me to burn in the sun easily and BLEACHED MY TOWELS, I figured it wasn't the safest product to use on my face. I have been off proactiv for just over 4 weeks now and I will not go back. My face is terrible, but it does occasionally look clearer. I hate the pimples and it seriously hurts my confidence, but I believe that it will get better. I was giving myself a mini-chemical peel 2x a day for 5 years. My face is going to react to being off its "drugs". I think it is a personal decision for each individual to make, but the environment and my body means more to me. Also, the skin is constantly regenerating so although it may take months (perhaps up to a year) for my skin to heal itself, I think it will be worth it. For those of you that have never used proactiv I will say that make sure you are making an informed decision. Companies these days have very low standards to comply with. Just because it is sold in malls, on TV, and endorsed my celebrities, does not make it safe. Look at fast food and the preservatives/chemicals in our food. It is legal, and widely sold but there is also over 2 million morbidly obese people in the U.S.A (and the number is growing!) and there are no laws against this.

I absolutely adore ProActiv. I suffered from acne from the time I was 10 til about 17 when I tried it for the first time. I have tried everything in the stores, in catalogs, on TV and nothing worked. Now my skin is completely clear (except for one time a month but even that is minimal). I might add that I only use the cleanser, I do not use their toner or moisturizer. I buy whatever brand is on sale. I did try something new recently, thinking maybe I wouldn't break out anymore, being older. But nope, it was horrible. So I stick to my trusty facial cleanser. I go to the kiosks in the mall so I don't have to get the 3-piece set. BUT REMEMBER, everyone's skin is different. You just gotta try it to see if it works for you. And obviously if it's drying your skin out don't use it as much. But for those of you who couldn't take the drying out aspect of it, try just using the cleanser and see if it's better. (I only use it once a day)

  OMG. I wish I had never ordered this product.  I understand it works for some people, but it seems like the people it works for, had to manipulate the "system" to make it work (from below comments), and either had to keep using it forever, or they were bound to pimpleness again.  I myself do not have an acne problem, however from quitting smoking, my body was purging things, and I started to get a pimple here and there, so I decided to try it.  I ordered it, read all the booklets that came with the product, and made sure it was all going to be ok.  NOT THE CASE.  First of all, I should have known this product was bad when the lady I was ordering from kept trying to upsell me.  I was like, "Look I dont even know if this is gonna work for me, I just want to try it once. I do NOT want to sign up for auto ship, please bill me ONCE". Finally she got the hint.  Anyways, I tried it Thurs night 10/2/08 when I recieved it. MY SKIN FELT SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!! I was shocked at how great my skin felt in one session! I then washed again Fri night. (I never try anything twice a day like recommended until I see what is going to happen first, and do it once a day).  Fri night, same thing. Great smooth skin, not even as much burn as Thur night. Then............Saturday came... OMG.. a new pimple???? And all these little red bumps on my forehead and neck, and behind my ears... HOW? I thought.  It didnt even get on my neck or my ears... I was mortified. My forehead looked like I was stung by a bee 100,000 times.  I stopped using it. Sunday came, it was worse. Monday came it was worse.. Now it's Tuesday 10.07.08 bumps are still in tact, but the pimple I wanted gone is smaller, and the one that started on my chin after using the product is gone... I cannot believe how terrible my once very smooth baby bottom skin is. An outrage is what this is.  So now Im over moisturizing because it's so freaking dry my skin looks like crap!!!!!  And makeup? FORGET IT! I look so old when I put it on, my makeup that used to go on so smooth, now makes me look 40 and im 28!!!!!! This better go away, or they are going to have a HUGE lawsuit on their hands.  Im sorry but this product is NOT for people who want to take care of one or two pimples.  "Just a little dab, that's all you need" -- Jessica Simpson... Yeah Jess, I wonder how someone who has millions is using a 30 dollar product anyway... Im sure she has a personal skin rep in her house!!!!!!!!! DO NOT ... and I repeat.... DO NOT PURCHASE THIS PRODUCT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Im scheduling a derm appt now.  Ive never had problems with my skin in my entire life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IM SO MAD I COULD SCREAM!  Did anyone else get these little red bumps on their forehead? And if so, how did you get rid of them or when did they go away? I am NOT using the product again so dont tell me that's how you got rid of it.... Anyone??

Great, i just bought the proactiv renewing cleanser and i'm having doubs after reading all these comments. Now i'd have to debate whether or not im gonna try it on my skin but I don't want to risk it. Why didn't i read this before buying it??

Proactiv doesn't care about the pimples in your face. It only cares about the money in your pocket. If it was an okay product, they would care enough to make your skin clear and keep it clear (EVEN IF YOU STOP USING IT) the thing about the product is that they just want you to keep buying it. and they must have added something to make your skin worse when you stop using it. until you start using it agian.

I had mild acne, but when I ran out and stopped using it, my face broke out like stupid. I didn't want to keep on buying it and get my face addicted for life. so i had to suffer 7-8 months with terrible acne. I had so much embarrassment to go out and see my friends/girlfriend. It was even embarrassing to go out to family parties..
Well I moved on using
"AVENO moisturising lotion" during the day.
and "Mary Kay Acne Treatment gel" during the night.
Belive it or not. it took a while, but my skin is clearing up by the day.

Proactiv only works a little in the first couple of weeks then completely stops working. I stayed on it for half a year hoping to see some improvement, but I never did. It is very expensive, takes nearly two weeks to arrive via mail, and is not a quick application or convenient. Do not waste your money. I only bought it because I was convinced by their frequent TV ads and never really looked into it. The only thing that has worked for me after three years with acne is PanOxyl Bar 10%; it literally cleared my skin completely in a week and it is only seven dollars.

I was actually looking for a few links to put in my classified ad when I sell my newest shippment. I have been using Proactive for over 3 years. It works... somewhat for me. But I am not seeing the results I want.

While in the Bay Islands I was told about a soap called "African Formula Black Soap." I was leary as I thought it was for African American skin, and I am very white. I thought it might be too much moisture for me. However, I took a chance, bought a bar... I LOVE IT!!! It smells so good, and it is only like $2 a bar! That is MUCH better than $45.90 a shippment.

I found it by Google Searching "African Formula Black Soap". I purchased the Cocoa Butter and Vitamin E formula (but was told they are pretty much all the same)... if Proactive isn't working for you, try this... I think you might be surprised! I just bought 6 more bars for when I am ready :)

HORRIBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NEVER BUY THIS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have tried heaps of stuff for my acne. and alot of the stuff may help prevent a few pimples but I still get lots, a few years ago when my acne was bad I bought proactiv and it slowly killed my acne. I remember my skin actually being clear and I remember thinking to myself what it was like to have acne lol. And my friend thought that I had been to a doctor and got meds for my acne. I remember someone commenting me on how clear my skin was and she asked me what my secret was. I was looking a pics I took of me when I used proactiv and I was so amazed on how clear my skin looked, not a zit on my face and now they are all over my cheeks and chin and very painful, and I really really miss the days where I had clear skin. So I have ordered proactiv again and if it clears my skin then I am gonna keep using it. I know how to use it and I never put too much on cos I want it to last so I always put a little on and follow the 3 step system. trust me it works, but for some people it may not work, but it works for me. Also my friend who has worser acne then me told me she had ordered some and within a few months I noticed that she hardly had any acne.

IT DOES NOT HELP AT ALLL!!!!!!!!!!!!I USED IT FOR # MONTHS AND NOT
A PIMPLE DISAPPEARED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!please do no believe it!!don't waste your money on some junk!!!IT'S A LIE!!!honestly!!!!! please!!

I tried it one time.  It didn't do much for my liver spots on my hands and arms.

For Usernom 0......-------> If N-O-T-H-I-NG works for you anymore because of proactive.... maybe you should consider getting on Accutane. It's risky, but my cousin went on it and it CLEARED his skin 100 %.

try it.

C

PROACTIVE IS CRAP!!!!!!

I've been using proactive for a little over 5 years now and before using Proactive i did not have bad acne, i just wanted to clear up my face completely. After using it for about 2 months, I broke out with the worst acne, but since i was told by a rep at proactive that it is part of the process, i stuck to it. It made my skin worse before it made it better and because of the "worse" part, now I'm stuck with a few pitted scars. It did make my skin better, maybe 6 mths later, but it had done the damage. When I try to quit using this 3 years ago, i broke out like crazy after a few weeks. So now im afraid to quit, because of the side effects. Now I do get occasional breakouts but for the most part my skin is clear. Although it is still a bit oily. For the past year, I've only been using the cleanser, as proactive lets you choose 3 items and you can order every 6 mths. But, I really wish I hadn't tried it because now my skin is so used to it, and I cant switch to anything new, and it's not cheap either. All I have to say is, for anyone that wants to treat their acne or any skin condition, consult a professional and think twice about proactive or any other products you will want to use. Good Luck

I have to say this product sucks soo bad, I have been using proactiv for about 4 years now and it has my skin even worse. At first the acne was just mild on my forehead and I applied some proactiv for a couple months which helped it out a bit. However, I began to break out on my cheeks and i applied some proactiv on there but it has made it red and horrific. I was scared to get off the product because I knew it would damage it even more. I decided to stop applying it for less than a week and I just broke out continously and it was even worse than before. I HATE THIS PRODUCT SO BAD! it tans and oils the skin.

ok, so i actually tried proactiv months ago, but finally decided to write a review. i absolutely hate this stuff :( growing up i had good skin, didn't have acne, but would get a couple pimples now and then, esp. during that time of the month. all of a sudden at 23 my chin starting breaking out w/ whiteheads and i was frustrated. i saw so many infomericals for proactiv and thought "hey why not give it a try". my sis tried it in hs, and it didnt help her acne, but didn't make it worse either, so i thought the worst it could do was not help me. what happened when i used it for 1 week?? face became extremely dry/ irritated AND all of a sudden my cheeks had huge cystic acne. it was horrible. now months later, i have scars on my cheeks and am finally on retin-a micro to reverse the damages done by proactiv. i learned that proactiv is great for some ppl, does nothing for others, and makes skin worse for the rest of us. also, i should have done better research before i decided to try a product...lesson learned...

The problem with Proactive due to a lot of research is that it is way too harsh for anyone's skin.  There's a site that explains and makes you understand why and gives suggestions that truly make sense and it would be acne dot org.  I saw what it did for my son after many attempts with dermatologists, prescriptions, and many other products.  It's worth thinking about as this guy has put a lot of research into using harsh products.

Just wanted to say that I am of A south asian descent and also extremely light skin and dark hair... this product proactive did not work on me either in fact I had the same exact problem. I have to tell you the truth that I do not think it is such a great product as everyone seems to think it is. Well I am battling acne too and now i have gone to my ob gyn and he put me on birth control because I have battled acne for many years. So far I see a little difference but it is suttle and I know it will take a while bc they are hormones so it takes time to tune your body. Well good luck everyone!

I used Proactiv for about 4-5 years. I had moderately bad acne since I was about 14 years old (T-zone). It worked wonders for me. It did, however, bleach the skin somewhat. It got rid of the redness in my skin (old scars etc...) but my freckles disappeared and my skin turned a shade whiter. People were always asking if I was sick! But it worked. Now what happened is, I went to a spa where an Esthetician said that my face looked great and that I probably didn't need to be on Proactive anymore, 'cause it was so chemically and all. So I quit. Cold turkey. Just went back to a mild cleanser with no acne medication at all. Huge mistake. My acne came back with a vengeance, little tiny bumps all over and wayyyyy worse than it had been before. Now, I understand what everyone is saying about how it was only supposed to be a treatment not a cure, but, my skin was reallllly bad. To make matters worse, when I promptly went back on Proactiv, it did nothing. Everything I tried did nothing. It is now 3 years later, and I am still battling this terrible acne. N-o-t-h-i-n-g worked after Proactive. I am of mixed decent (East Indian and red-hair Irish, so I am very fair with dark features) so I don't know if it is just MY skin or not, but my skin is destroyed. It is full of blackheads, red, patches of discoloration, and purple scars. I wear heavy scar makeup to go out. Just wanted to get my two cents in. Hope this helps someone with their decision of whether or not to use Proactiv. I works. But the cure may turn out to be worse than the disease. I was for me.