Proactiv Solution Review

Proactiv Solution may be the biggest name in skin care in the USA. You see their commercials on every channel,  ads in every magazine and yet somehow I’ve never tried it. I’m not sure why I had never looked in to it before but I was given a chance recently to try out the system so I agreed immediately. After extensive googling I’m really still not sure if Proactiv is cruelty free or not. If someone has a definitive answer to that please let me know because there is so much conflicting information on the internet. My next thought was to check out the ingredients lists which didn’t have seem to have anything terrible in them so I was excited to get started with the system. Also, I wanted to include that my skin in its current state is combination/normal.

The skin care system at its core consists of three products: the Renewing Cleanser, the Revitalizing Tone, and the Renewing lotions. The names are bit gimmicky with the alliteration but you get the point. The set also comes with an application guide that provides a brief snippet of information about each of the products.

Before getting started I had a few initial thoughts. I was nervous about using a physical exfoliant everyday, twice a day. I was unsure that the repairing lotion would be moturizing to use every night. Typically I would use something very moisturizing at night, usually a combination of oils, so the thin treatment lotion had me a bit hesitant. Other than that I was a little confuses as to why there were no suggestions in the application guide for what should be used as moisturizer in the day. You would think there would have been some sort of Proactiv brand day moisturizer suggested but there wasn’t. I took that to mean that I could use whatever I wanted so I did.

I’ve used these products for just over a month now. The first couple of weeks I used the Michael Todd Moisture Lite lotion for day time use and the Lancome Renergie Lift Multi-Action Sunscreen for sun protection. Once I finished those products up I moved to using the Paula’s Choice Skin Balancing Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum and the Origins VitaZing for sun protection. I think the latter combination worked better in combination with the Proactiv products.

The Renewing Cleanser is a white cream cleanser with small exfoliating pieces contained within the cream formula. The small exfoliants feel slightly scratchy but I haven’t noticed any irritation to my skin since I’ve been using it so I guess the exfoliants must be smooth in texture. As I mentioned above I was nervous about using a physical exfoliater twice a day, but my skin now has a very smooth texture and is quite soft to touch. I would definitely consider repurchasing this product. I felt it did keep my skin clean and smooth, but not stripped. The only thing about the cleanser that confuses me a bit is that it contains benzoyl peroxide, which is an ingredient for treating acne. It just seems pointless to include this treatment ingredient in the cleanser since the cleanser is only in contact with the skin for minutes before it’s washed away.

The Revatalizing Toner, well, is just a toner. I find that most toners do the same thing as long as they don’t contain harmful ingrediants. I would definitely use this toner again if I some how ended up with another bottle, but don’t expect miracles from it.

The last part of the kit to discuss is the Repairing Lotion, which in my opinion is the most important  element of this trio. The lotion contains benzoyl peroxide for the treatment of acne. According to the application guide the benzoyl peroxide “penetrates the pore” to combat the acne. While I didn’t have a ton of acne to begin with this lotion has certainly clearly up an issue area between my eyebrows. That area of my face is prone to small black heads which have pretty much cleared up entirely. I’m incredibly pleased with the results I’ve achieved from this product and would certainly purchase it again.

As I mentioned above my skin type in combination/normal so I can’t say for sure how these products would work on other skin types. The people over at FacingAcne.com have made today’s post possible. They actually have a whole page dedicated to helping you figure out why Proactiv may not produce stellar results every time! Check them out. They are a treasure trove of skin care information.