good qualities

Proactiv Solution is probably the best known acne treatment system, thanks to its infomercials that seem to run 24/7. Proactiv promises to banish acne breakouts to reveal clear skin, and the Proactiv makers claim that it really works. As I’ve said before about infomercials, they are just so convincing that you almost feel stupid if you don’t buy from them because they promise to finally fulfill what you covet most.

My experience with Proactiv
When I was suffering from adult acne, I was suspicious of infomercials, but after months and months of no relief, and fruitless trips to the Dermatologist, I ordered Proactiv because the commercials were so convincing. Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, Vanessa Williams - they all say it cured their acne in the infomercials. Later I found out they got millions of dollars to do the commercials!

I ordered the three-step kit for $39.95, which is a cleanser, toner, and lotion, plus a free mask. After using Proactiv twice a day for almost two months, I saw no improvement in my skin. I was only using the three products (and the mask) and no other skin care products. My face got super duper dry (but I live in the desert). My skin did not get any worse than it was before the Proactiv, nor did it get better.

My boyfriend at the time also used Proactiv (just once a day) and he thought it was working for him a little bit. I didn’t see a difference really, but he felt his skin was slightly better. But after two months, he didn’t think it was worth the money, so he stopped buying it. He went back to just cleansing with shampoo (which is really bad for your skin).

I now realize my assessment of Proactiv is not completely scientific because I was wearing some makeup at the time. I had not yet discovered the cosmetic acne list, so there is a chance some of the makeup I wore contributed a bit to my acne. Because the Proactiv really dried out my skin, I also occasionally used a hydrating mask, and I later found out that did have some pore-clogging ingredients.

Proactiv - Its good qualities
The good thing about Proactiv is that it contains no ingredients that will make your acne worse (unless you are allergic to Benzoyl Peroxide). It might dry your skin out a bit initially, but if you use a good non-pore clogging moisturizer on top of the Repairing Lotion, it will hydrate your skin. The regular Proactiv kit doesn’t contain sunscreen, so you would need to wear a separate non-pore clogging sunscreen because the sun makes your acne worse in the long run.

If someone is using super pore-clogging skin care products, and then switches to Proactiv, they will probably see an improvement in their skin. Proactiv also contains no alcohol, which is good. My estimate is that 75% of skin care products contain ingredients that can make acne worse, so if you happen to be using pore-clogging products, a switch to Proactiv can help.

The products come with a money-back guarantee. Since I was too lazy to send the products back, I don’t know how easy it is to get your money back if you are not happy with your purchase.

Proactiv - Its bad qualities
While Proactiv may help a bit, I don’t think it will get rid of most people’s acne! The only acne-fighting ingredients the products contain are Benzoyl Peroxide, and Glycolic Acid. For people with mild acne, or maybe a handful of lucky people, this is enough to achieve clear skin, but it’s not enough for most acne sufferers. And again, a switch from bad products to Proactiv is my belief why it does work for some people.

I’ve also read that a lot of people have trouble cancelling the auto-renewal plan once they’ve ordered from the Infomercial. I ordered my Proactiv online, and didn’t opt for the auto-renewal, and had no problem.

How to get rid of acne
As I’ve discovered in my guide to cure acne, for me at least, and I’m sure most people, several more steps need to be taken to get rid of acne. The routine I use is pretty simple once you get the different products you need. You could even use the Proactiv Repairing Lotion as one of your steps, since it’s a decent 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide lotion. The Proactiv cleanser is okay also, but I would rather use a cleanser without Benzoyl Peroxide, since it can be irritating to your eyes, and it’s sort of unnecessary since you are already going to be using a Benzoyl Peroxide lotion (which doesn’t get washed down the drain like the cleanser). The cleanser is a bit drying, which is fine for oily skin, but for dry skin I would recommend a more hydrating cleanser. I would skip the toner, not because it’s bad, but because Salicylic Acid is better than Glycolic Acid for acne, and you don’t need both. Glycolic Acid is good for wrinkles, so the toner would be a good mild 6% Glycolic Acid treatment for wrinkles.oxycontin detox

Sometimes I’m not real quick when it comes to trying new products. MAC Strobe Cream has been out a long time now, and I just tried it! After writing about unsuccessfully trying to find a face highlighter, I found a bunch of good reviews about MAC Strobe Cream. It turns out Strobe Cream is not a highlighter (oops) so I’m still looking for one, but I bought the Strobe Cream anyway. I can never say no when I get to the MAC counter!

I couldn’t find its ingredients online, and didn’t bring my cosmetic acne list to the store, so it turns out it does have some pore-cloggers, starting with the 7th ingredient in the list. I haven’t noticed any acne forming, though, yet…

What is MAC Strobe Cream?
It’s a cream that will “add glow and vitality to tired, stressed-out skin.” It turns out it’s a light moisturizer that adds a subtle pearlescent sheen to your skin. You can wear it alone (under sunscreen), or mix it with your favorite moisturizer or foundation. After a few hours, my skin still felt hydrated, and I like the brighter, and slightly shiny, glowing look. This is definitely a cream for someone with normal to dry skin. On oily skin this would just accentuate shininess. If you like a matte finish to your makeup, then this is also not for you.

Bonus ingredients
The packaging of the cream is good (there it is in the picture) and it has lots of antioxidants in it. So the added antioxidants makes it a good moisturizer to wear every day (with sunscreen), since antioxidants can help slow down aging. If you have dry skin, you might need an additional moisturizer.

If you are really acne-prone, you should probably stay away from this, just to be safe:( And the pictures in this post have nothing to do with the Strobe Cream - they are just pretty!