Help me decide whether or not to try proactiv!!

[dfunk98]

so, on an impulse, i purchased a kit from proactiv. i've been wanting to try it for years, bc my skin just never cleared up from puberty. i mean never. i don't have severe acne, but enough breakouts for it to be too much for me. plus, i ALWAYS have blackheads on my chin. they're like little ingrown pores that never clear up, even after facials and extracting. in fact, more often than not, they turn into big hard pustules that last for week, shrink back and become blackheads again. it's really frustrating.
ok, so...i ordered the proactiv and then came on here and read all the pros and (mostly) cons. i decided to try this in the meantime since i had everything already. no change. in fact, i got 2 large, hard pustules that never amounted to anything but pain. although they did clear up quicker with the baking soda paste.
what i want to know is...where do i go from here? the proactiv came today and i don't know if i should open it. i mean, if it doesn't work i can return it for a refund, but i think i'm more scared about it WORKING. will it damage my skin terribly? i almost feel like i'd rather my skin look good now and deal with the consequences late, but i know that's not the right attitude.
advice, comments, suggestions are welcome and encouraged!!

[amber913]

I really, truly believe acne has more to do with diet than what we're putting on our skin.

I've always had acne, but it's gotten worse the past few months. I've tried everything natural. Back in the day, i used proactiv religiously, but it only worked with birth control pills--for me--and since i won't do the pill anymore, i assume proactiv won't work on me now. I can only assume it's the amount of sugar i eat. This includes white flour, white pasta, and white rice, as well--but for me, it's the straight up sugar. I've got a sweet tooth! Dairy can also add to our problems, so i try to minimize that, as well.

I've read "The Clear Skin Diet" and have come to believe it's a mixture of my oil production and my skin's inability to rid itself of dead cells, so i wash with either water on a wash cloth or honey, and that seems to have slowed down my oil production.

I've yet to re-experience clear skin, but just wanted to add my two cents.

How bad is Proactiv?

[Mosaic]

I tried proactive years ago, before finally breaking down and going to a dermatologist. I do think it can clear up mild to mild-moderate acne, but I have very sensitive skin and ultimately found it just too drying and harsh, plus my acne was moderate or moderate+ so it didn't work completely for me. I'd also be surprised if it did anything at all for blackheads FWIW, I then went to a dermatologist and tried a zillion things, with better but still not anything near perfect results. My dermatologist did say that proactive was a pretty good system, but that the number 1 complaint was that it was too drying/harsh.

Long-term, I don't think it would *damage* your skin, as it's mostly just benzoyl perozide. As you get older, your skin will naturally change, so even if this works for you now, I doubt it would work forever.

[moobiegirl]

Pro-Active worked great for me. It didn't dry out my skin if I remembered to do all three steps. I also used the mask once a month. I no longer have to use it, but I still get the occasional breakout.

[dfunk98]

thanks for everyone's responses, so far.
amber913-i hear what you're saying about diet, but i don't think that is really at the heart of the case with me. i became a vegetarian 15 years ago and since then i've been very aware of what i put into my body. i eat very few processed foods, mostly organic, etc. i have also needed to go on various elimination diets and such for health issues with my children (while breastfeeding) to rule things out, and none of it made any difference in my skin.
i'm going to check that book out of the library, as well as "Clear Skin: Organic Action Plan for Acne" by Julie Gabriel. I'll keep you posted.

[MommyHawk]

hormones and diet are usually the ones to blame for skin problems. I know mine is all hormonal and thus proactive didn't work for me. It DID, however, bleach out my towels, so be careful of that! Only use white towels when drying off your skin, as no matter how careful you are to rinse off, there is residual and it'll make bleach spots on your favorite best towels

I do know how you feel though, I've never had perfect skin since turning 15...hope you find something that works for you!

[Nutter]

I've been washing with raw honey (which contains natural peroxide & loads of other good stuff). I use jojoba oil as a moisturizer. Love em both. As does my 17 yo BIL with moderate+ acne, and my 24 yo SIL with mild 'monthly' acne.

If you want to bump up the exfoliation you could try adding some ground almonds to your honey.