Proactiv?

[fremontmama]

I know Proactiv is not NFL : , but I have been using Burt's Bees soap and moisturizer or the oil cleansing method and nothing seems to help my skin on my face. It's really broken out a lot of the time and sheesh, I am in my 30's, I thought that wouldnt happen any more by this point!
I wondered if anyone had any opinions about Proactiv. I hesitate to try it b/c I do try to avoid any weird chemicals in our lives, but I have a couple friends who really are happy with their skin now, so I feel a little drawn to trying it. Any opinions? :

[charmarty]

o iuse it and LOVE it. after having children I encountered for the first time in my life acne. i have tried to go the natural route but nothing helped.

I tried proactive samples and fell in love. my skin looks better than it has in years. I am serious.

[Chinese Pistache]

I used proactiv for 8 wks with great success, but then, it seemed to lose effectiveness because I started breaking out again.

I now use (totally unnatural, I know) Neutrogena salycylic acid glycerin soap, with benzoyl peroxide cream (like oxy) and an oil free moisturizer. I also use a washcloth for exfoliation when I wash my face. My skin is clearer than it's ever been.

[peverroad]

I got acne free from walmart for like half the price of proactive. It works great!! it is basiclly the same thing. They had to take it off the market for a while a couple years ago because it was so close and proactive was trying to make them quit selling it. It is between 15-20 dollars and works great for me.

[Spastica]

Benzoyl peroxide (as used in most commercial acne remedies, including Proactiv) or any kind of regular hydrogen peroxide, though effective for acne, over time causes wrinkling of skin due to the unstable molecule on the hydrogen level.

If it's for short term use, it shouldn't be a problem, but if you need something that works consistently and used for long term, you may need something else.

Here are two links that I posted a while back that may help.


Natural, less irritating/harmful Homebased regimen based off the Proactiv step by step process:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=426638

Acne Serum
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=443755

[E.V. Lowi]

Proactive worked like a dream on my 13 y.o.dd's skin until it turned into a nightmare of low platelet count and uncontrollable nosebleeds. The product has several known carcinogens, according to the Skin Deep website. It has been impossible to replace, though, as far as getting rid of the acne. She has had pretty good luck with a product called 'Nature's Cure' which is taken orally as well as having a topical component. It works o.k. without any side effects. Sometimes when she has had a bad breakout, she would use a bit of what was left over from the Proactive system product, but the nosebleeds start back up quickly, so we are pretty sure that Proactive is the culprit.

[Spastica]

EV, check my post above, that is a kid-safe regimen. You can also try boiled mashed carrots (high in Vitamin A, which fights acne).

Witch hazel, apple cider vinegar, green tea, and baking soda are all safe for kids. You can add TTO and/or lavender too. Check the posts for instructions.

[boongirl]

I just read proactiv's ingredient list. Whoa! That is a lot of benzoyl peroxide! If you have really oily and really pimply skin, that would probably do the trick. That would burn my skin, if I used it. Benzoyl peroxide is harsh stuff. If, however, your skin is more sensitive, you might try what I do. I use cetaphil bar soap from head to toe. The more natural soaps irritate my skin with all their herbs and essences. Then, I apply Aveda's Botanical Kinetics exfoliant (which is really a toner) and put cetaphil lotion top of that. The Aveda product has salicylic acid which helps exfoliate skin by weakening the old skin cells so they come off easily. Your skin is less likely to make pimples because there is less dead skin on top. This does not make your skin red, but it does make it slightly more sensitive to sun so you need to wear a hat or sunscreen if you are outdoors for a while. If I do this daily, my skin makes no pimples at all. I used to have acne problems but this routine has eliminated them. Any kind of soap or toner or lotion with salicylic acid will help acne and be more gentle than benzoyl peroxide. You might also consider seeing a naturopath for acne can also be related to systemic health problems like food allergies.

Also, if your skin is breaking out a lot with the Burt's Bees products, they may be part of the probkem. Burt's Bees products irritate both my skin and my dd's.

[E.V. Lowi]

Thanks, Spastica. We have tried several of the suggested treatments, including oil, vinegar and baking soda. None of which seemed to help, although the soda works to calm the redness in bad breakouts. Her acne is definitely hormonal; get worse during the week right before. She has a very good diet with lots of leafy greans and vegetables, low on carbs and sugar, no wheat or dairy. We will give the carrot treatment a try.

[Spastica]

The serum worked well for me, and that is an overnight lotion, if you will. The oil-cleansing method wasn't my cup of tea though. Not sure which you used, it may make a difference.

[E.V. Lowi]

She tried the castor oil/olive oil one recommended on this board. She tried DHC oil recommended for acne. Now her naturapath has recommended Arbonne products so she will try that next. Then the carrots, if that fails.

[Spastica]

The castor/olive oil combo thing is for the oil cleansing method. I think the oil cleansing method works for aging or mature skin, or skin that doesn't have much problems to start with. Being young, with hormone fluctuations and rapid skin-turnover, your child probably needs real cleansers and exfoliation, not a bunch of oils sticking on top of her already clogged pores.

You can try the cleanse/scrub, tone, moisturize method I suggested too if you want an alternative to Arbonne, which is pricey. I think this method is probably more effective than the carrots and definitely better than oil cleansing method (which just takes up a lotta time too, if you ask me) as well because you're actually working to remove dirt and oils, kill P.Acne bacteria, and then restore the acid mantel on the face by toning and then moisturizing to prevent irritation.

Keep her pillowcases washed frequently and her hair pulled back loosely when she sleeps too. That helps a lot.

[E.V. Lowi]

Spastica, than you for all your helpful suggestions.
Fremontmama, I'm so sorry that I hijacked your thread!

The DHC oil was specifically for oily skin which dd does have. I can understand the logic of using oil to clean oil, but for her it didn't work. We also tried the pure soap which she is still using with a face brush at least twice a day, but the breakouts and black heads are still a problem. She has short hair which she washes every day, and we do change the pillow cases at least once a week, and only use 100% cotton. She drinks lots of distilled water and take supplements. We are really at our wits end. If the Arbonne products are the answer, the price is not an issue; if it will get rid of the acne and also safegaurd her health. The Proactiv was just killing her.

[saphire]

I really like Proactiv. I used it a couple years ago with great results, then after a while didn't seem to need it any more so I stopped. Then after going off the pill I started having major hormonal breakouts (in addition to terrible pms). I tried using acv, baking soda, and tto. No luck. I tried the Arbonne skin clearing line- made me breakout even more. If you are considering using it make sure to try samples first before shelling out the big bucks. I did like the Arbonne RE9 line for like 4 weeks, until I realised blackheads had been building the whole time.
So back to Proactiv I went. And 3 months later my skin hasn't been this clear since I used it last. I only use the Proactiv lotion though. As a cleanser I use Olay daily facial cloths. My mom recommended them to me for months before I tried them- I have a hard time using disposable things- I don't even use paper towels! Anyways, I cut the cloths into fourths to make them last longer. I highly recommend the facial cleansing cloths. I also have Proactiv's acne spot treatment, its really been working for me too.
I hope you find something that works for you.

[saphire]

One more thing- I'm not quite sure that the Arbonne is as natural as they claim it is. My sis did a little more looking into the ingredients than is listed on the product and found some *less than natural* ingredients.
Just want you to know in case your dd is very sensitive.
I promise I am not trying to dissuade you- just trying to help.
And I recognize that Proactiv is completely unnatural.

[E.V. Lowi]

Yes, we realize that the Arbonne products do have parabens, but a few toxic items less than Proactiv. I am not sure what the toxic item is that causes the uncontrollable bleeding, but it isn't in the Arbonne, according to the doctor. That isn't good news about the blackheads, though--that her worst problem.

[Spastica]

I'm tellin' ya - baking soda gets rid of the blackheads! I get them on the sides of my nose and on my chin. I scrub with the baking soda and it gets rid of them.

The gentlest thing you can use is probably Cetaphil, which just about every dermatologist across the USA recommends.

Step1: The first step of Proactiv is to cleanse and exfoliate. That pretty much includes some sort of cleanser and 'microbeads' to exfoliate.

I've remedied that issue by using Cetaphil Gentle cleanser (the one safe enough to use on babies) with baking soda.

http://www.cetaphil.com/Products/Cleansers.aspx

Cetaphil isn't so pH basic or full of soap that it dissolves the baking soda completely. So a squirt of Cetaphil plus a heavy pinch (about 1/2 teaspoon) mixed in your hand makes a great cleansing, yet exfoliation, lotion. You use your fingers to scrub the cetaphil/BS combo in circles all over your face, with special attention to the T-zone and problem areas. Then you rinse and pat your face with a towel.

Step 2: The next step of Proactiv is to tone and kill acne bacteria. The purpose of this is to restore the pH down back to the skin's natural pH level. The apple cider vinegar (or a strong, but cooled green tea) will restore the pH level and kill the P.Acne bacteria that live inside pores and cause acne.

Step 3: The final step of Proactiv is to moisturize. This keeps the skin supple and prevents any dryness. You can add a few drops of tea tree oil to your moisturizer before going to bed so that the skin continues to fight acne and restore skin while sleeping.

Also, hormonal issues have a tendency to dump hormones into the bloodstream and then the liver and kidneys attempt to metabolize the extra. These two organs have to work very hard. To help them out, drinking herbal or green tea helps flush the liver and kidneys, which gets rid of the excess hormones, toxins, and acids.

Spazzy won't gear you toward the wrong direction.

You can try this prior to the Arbonne, or for the other people who were asking for a Proactiv substitute, you can try this. The only thing that is of exposure is some parabens and some Sodium Lauryl Sulfate from the Cetaphil. It's not the first few ingredients on the list, so there's not the main ingredient. The parabens are last, so that's in very small amounts. The Cetyl Alcohol is not harmful, and in fact, this particular alcohol group is moisturizing, not drying.

If that still doesn't sound good, you can switch out the Cetaphil for Dr. Bronners. Dr. Bronners has coco betaine in it as the first ingredient. It's more gentle than Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, but it's the first ingredient on the list and there is no telling what the pH is of Dr. Bronners. It's pure soap, and soaps have a tendency to be higher in pH and may dry the skin out (the good thing is that if you use the apple cider vinegar toner afterward, it will reduce the chance of drying). The Cetaphil is less likely to dry your skin out.

[E.V. Lowi]

Thanks, Spazzy. You are very kind to take so much time to help out on this. She has decided she wants to try the Cetaphil/bs. She takes supplements, including milk thistle for liver support. We will let you know how it goes.

[Spastica]

I've heard a little bit about milk thistle, but not much. I've even heard about it for dogs to help them clear their liver from epilepsy medication.

I would love to know about milk thistle and if you've found it to work for you and your family with minimal side effects.

I have a uterine tumor and would like all the help I can get too.

Thanks in advance!

[quelindo]

I just wanted to chime in with something that has helped me -- a high dose of high vitamin (A & D) cod liver oil. Three tablespoons a day of Blue Ice CLO, to be exact. I noticed my skin improving after about a week. You can stay on this "healing dose" of CLO for a few months, according to the Weston A. Price Foundation website, so I'm planning on doing it for two months, then tapering it back down to one Tbsp. a day (I'm nursing so I figure I need a bit more anyway).

Just a caution -- you can do high doses of A & D as long as they're TOGETHER in the right proportions and they're natural, not synthetic.

I've had bad skin my whole life and have tried it all, including Proactiv, and although it's not PERFECT now, it's about as good as it was with Proactiv. The thing I didn't like about Proactiv, though, (besides the scary chemicals and artificial fragrance) is that it made my skin kind of wrinkly and paper-y, if that makes any sense. The CLO seems to make my skin softer and moist without being oily.

I will have to try the baking soda idea, though, since I still have some (slight) blackheads.

Hope that helps someone!