Proactiv Solution 3 Step System Kit Review

I began considering Proactiv when I saw an ad about it. I hadn't been aware that it existed, and I was frustrated with the skin cleansers and pimple creams I had been trying. My acne was very, very bad but there were reasons I could not take a prescription drug for it, so I was trying every new non-prescription acne treatment I could find - and none of them were working. My acne was so bad that a friend saw me on one of my "bad days" and screamed. He later apologized, but that didn't help much.

I went to the Proactiv website and ordered a skin care system kit. I used it for a while, and it seemed effective, so I signed up for a prescription. At the time, it was $40 a month - I was in college, and ouch, the price! But I was desperate for clearer skin, especially since my acne sores could be painful.

Well, here is the upside: Proactiv does work. My skin was clearer after using it for just a week and a half. It did not make my skin perfectly clear, but it definitely had an impact on how bad my acne was.

Unfortunately, it came with several downsides.

1. The price. It is NOT cheap, even if it claims it's cheap. You'll be shelling out money for this stuff.

2. The monotony - and the mess. I understand that caring for your skin takes time, but going through the whole three-step regimen on a regular basis became monotonous, since it could take 15 minutes or more to get it all done properly.  There are several different bottles of stuff you have to put on your face - add in cotton balls, water for rinsing, hand towels or whatever, and then you've got a mess to clean up when you're done, too. Ug.

3. The harshness. While Proactiv claims that it is not as harsh as other acne treatments, I found this to be untrue. It can be harsh. It didn't dry my skin out, precisely. My skin did not dry out but it HURT. It felt tight and painful to the touch, and this was the last straw for me. No amount of oil-free moisturizer I rubbed on my face alleviated that side-effect while I was using Proactiv. You also have to use sunblock every single day with Proactiv, or else you'll be very sorry. 

If your skin can handle it, and you don't mind the cost, monotony, mess, and oversensitivity it might cause, I'd say this can be a good product for you. I can see how it could work for some people. They may not suffer the same side-effects. A friend of mine was happy to receive my extra Proactiv when I stopped using it, he has very greasy skin and it works great for him. It even worked for me, I just disliked the drawbacks too much.