Proactiv® – The Answer for Acne?
Well gosh. If Jessica*, Lindsey and Vanessa say it is, who are we to disagree? Truth be told,Proactiv® has a rather bad reputation in the world of estheticians. The name is usually invoked with an eye roll and a snort of disgust. It is, after all, encroaching on our most lucrative territory – product sales.
But the disdain is not entirely borne of a protectionist instinct. Thing is, for most acne sufferers, estheticians know that finding an effective treatment is a fine-tuning process. And Proactiv® hits the same note over and over again.
It’s not a bad treatment plan – as discussed in How Acne is Born, there are symptoms that must be addressed to manage acne: the ‘stickiness’ of cells and sebum (oil), and the bacteria that cause inflammation.
Glycolic acid, part of the Proactiv® Solution, helps loosen the cells and reduces stickiness. Benzoyl Peroxide brings oxygen to the bacteria, which is like rat poison to them. Buh-bye. I also like that they use a low percentage Benzoyl Peroxide, 2.5%, as it’s effective without being too drying. A lot of treatments blast the skin with 5 to 10% Benzoyl Peroxide, which is overkill.
I’m curious why Proactiv® doesn’t incorporate salicylic acid – this acid is generally believed to be as effective if not more so than glycolic acid in treating acne (glycolic goes for the glue between the cells, salicylic kills off the cells themselves – there’s call for both these acids in any regime). Salicylic is also more anti-inflammatory than glycolic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
So - is it worth it? Maybe. What some, perhaps many, Proactiv® users find is that after a couple months the skin rebels against the regime, and acne reappears. One theory is that it is overly drying - a common complaint with acne preparations - and the skin cranks up oil production to compensate. It happens, but we don’t know why definitively.
Also, the whole aura of clinical authenticity is a little much. The main ingredients can easily be bought in a drugstore – Neutrogena does an excellent benzoyl peroxide at 2.5% strength. And there are many glycolic acid toners out there that I suspect are similar to their Revitalizing Toner.
Still, gotta hand it to them. Packaging a doctor-approved, celebrity-endorsed regime that is strictly over the counter and can therefore be mailed to anyone – hey, genius gold-star for that.
I usually recommend a combination – salicylic acid, glycolic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and tailor it as far as strengths and application to keep dryness to a minimum. There is an excellent book called The Acne Cure (no kudos for using the word ‘cure’ though) that discusses in detail the most effective regime I’ve come across, and gives the theories behind the treatment. Again, I don’t get a kickback for anything I mention on this site – feel free to peruse the reviews on Amazon.
Salicylic Acid. Glycolic Acid. Benzoyl Peroxide. There’s nothing new or cutting-edge sexy about these ingredients, but they’re longevity is a testament to their effectiveness. Plus, as aggressive and drying as they can be, they’re amateurs compared to retin-a, the doctor-preferred prescription to acne. But more on that in our next article.
* Greedy, unethical, or both? Jessica Simpson - an avowed Proactiv® devotee - previously claimed her acne cleared up after a course of Accutane - see related blog on skinema.com
