Help with going off proactiv

[Anonymous]

So in 8th grade I started getting acne and I had a bunch of black heads and a few pimples here and there which was normal for everyone in my grade. At that time I was just using a face wash from the drugstore but then my mom got me proactiv. When I started using it I broke out pretty bad which I read was normal so I kept using it and my skin was so clear. Everyone was telling me how clear my skin was and it was amazing. Then in 9th grade my skin got super dry and I was confused as to why. I did some research and found that was normal for proactiv users. Halfway through 9th grade my mom couldn't afford to buy more proactiv when I ran out. So I when to CVS and got a clearasil face wash. The first few days were pretty good only a few pimples but after a week it was horrible. I had so many bumps on my forehead and pimples on my cheeks chin and nose. I was freaking out so I looked it up online. I saw that many people had the same problem as me. I also read about all the harsh chemicals that proactiv has in it. So I went to my dad and stepmom and asked them what I should do. They told me that breaking out after stopping any skincare routine is normal. So my dad ended up ordering me some more proactiv. And it worked but not as good as the first time. I have a few bumps that just won't go away. I'm now going into 10th grade and I really want to stop using proactiv because I want to use something better for my skin and I don't want my parents to have to pay so much money for it. So please if anyone has any advice or good products to use that aren't super expensive please let me know. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Also I wrote this on my phone and I couldn't find the comma on the keyboard so sorry if anything is confusing.

[Lovemetender888]

Glycolic acid lotion from Ordinary, its around 7$, then soft scrubs, then good moisturizing cream and always SPF 30 or more for outside on your face. You will forget about blemishes, I promise. All should not be expensive.

[Anonymous]

Proactiv recently stopped Australian sales so I thought I’d share my experience with having to wean myself off proactiv due to lack of availability. 

I am 28 and was using proactiv since I was 14. It eased the acne but I would still get the occasional zit, but never more than 1 or 2 at a time. The thing I liked most about it was that my skin was predictable - If I skipped the routine one too many times I knew I would break out on my chin or mouth area.

Two years ago I unsuccessfully tried to wean myself off using La Roche Posay’s acne system. I broke out like crazy and went back to proactiv after 3 months. I now realise that the active ingredient in the products I was using was salicylic acid and not benzoyl peroxide, hence why my skin hated it.

Fast forward and instead of proactiv I have been using the 2.5 benzac system, with the Mario badescu glycolic acid toner after the cleanse. It’s been just shy of a month and my skin has stayed clear, albeit 2 or 3 small whiteheads on my cheek. My skin is also noticeably brighter.

I picked these products as the comparable product each had the same the active ingredient contained in the original proactiv 3 step system (eg. proactiv toner’s active ingredient is glycolic acid hence the glycolic acid toner), and had the same % benzoyl peroxide concentration (2.5%). The only exception is the benzac cleanser, which doesn’t contain benzoyl peroxide - this has not been an issue so far, but if you want a BP cleanser, there are a few you can supplement (google can help). Surprisingly, the benzac moisturiser is very similar in texture to the old proactiv oil free moisturiser, which I used to love before it was discontinued.

Another thing that also helps is to know what ingredients are not compatible with BP so you don’t waste your money. In short, don’t invest in Vitamin C or retinoids. BP will dissolve the Vitamin C and retinoids and BP cancel each other out. 

So far I have had a positive experience weaning myself of proactiv. I really hope it continues as I was so nervous I would break out like crazy. Good luck to anyone else on this journey! Would also love to hear what you guys are using. 

[greeneyedgirl107]

@Anonymous I agree with @RGbrown.  Paula's Choice has great BHA products which will help with blackheads.  You can buy samples that are inexpensive.  The line has 1 and 2 percent BHA, but I use the BHA 9.  

For spot treatments, Clean & Clear Persagel is good; Target makes a knock-off which I'm assuming is good.

I also recommend a liquid wash.  I use Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser (there are knock-offs at Bed, Bath & Beyond and probably elsewhere; Target sells it for under $5).  I know another BIC member doesn't rec foaming face washes, so here's a link from beautypedia.com that gives some of the best ones:

https://www.beautypedia.com/skin-care-reviews/best-skin-care-products/Skin-Care/Cleansers

The site consults with cosmetics chemists and dermatologists.

I also recommend oil blotting sheets; Target has good inexpensive ones.

I also think you would benefit from Differin.  You can start with the lower concentration .1% which is over the counter.  It costs about $10-12 at Target.

If you are still struggling, then I recommend Retin-A.

Many companies are open to giving out coupons, so you can always ask them directly and tell them about your situation.  

Good luck!

[melanito]

I went off proactiv years ago and my skin looked so much better afterwards... in the long term I think it's pretty harsh on your skin. There definitely was an ugly purge period so have some concealer ready for that! Costwise I'm not sure what products I'd recommend if you're looking for something cheaper. I switched to more natural products like Josie Maran's argan oil cleanser, Lush's grease lightening as a treatment gel and tarte's maracuja oil as a moisturizer but I don't think these would be any cheaper. Maybe someone on forum can recommend some good drugstore products (maybe alba if you're looking for something more natural).

[melanito]

Other general advice I'd pass on to that is helpful is to make sure you use a clean face cloth everytime you dry off your face, to rinse off your face with 8 to 10 splashes of water to make sure you're rinsing things off, and to avoid touching your face.  

[RGbrown]

@Anonymous

I've struggled with acne my whole life (I'm 41) and have dabbled in Proactiv in the past. The active ingredient is benzoyl peroxide, and as you experienced, it can be a hard one to come off of. You can keep trying drugstore benzoyl peroxide items, but at least in my experience (and keep in mind everyone is different; what works for me may not work for you), I never found anything that really truly worked...even Proactiv was a bit meh for me, but trying to stop BP cold turkey was a hot mess. 

What worked for me was retinol...I started using Paula's Choice 1% every three nights, and worked up to nightly over the course of a few weeks while slowly decreasing my frequency of benzoyl peroxide products, and finally got to a routine of retinol every night with no BP. I also use Paula's Choice Clear 2% BHA nightly (BHA is Salicylic Acid, which is the other active ingredient Proactiv uses in their Plus line). This is an exfoliant that will help clear out the dead stuff clogging your pores. Retinol + BHA has been instrumental in controlling my bumps. I still have a tube of BP spot treatment, but have found that I haven't had to use it more than once a month lately, if at all.

There are many many retinol and retinoid products on the market; the PC one I use is $56 iirc, but so far I've gotten at least two months out of it and it's still going strong (I also stacked codes that were available at the time I bought it and got it for somewhere under $40 iirc, so don't be afraid to deal-hunt a bit!). Differin is a once-rx-only-but-now-OTC retinoid that's available at the drugstores and much cheaper.

If you have dry skin, using retinol+BHA every single night may be too much, so be prepared to start slow and work up to the schedule that works best for you. Also, various forms of retinoids and retinols can work differently for different folks, so you likely have some experimentation ahead of you, but don't despair. It is possible to clear it up!

I'll throw out a quick shout out to clay masks 2 or 3 times a week; they really help pull the gunk out of blackheads. There are lots of fancy ones that folks love, but almost any will do just fine, drugstore or high end. The clay is the biggest help here for now...any added benefits are just icing on the cake, not the main attraction. 

[CheerMomma]

I moved from Proactive to Cerave. Using the Cerave SA Facial wash (SA stands for Salycylic Acid) and then the Cerave PM Moisturizer day and night (The AM version has sun screen ingredients that I didn't care for)

Cerave comes highly recommeded by youtube gurus and dermatologists it's drugstore but it has awesome ingredients - no frills packaging but you're not rubbing that on your face!.

I use the facial wash in the shower and use a muslin cloth as a final pass which helps exfoliate too (Muslin cloths on Amazon/Ebay pack of 10 less than $5 including shipping!)

If you are in Canada and cant get to the states for the Cerave SA line (they promise its coming!) it is identical to the Murad Clarifying Cleanser http://www.sephora.com/clarifying-cleanser-P382021?skuId=1101450&icid2=products%20grid:p382021  (the Cerave is twice as much product for less money though!)

[maggieharrison]

My acne was really bad throughout middle school and high school. I've tried proactive, X out, prescriptions, everything. Right after freshman year, I started using the Cetaphil gentle face wash (which I get at CVS for like $10), which is great for sensitive skin. Instead of using a heavy moisturizer or cream, I spray the Mario Badescu rosewater ($12ish) all over my face and neck. Since then, my acne has greatly improved. My skin is also oily, so at night I use a toner to remove excess oils and makeup residue. Just make sure to stay hydrated, remove makeup before sleeping, and keep a consistent skin routine 😉 

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mikayla03 wrote:
So in 8th grade I started getting acne and I had a bunch of black heads and a few pimples here and there which was normal for everyone in my grade. At that time I was just using a face wash from the drugstore but then my mom got me proactiv. When I started using it I broke out pretty bad which I read was normal so I kept using it and my skin was so clear. Everyone was telling me how clear my skin was and it was amazing. Then in 9th grade my skin got super dry and I was confused as to why. I did some research and found that was normal for proactiv users. Halfway through 9th grade my mom couldn't afford to buy more proactiv when I ran out. So I when to CVS and got a clearasil face wash. The first few days were pretty good only a few pimples but after a week it was horrible. I had so many bumps on my forehead and pimples on my cheeks chin and nose. I was freaking out so I looked it up online. I saw that many people had the same problem as me. I also read about all the harsh chemicals that proactiv has in it. So I went to my dad and stepmom and asked them what I should do. They told me that breaking out after stopping any skincare routine is normal. So my dad ended up ordering me some more proactiv. And it worked but not as good as the first time. I have a few bumps that just won't go away. I'm now going into 10th grade and I really want to stop using proactiv because I want to use something better for my skin and I don't want my parents to have to pay so much money for it. So please if anyone has any advice or good products to use that aren't super expensive please let me know. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Also I wrote this on my phone and I couldn't find the comma on the keyboard so sorry if anything is confusing.

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mikayla03 wrote:
So in 8th grade I started getting acne and I had a bunch of black heads and a few pimples here and there which was normal for everyone in my grade. At that time I was just using a face wash from the drugstore but then my mom got me proactiv. When I started using it I broke out pretty bad which I read was normal so I kept using it and my skin was so clear. Everyone was telling me how clear my skin was and it was amazing. Then in 9th grade my skin got super dry and I was confused as to why. I did some research and found that was normal for proactiv users. Halfway through 9th grade my mom couldn't afford to buy more proactiv when I ran out. So I when to CVS and got a clearasil face wash. The first few days were pretty good only a few pimples but after a week it was horrible. I had so many bumps on my forehead and pimples on my cheeks chin and nose. I was freaking out so I looked it up online. I saw that many people had the same problem as me. I also read about all the harsh chemicals that proactiv has in it. So I went to my dad and stepmom and asked them what I should do. They told me that breaking out after stopping any skincare routine is normal. So my dad ended up ordering me some more proactiv. And it worked but not as good as the first time. I have a few bumps that just won't go away. I'm now going into 10th grade and I really want to stop using proactiv because I want to use something better for my skin and I don't want my parents to have to pay so much money for it. So please if anyone has any advice or good products to use that aren't super expensive please let me know. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Also I wrote this on my phone and I couldn't find the comma on the keyboard so sorry if anything is confusing.

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[Anonymous]

Thank you! I'm glad to hear your acne improved and I will definitely look into those products!

[jemly]

hi @Anonymous ! i used proactiv for years, and at the time i thought it was the only thing i could possibly use to keep my skin clear. after using it for about 8 years i started weaning myself off. so i think i can help you !

there are a few different things that can make proactiv work for people. 

1. non-foaming face wash

2. glycolic acid (which is present in the step 2 toner)

3. benzoyl peroxide (which is the main active ingredient in both the face wash and the treatment serum)

i found that, at the very foundation of my routine, using a non foaming face wash as well as still incorporating a glycolic acid toner still managed to keep my skin very happy and breakout-free, and i think could do you well, as well.

i'm trying to think of products that you can get and keep up with for not too much money. i recommend you look into:

• cerave hydrating cleanser. NOT the foaming cleanser.
• PIXI glow tonic. this is a glycolic acid toner. you can find it at target for $15. this will be the most expensive product in your routine, not bad, huh ?!
• cerave daily moisturizing lotion

since you know benzoyl peroxide works for you, go ahead and get

• clearasil persa-gel 10

but only apply it to spots as you feel you need it, not all over the face like you would the proactiv step 3. i'm not a huge advocate of drying out pimples, as i feel it takes longer to heal and they are more likely to leave scars. however, since proactiv worked for you, i think it would be good to still have some benzoyl peroxide treatment around.

use this routine like you would proactiv. all steps morning and night. always use the moisturizer, too (a step that practiv recommends but since they don't include moisturizer in their 3-step system, many people leave it out)

i hope this helps. let me know if you have any questions !

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much! It makes me feel better knowing that I can stop using it and still have clear skin! I'm for sure going to look into the products and let you know how it goes!