Acne - Howell,MI

I have tried a few store bought systems and the only thing that worked for me was Proactive. I love it and it started to work in the first week. I have a friend who bought the Arbonne system and she said it did not work at all. I think everyone has different acne so different things work for different people. You have to find what will work for you. Proactive has a money back guarantee so I think you should give it a try!

Proactive did not work for me. Unfortunately for me, Arbonne has worked the best. It is very expensive, but lasts forever!(1 kit=6 months) There are several steps, but you notice a real difference within a week. I had people complimenting my "beautiful" skin. Never had happened before!

Although it is good to use something topical, keep in mind that our skin is a reflection of what is going on inside the body.

So a couple of questions....How is your diet? You know does it include fresh fruits/veggies, lean meats, staying away from greasy foods and getting pure and clean water in (1/2 your weight in ounces)? What about stress? When we are stressed the body reacts in many ways, acne being one of them.

I haven't used Proactive. I've used Acne Clarifying Complex which works great along with Enfuselle skin care products (which are natural/organic and don't contain paraben).

Hope this helps.

You have got some great advice, and they are right, each person needs to find what works for them. Eating healthy and drinking plenty of water does make a difference! I am a firm believer in Mary Kay skin care, so much so that I am now a consultant, I want to share with women what great products these are. We carry an anti-aging set that will help target your acne, and an acne treatment cream. My sister in law used proactive for awhile and it worked, but her skin was always so dry. She switched to Mary Kay and it has been a world of difference. I have good news, we have a mini supply of the skin care for $44.00! That way, you do not have to purchase full size product to see if this works for you. We also have a full money back guarantee. Please contact me by email:____@____.com or by website: www.marykay.com/rloachridge Hope this helps.

It works well for my friend (but she doesn't have severe acne.)

I have struggled with acne basically my whole life. Since I was about 13. I have tried EVERYTHING, including proactive. It did not work for me. But, if I remember right, they have a money back guarantee so give it a shot!

What I've found to help the most is being out in the sun! Spend some time outdoors with NO makeup and let the sun pull (the bad stuff) out. I got that suggestion from an older lady who said she had BAD acne and in one summer cooked it away! LOL. I only got this advice a month ago but have seen an improvement when I try it!

Hello!
I don't use Proactive, but I do use a Rodan and Fields product called Soothe. It's actually a line of three products of which I use two. I have rosacea and have found Soothe to be far superior to the products prescribed by my doctor. HOWEVER... I use the products only because they work so well in my situation. I have found the website and the company to be seriously technologically challenged. I dread having to do anything on the website because invariably I have to call and the person I need to talk with isn't there. My list of complaints goes on. Unfortunately, the products work well for me. I've let them know of my concerns and they're nice about it, but nothing changes. So, I guess after that rant, I will say that I have had very good results with their products, but wish I had good results with products from a different company.
I am using an Arbonne overnight cream as my moisturizer and LOVE it!! If Arbonne products would work for my rosacea (no luck-tried it!), I'd MUCH rather deal with Arbonne!! You might want to give Arbonne a shot. Women who use it successfully tend to have gorgeous skin.
I know it was very frustrating when I was struggling to find something that would work. I feel your pain!
Best of luck to you!
L. Rossman

Proactive has been working well for me and I do not follow the whole regiman. I do have some acne but not as bad as it had gotten. However, it has not helped my daughter so like everything, not everything works for everybody.

Just a suggestion that may seem odd to some but worksfor me like nothing else....Try to COMPLETELY eliminate dairy from your diet. I love the taste of most dairy, but I am more bloated when it is in my diet and often eliminate it in the summer. As an added bonus, my complexion looks its best at the same time. I have been off dairy for about 4 weeks now, and now even right before my period, I may get one blemish...but that's it! There are a lot of inflamatory foods we all eat every day and don't even realize they are affecting things like our complexions (along with bloating, and other aches and pains). I have been wheat free for over a year now and I feel very healthy by not eating it (though I will have an occasional piece of bread if that is all a hostess or friend is offering ata dinner party for example). Avoiding dairy, however, is what really helps me with bloating and my complexion. Wheat will make me break out a bit too if I happen to eat it a couple days in a row...but that rarely happens because I have changed how I look at food and don't even miss it anymore.
It is worth a try. But just to let you know...the first week will be the toughest. After that, cravings (for whatever food you try to eliminate ie sugar, wheat, dairy) will disappear. The benefits will probably become noticable between 3-4 weeks...and after several weeks (8 or more is a good goal), you can have a little bit once in a while and it will not affect you in a negative way. Just remember, eliminating dairy means eliminating things that have "whey" as an ingredient too. Sticking to an unprocessed whole food diet makes it easier and delicious too :)

I have not used proactiv, however I work with people not had success with it. Sometimes it isn't what is "on" your skin. Have you ever heard that your skin is the largest organ of elimination? Have you heard anyone talk about your skin being a reflection of what is going on on the inside?

L., has this battle been going on long? Have you taken many antibiotics for it? Would you like more information about healthy skin from the inside?

warmly, M.

I used Proactive and it actually made my acne worse. I tried the SkinID system and my skin was so dry and I was still breaking out. The best thing I've found is the Neutrogena Acne system (I think that's what it's called...it comes in an orange package). You can get it at Rite Aid (or probably any pharmacy). It's pricey (around $29), but it's the only thing that worked for me. Good luck!

I've not tried proactive but I do use the Clinique 3-step system. It involves a mild soap, toner, and moisturizer. I used to struggle with acne in high school and college and started using Clinique a year or so after graduating. It worked like a charm (I also started drinking more water at the same time which helped even further). I now actually use steps 1 and 2 from Clinique and then us a Neutrogena moisturizer because the Clinique moisturizer didn't have any SPF in it. Really, the best part of the 3-step system is their toner (they call it "Clarifying Lotion" but it's not a lotion, it's a liquid). If you decide to try this, talk to a Clinique representative at the counter and ask them which Clarifying lotion would be best for your skin (I think there are 3 or 4 different options).

Honestly, I would try Proactive first if it has the money back guarantee (like others have said). I don't know how much it costs but CLinique can get moderatly pricey. The Clarifying lotion is up to about $20 - which typically lasts me 2-3 months. The soap is about $10 I think and that lasts quite a while (probably 6+ months). I don't know how much the moisturizer costs anymore (since I used Neutrogena now).

Murad is much better. I know you can get it at LifeSpa within Lifetime Fitness (not sure where else) and that you don't have to be a member to go in and purchase it. Good luck! They have a really great body spray, too, which is great for backs and teens.

Hi L.!

In response to your request about acne - I have something that you may really like! Its a skincare developed by a company called Usana Health Sciences. Most skin care out there has parabens, preservatives, and chemicals in them which are harsh on the skin, and not to mention that everything we put on our skin absorbs into our bloodstream within 10 minutes!
The skin care we have is called "Sense'" (saan-say) It is completely chemical and preservative free and is used by many dermatologists and esthiticians. If you contact me, I can send you a one week supply for you to try. I always used the "expensive stuff" in the department stores until I found this! I have been using Sense for over 7 years now as well as my whole family . My kids (all teenagers now) get really upset if we run out! Anyway, check it out and let me know if you would like to give it a try - you won't be disappointed!! (My friend used Proactive for a while - she now uses Sense!) I wish all the best for you!!

B. Hooyer
website - bhooyer.usana.com
email - ____@____.com
phone - ###-###-####

I have had bad acne around my chin since I was 14 years old. They are large cystic bumps and very painful. I have used Proactive and it helped but never completely cleared up my skin for too long. I would suggest seeing a dermatologist for a personal evaluation of what kind of acne you have. Differin worked very well for me but it's not perfect for everybody.

The only other product that I would recommend is ordering some glycolic acid from online. Try to make sure it's pH balanced and at a fairly low level to start out with (like 20%). Normally glycolic treatments at a spa are about $125 a session, and they recommend that you have at least 6 sessions for best results. I did this and saw DRAMATIC changes in my acne and my entire face was smoother, softer, with excellently even skin tone. The pimples actually "fell off" the next day and my skin looked GREAT.

You can also find glycolic acid at Ulta (for $50-$70) or other well stocked beauty supply stores. Hope this helps!

Hi L. -

How old are you if you don't mind? Your age makes a big difference when treating acne. Has a dermatologist also made sure you do not have rosacea? Rosacea can make your skin appear red and even bumpy but is treated totally different than acne. I am 40 now but suffered with acne for about 25 years. I believe something like Proactive works better on younger people - maybe under 30? Benzoyl peroxide is often too strong for older skin. After 30 or so, acne is considered "adult" acne and is often large "cystic" bumps on the chin, cheeks and jawline. After years of treatment, the only thing that worked for me was retin A micro. It is prescription only and Blue Cross would not cover it because they said I was too old for acne (at 30) and too young for wrinkles. Depending on your age, I highly recommend it even if you have to pay out of pocket.

If you do try Proactive, be careful to use only white towels to dry your face - several friends told me it ruined (bleached) their colored towels.

Good luck!