Not a perfect trio, but still great!
Written: May 11 '04 (Updated May 11 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good products, effective, covers all skincare steps
Cons: SMELL, bang for your buck
The Bottom Line: Worth a try...more effective than a lot of other systems out there, but still not all it's cracked up to be.
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| lizzyball's Full Review: Guthy Renker Proactiv Solution System |
After seeing ads in all my magazines about the "miracle" product ProActiv, and seeing the amazing results other people have had, I decided to go for it. The local mall has a ProActiv cart, so I didn't have to order it. The three-piece set came with the Renewing Cleanser (2.5% benzoyl peroxide), Revitalizing Toner (alcohol-free), Repairing Lotion (2.5% benzoyl peroxide), and a bonus oil-absorbing mask. As you can see, the ProActiv formula fights acne using the smallest percentage of benzoyl peroxide that is effective.
You can find a complete list of ingredients and more information on their website: http://www.proactiv.com
CLEANSER
Now when you twist open the white screw-off plastic top of the cleanser and smell it, you might have to come up for air. The smell takes getting used to. It's a little sulfur-ish. It also feels strange, because it has grains of something that exfoliate your skin-although this doesn't feel like your normal scrub. The cleanser is a white liquid that reminds me of Milk of Magnesia! But it does get the job done...it cleanses your skin, exfoliates, doesn't overdry, and controls oil, although it does not make an effective makeup remover.
TONER
The toner comes in a bottle the same size as the Cleanser (4 oz.), and is opened the same way. But this bottle is transparent and inside you can see a green liquid sloshing around. Although you can use your fingers, the best way to apply a toner is to use cotton balls/cotton rounds. It smells good compared to the Cleanser and Lotion. Be careful when you squirt this stuff, because it comes out quickly. This toner has no alcohol, which is great...I have fallen in love with this toner, because it gets everything out of my pores without drying it out. It actually seems to moisturize my dry spots and remove oil from oily spots, although I could be imagining things. :) Nonetheless, it is a very effective toner, and you can get a lot of uses out of this bottle.
TREATMENT
The 2 oz. bottle of Repairing Lotion comes in a bottle almost identical to the Cleanser's, except that it's half the size. The texture is a little bit watery, but it's thick enough to stay on. The lotion is white, and doesn't smell as bad as the Cleanser. It is not a Spot Treatment, you apply it all over your face, and neck/chest if you need it. It sinks in well, just wait a minute for the Toner to sink in first. Then spread it all over and make sure it isn't clumping-it should dry clear. I have found it isn't drying if you use it correctly, but if you already have dry skin, meybe you should try something else.
Although I have only used 1/4 of the Toner, and about 1/2 of the Lotion, the Cleanser is all gone. Now I have switched to Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub, which is really similar to the ProActiv cleaner, just without the smell. I really do not miss that smell! But I have kept the Toner, and I switch between the Lotion and my prescription Retina Micro I got recently.
The Mask! Almost forgot about it! I used it twice, and then it was empty, because it was just a Trial Size. It was a good clay mask...but the full size is more expensive then other good clay masks on the market.
Now ProActiv has all kinds of products: makeup, masks, sprays, spot treatments.
Overall, I think ProActiv is over-hyped. It's not a miracle cure...but it does help stop moderate acne in its tracks.
*ALSO* I have heard a lot of people say that ProActiv stopped working for them after 6 months. Because I stopped using the 3-Step System within 6 months (my Cleaner ran out), I can't tell you if this is true. Maybe alternate products if you see it isn't effective anymore.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
lizzyball
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 1 member
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