Week 1 on Proactiv Update

It's been a little over a week since I started Proactiv and the results, while not huge, are still impressive. I have seen a significant improvement in the texture of my skin. New breakouts tend to go away by the next day. Even dark spots left by previous blemishes have begun to fade and whiteheads are being purged from my skin. In all honesty, the biggest improvement has been my nose area which is usually full of blackheads. The impurities have been going away slowly but steadily and even though this part of my face tends to be very rough, as of late I find that it is very soft.

I am still struggling with my cheeks and chin area getting breakouts almost daily. In case anyone is wondering, I do have pictures but I want to post them all at the end of the month.

How to use Proactiv correctly and some other suggestions

I want to start off by stating that this is my first test run of Proactiv and am by no means an expert. I decided to do a post on how to use it properly because I saw quite a few videos and posts that we're not following the steps correctly.

Cleansing

1. Thoroughly wet your face with warm water.

2. Squeeze a nickel size amount of cleanser onto the palm of your hand. You can either rub the cleanser between your hands and then work it onto your face or dab it on by area. The cleanser does not foam up.

3. In circular motions, gently work the cleanser all over your face (avoid the area around your eyes). I do not recommend the use of a clarisonic with this product. The cleanser has sand like grains that can easily scratch your face if you apply too much force.

4. Rinse the cleanser off by using warm water. Lightly pat your face dry making sure to leave some water still on your skin to dry on its own.

Toner

1. Squeeze about 3-5 drops of toner onto a cotton ball or pad.

2. Apply a thin coat of the toner all over your face (avoid your eye area).

3. Let it dry completely.

Repairing Treatment

1. Use a pea size amount of treatment to apply a thin layer on your entire face (avoid your eye area).

2. Allow the treatment to soak into your skin for 30-40 minutes.

*The benzoyl peroxide in the repairing treatment will bleach any dyed fabrics. Use a white towel when drying your face and a white pillow case when sleeping to avoid any damage.

Moisturizing

Even if you are tempted to purchase Proactiv's Green Tea moisturizer do not be afraid to use your. Personally, I use Josie Maran's light argan oil as my moisturizer and it has not clashed with the treatment at all.

Some suggestions...

1. If you are just testing out the system for 30 days, do not purchase it via the Proactiv website or over the phone. If you do, you will be automatically enrolled for a monthly renewal and canceling is a hassle. To avoid any issues, purchase a starter kit from a kiosk or Proactiv vending machine.

2. Despite what the instructions say, do not use Proactiv day and night. All this will do is make your skin resistant to the product faster. Instead, use it only once a day and use a different cleanser during the time of the day you aren't using Proactiv. In my case I use a regular cleanser in the morning and the Proactiv system at night.

Proactiv 30 day Challenge

I know it's been forever since I last posted but I haven't gone away. Life has been pretty busy. I hope this challenge makes it easy for me to come to this blog.

I have never had perfect skin per say, but this year has been really rough. I never had problems with acne but lately I look like a teenager in the middle of puberty. I have tried everything and as a last resort I am using Proactiv. It's only been 2 days so I can't say much but I will try to post every week until the 30 days are over.

For those of you interested in trying Proactiv, do not go through their website. Try to find a local kiosk or vending machine. From what I have been reading, Proactiv has a notoriously bad system that will renew purchases even if you do not want to continue using their system. Save yourself the headache. If there are no local places to make your purchase, try Amazon.

I will be posting a written tutorial on how to properly use Proactiv. This will include some suggestions on what to use to keep your skin moisturized while on this regimen. Stay tuned!