Skin Care - Proactiv for a 40 Year Old?

I am 35 and have been using it for many years now. I read in a magazine about some celebrity who used it not because of severe acne but just to remain break-out free and keep skin clear. That was what I was looking for, especially when pregnancy and post-partum hormones caused skin issues, and it does the trick for me. I love it.

I used pro-active when I was a teenager...it didn't work at all. I'm 23 now and still have mild acne. I use this stuff from Melaleuca called Zap-it. It works so much better, and it's cheaper than pro-active. The only this is is you have to be a customer of theirs. I am a customer and I buy a ton of their products for me and my home. I've actually started with them from a wah business. Let me know if you have any other questions on it or want to know about the business, I would love to share it with you!

Hi M.,

I feel your pain! I used Proactiv for a while and it worked at first but then stopped working. It was very harsh and drying on my >40 skin. I finally started treating my skin as sensitive vs. acne-prone and it has been calm for several years now, save for the occasional pimple here and there. I use the sensitive skin care line at Aveda.

Hope this helps,

M.

P.S. I am building a team of 5 financially free champions
over the next 2-5 years. Want to be one of them?
Email me through Mamasource if you are ready for change!

Hey there, I am 30 and use proactiv . It works great for me. I have very oily skin and it worked well with controlling it. I have never had any problems with it bleaching any towels or other clothing. I would recommend it anyone with acne. Good luck : )

I'm a 46 yr old still dealing with acne--what a pain! I used ProActiv for awhile (there is a WalMart brand with the same active ingredients for MUCH less btw)and it worked for awhile then became ineffective. I switched to the Clearisil Ultra line--scrub, wash, medicated pads etc. Most any zit medicine that you leave on overnight will discolor pillowcases. Be careful to have it all rinsed out or yes, it will discolor towels as well. A do have a prescription of Retin A that I use very sparingly right on top of a zit for overnight. Too much is extremely drying but a little dot of it is effective. It's just wrong to be dealing with crow's feet around my eyes and zits on the same face! : ) Good luck.

I've used Proactiv on and off for over 10 years and it is fantastic! I'm 37, by the way. You do have to be careful to wash your hands thoroughly after applying it and make sure your face is dry before putting your face next to clothes, sheets, towels, etc. I've managed to bleach out my bath towels. The face wash and lotion are the items that will bleach fabric; you're safe with the toner. Good luck to you!

I tried it when I was about 30, and it did not work. I was very disappointed to say the least.

I STILL get breakouts around my period...

arbonne products works great for acne be sure to buy the green compressed powder that works great

M.,

Before I figured out how to manage my skin health naturally, I used Proactiv. It helped with acne, but did ruin some clothing, especially turtlenecks.

If you want to control adult acne naturally, try a two step nutritional approach. First, stop eating sugar to address a likely yeast overgrowth problem in the body. Grapefruit seed extract is also great to control yeast. Second, take sufficient quantities of an omega 3 supplement. I have no more adult acne, unless I slack off on these things, then it comes right back.

Good luck

I don't want to sound like I am selling my business or want to make a buck. I am writing because I want to give my exerience with "acne lines" My acne got horrible after the birth of my son, three years ago. I tried everything! From expensive RX from dermatologist, special vitamins, proactive, murad, dermatologica, etc. Everything made my face 5X worse. My face was red, it was pealing and dry, I couldn't go out into the sun for more than 30 min at a time. The only thing that seemed to work on my face was Arbonne. Not even their acne line- but their regular/for everyone/every skin type wash. It provided my skin exactly what it needed- the right amount of vitamins and nutrients (it has fruit extracts, vit C) and the perfect amount of moisture.
Most of our skin problems come from not enough moisture and nutrients we provide to our skin, and Arbonne rejuvinates your skin all day long.
If you are using Proactiv, or haven't decided, I would definitely look into Arbonne's FC5 line. They just came out with it in January, however, i have been using the similar line for three years.
Let me know if you would like to try the line and I would be happy to get some to you.
Good luck and God bless

I used Proactiv for a while. It bleached out my towels, wash cloths, bed linens, shirt collars. Some people find it to be too harsh for their skin. It caused some dryness and redness for me (especially around my nose and mouth), but it can get as bad as dermatitis, which is dry, patchy red spots on the face.
I found a natural skincare line that I now use that has really balanced out my skin. It is from Shaklee and is 100% guaranteed, so you can get your money back if you're not happy. They have a normal-to-oily skin kit, or you can just get the items you would use. I use the cleanser, toner, AM Repair w/ SPF 15 and PM Repair. I bought the pumps for the bottles and it helps it last a long time. It is such an improvement over Proactiv.
It's called Enfuselle Nutrition Therapy Skincare
http://www.shaklee.net/recipeforhealth/prodHB_Home

I am 31, and tried Proactiv on my post-baby/hormonal acne. The cleanser was too over-powering and completely dried out my skin (I have combination skin- & break out in the "T-zone"). My skin turned blotchy red and peeled. I still use the repairing lotion (w/ benzoyl peroxide) & refining mask, but not the cleanser, and I think they help some. I did notice my towels discolor after using the cleanser. Someone told to to use it in the shower, and it wouldn't cause that problem- or have designated wash cloths (white) to remove the cleanser.
Good luck- I hope it works for you.

i am 31 and i used proactive a couple of years ago for on-going breakouts. yes, it does bleach your pillow cases, so protect that. also i found out - after lots of observation that i'm allergic to citric acid. i was drinking a lot of orange juice, i cut that out and now i don't have break-outs, unless i drink the occasional mojito. you may try eliminating certain foods from your diet to see if that's the case for you.

I am 36 and have been using Pro-active off and on for about 10 yrs. It does work on adults. Most recently I started breaking out again and went back to pro active. Ive been back on it for a month and the result are amazing. No It does not bleach out towels and pillow cases. I've never had this problem.

My acne has been so bad that as a teen I actually did a round of Acutane. I decide to try proactive before going back to the doctor and it worked.

If I were in your situation, the first thing I would do would be to see a dermatologist. Dr. Allen Menter at Baylor downtown is one of the best and FAR worth the drive. www.texasderm.com You also might want to have your hormone levels checked and watch your diet.

I have been seeing Dr. Menter and/or his PA's for years to maintain my skin and my 14 yr old daughter sees him or his PA's routinely as a proactive approach to avoid acne issues.

I have used Clinique since I was about 12 and my daughter uses the Acne solutions face wash. She uses it as a proactive approach to keep blemishes away.

Dr. Menter did give her a gel (Duac) to use regularly and (Differen) which is great for blackheads.

We both are very faithful with our skin routines. I do not look my age at all.

Clinique will also give you your money back if you are not satisified with the products.

Good luck!

Hi there. I'm not 40, but am an adult and have used Pro-active lots. Yes, it does work. I have talked to maybe 2 people that had a reaction to it. What I mean is, it just made their face red and didn't work for them. People are different and everyone is going to take to medication and topical cremes differently. I've used it for years, first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Never once has it bleached, or harmed anything. I have actually layed down on the bed when my face with still moist with the solution or the cream and all was fine. I start seeing results in about a day. All the pimples are not gone, but they begin to diminish. My only advice is, don't use it three times a day to start. Start with once a day at the end of the day and after a few days, try it twice a day. I end up using it only at night and always see results. Good luck!

My husband uses proactiv - but doesn't follow the "plan" and does pretty well! I think it is well worth a try!
Our pillow cases look HORRIBLE!! They used to be a light green and are now yellow ick!! Small price to pay for a clear face!

I have also experienced some sort of acne my entire life and started using Proactiv last fall. It has completely changed my life and I highly recommend it. I'm 37 and for the first time in my life, I'm not ashamed of my skin. In fact, I barely wear makeup now. I've never been a fan of it but always had to wear it to conceal blemishes, etc. Now, the improvement was gradual and not an overnight thing so if you do choose to use it, you may have to be patient but it's really worth it. It has ruined many of my towels and I think it's the cleanser that does it. So, now I just dry my face off with a white towel to play it safe. I use it sometimes 3 times a day but you may have to test it out to see how it works for you. Good luck!!

Hi M.,
I'm 45 and suffer from acne as well. Save your money and go to Walmart and buy a small bottle of off brand 10% benzoyl peroxide. Wash your face with a mild face soap before going to bed. Then moisturize lightly and apply a very light coat of the benzoyl peroxide on your problem areas trying very hard to apply it without rubbing into your face just gently apply. Do this nightly or every other night if your face gets too dry and itchy. It's works great if you keep it up as a routine and it's cheap.
Best Regards,
C.

Arbonne's Clear Advantage line is awesome. Use the supplement especially to clear yourself up from the inside out. The supplement is the key.