Does Proactiv Really Combat Acne?

Krisitne Simmons is a healthcare professional who is an advocate for alternative all natural treatment options to promote health, wellness and beauty. She does extensive ...
Acne is a common teenage condition that appears to be unavoidable. Why do some teenagers have flawless skin? Are you one of those that have tried every product on the market to eliminate pimple, zits, and balckheads? All acne starts with a clogged pore. The pore gets clogged with dirt, excess sebum, bacteria and dead skin cells. The technical name for the clogged pore is comedone. The comedone is not visible by just looking at the skin. The comedone lies just beneath the skin's surface. The comedone turns into a visible lesion but it can form different types of lesion depending on the type of comedo that forms. People are unique and each person's skin may react differently and form different types of lesions.
Though acne is a general term, there are several distinct types of acne. They basically fall into two types; inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne. Papules are a type of inflammatory acne. Papules are firm pink bumps, which may be red at the base, and contain yellow or white nodules. Papules tend to be large and very painful. Nodules are the most severe form of acne, these nodules can continue for weeks, months or even years. Pauples and nodules both have the tendency to leave scars. Whiteheads are a type of non-inflammatory acne. Whiteheads occur when the clogged pore stays below the surface of the skin and blackheads occur when the clogged pore enlarges and pushes through the skin.
Does Proactiv really work to eliminate acne?
Proactiv is an acne treatment that attempts to attack acne before you can actually see the pimple. Proactiv is an acne treatment system consisting of three products - renewing cleanser, revitalizing toner and repair treatment lotion. The cleanser and lotion both use benzoyl peroxide as their key active ingredient, a substance that is an anti-microbial, which penetrates the skin pores to fight the acne. The skin toner contains glycolic acid to restore balance and help exfoliate.
Proactiv was created by two dermatologists, who wanted to find a better way to treat acne patients. After years of experimenting, they finally produced a treatment that they thought would work. Proactiv may work for many people but it may also cause irritation. Acne treatments are varied and you should look for products that have key ingredients that are clinically proven effective at eliminating acne.
Kristine Simmons is a healthcare professional who is an advocate for alternative all natural treatment options to promote health, wellness and beauty. She does extensive clinical research on various prescription, over the counter products and all natural ingredients and gives insightful information on many health and beauty topics.
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Acne Free Compared To Proactiv

Proactiv and Acne Free are two of the most well known and most popular acne solutions available over the counter without a prescription. Since both contain the active ingredient benzoyl peroxide it is not too surprising that they get similar reviews.

Proactiv was the first popular over the counter benzoyl peroxide product, however soon after Acne Free came out, using the same formula, but at a cheaper price. Since then Proactiv has matched the price of Acne Free plus they still have several free gifts for those that order, making them seem like the better value. Acne Free on the other hand, claims that their product is superior to Proactiv due to a time released formula which they say has been backed up by clinical studies. I was unable to find these clinical studies and it seems to me that both Proactiv and Acne Free use the same benzoyl peroxide formula.

Both products should give you similar results, however don't be surprised if your acne returns after a short period of time using one of these acne treatments. Research has shown that many people experience a rebound effect when using products containing benzoyl peroxide to fight acne. In effect, their skin actually begins to produce more oils in response to the during effects of the benzoyl peroxide and this can even lead to acne that is worse than before using the product.

If you are thinking of trying either Proactiv or Acne Free you should also know about the possible side effects from these benzoyl peroxide products. You could experience any of the following: dryness, redness and itching of the skin, peeling skin and irritation and sensitivity to sunlight. Certainly something to be aware of and while some people may not experience any side effects at all, for others the side effects could be quite pronounced. Testing on a small area of skin is probably a good idea, especially if you have sensitive skin or are prone to allergies.

At the end of the day it seems to me as if either product will give the same results. You can most likely just make your choice and purchase based on price and feel confident that you will get the same results with either product. Understand that no acne product works the same for everyone and it is possible that these won't work at all for you, or that your acne could even become worse after using either Proactiv or AcneFree. Also keep in mind the side effects which can be severe for some users who are sensitive to benzoyl peroxide. My final thought is that if your acne is bad enough that a simple hygiene process doesn't help you may want to talk to a dermatologist and see what they recommend for your type of acne.

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