I got it for my daughter...she's 13 and her skin was really bad...and she's having wonderful results...not all gone, yet...but getting better, all the time...

was the cream tazorac?

my roommate back at my old school used it and it worked reeeaaally well for her

One of my daughter-in-laws is using it and she loves is. My son (her other half) has very oily skin and has not seen any difference.

Dina, I'm an Aesthetician and don't recommend Proactiv. It's very harsh and over time seems to cause alot of dehydration and broken capillaries. It's also just a bandaid, meaning once you go off of it you most likely will have the bumps again. It sounds like you have some clogged pores up there. I recommend finding a good Aesthetician in your area and getting a facial treatment and letting her recommend professional products that would be appropriate for your skin in general. In your treatment she would extract those little bumps for you and treat your whole face. There may be other reasons besides the oil you use in your hair that is causing them. Without seeing you and doing a consultation I couldn't tell you. But please don't use Proactiv.

I get crap on my upper arms...anyone try it on skin other than face? Also, do you have to buy it on line or has it made it to main stream stores now?

Dina, what kind of bumps are they? Are they acne or just hard little bumps? Do they itch, can you pop them? Are they whiteheads?

When I had bad acne I was prescribed things that would dry out my skin very much, I was prescribed antibiotics like ampicillin, amoxillin, tretracycline, and then topical stuff like tazorac (which was like a face peel if i left it on for more than the doc told me, that area dried out incredibly bad and then peeled, took care of the acne though!) and I was given accutane. I found dermatology to be incredibly fascinating while getting treated and now thats what I want to be when I grow up :)

Ive heard that proactiv is great but like most treatments your skin may get use to it. ive seen it in stores. There are many causes of acne, so even though it might work for you, it might have no affect for another person.

Also, can you change the product youre using on your hair? or use it less?

I better stop because I could go on and on and on about skin and acne and anything else related to either of those. :)

Every person is different and what works for one might not work for another...

I'm a former cosmetologist and a staunch believer in natural products...and if you want to try something very easy and effective for mild skin problems, then make up some green tea and use it like a toner...is what my daughter was using before we got her the Proactiv...it was helping, but her problem was more that the green tea could take care of...it won't dry out your skin and there's nothing in it that you might react to...so try that out and if it doesn't help, then maybe try something else...I also recommend occasional egg white masks...if you're not allergic...just whip them up a tiny bit and put it on your skin like you would any other mask...rinse it off and follow with the green tea toner...

Good luck...

Just like most product brands some things work for people and others don't. Proactive doesn't work for me, but I'm hoping to find the magic stuff soon. ;-p

I was using Mary Kay facial products, which worked well enough for a bit. Then I tried the Avon naturals line. Neither product worked after a while, and I am sure that my hormones play a big part in this, but I have also changed my diet a bit (less refined, less pasta, watching the portions, blah blah blah). Interestingly, while on vacation in CA, I ran out of my travel sized MK and ended up using the bar soap provided by the hotel (it's called Enigma and I am still trying to find a way to purchase it for myself - I already pilfered several bars!) . My skin calmed right down. I also use a Hemp seed lotion from Earthly Body. My skin still has slight breakouts during PMS, but the difference is absolutely amazing to me - my skin hasn't been this clear in years - literally.
I ordered Proactive for my 16 year old son, and it seems to be really helping him - his acne seems to be clearing and his skin tone seems to be improving also.

I've heard alot of mixed results about it myself. I had alot of problems when I was younger. My skin is soooo sensitive! I was afraid to try it. My mom got some for herself and tried it out. Her skin is very sensitive too. It burned her face so bad, she had these nasty sores for weeks. I think it all depends on your skin type. I've seen alot of other people use it with great results, and some with not so great results. The experience my mom had with it kept me from trying, since my skin is as sensitive.
I finally decided to wean myself off of Dr. Pepper, and my face cleared up ALOT! It was a terrible addiction. Though I don't think I'll ever understand my skin. I've used almost everything you can get. It's oiley, and dry all at the same time so anything I use to moisturize breaks me out, and anything that keeps me from breaking out dries my skin. lol
I think I've finally found some middle ground with True Porefection oil free skin-clearing lotion from avon at night. And Cornhuskers during the day. Cornhuskers lotion is not oiley at all, and keeps my skin from drying. My silly skin is so difficult. Why couldn't it just behave.? lol

I used proactive almost 4 years ago and loved it. I had typical oily teenage skin (I was 20ish at the time). My skin glowed and felt wonderful 24/7. I wore no makeup. I used it more recently and wasn't impressed. My best friend bought a kit and started being a faithful user. She never saw a bit of difference in her face, except that it dried her out badly. I had zero change. I loved and still love the tiny grit in the cleanser, but the formulation overall isn't great (in my opinion).

While there are lots of things in proactive, one the main ingredients is benzoyl peroxide which is used to dry out the skin and kill bacteria to prevent pores from clogging. Where else can you get this "miracle" ingredient?? Clearasil and other brands has formulas that are stronger 10%, or weaker 2-5%. If you've used that product and been dried out or had a reaction to it, Proactiv prolly isn't going to work for you.

Whats always worked for me is regular ex foliation, washing in the morning and at night, using a mild salsylic acid wash (ie Neutrogena or crushing up some asprin tablets and using that as a mask), keeping my moisture balanced by using moisturizer (with a lovely SPF) and treating the occasional breakouts with the benzoyl peroxide solutions when necessary. Once a week or every two weeks I use a mask to help refine and clean out pores. I like Queen Helene's mint julep mask. I've also used bentonite mineral clay and had a nice experience with that.

I would caution you from using antibiotic drugs for breakouts no matter how severe. Breakouts can indicate an overabundance of fungus in the system. Antibiotics do nothing to decrease the amount of fungus in the system and can exacerbate the condition by wiping out the body's natural bacteria that control the fungus in the body. Just because a doctor prescribed it doesn't mean its the best thing for your health, unfortunately. If you think this is part of your problem, cutting out the sugar and drinking lots of water can be a good first step. Adding a probiotic to your diet is always a good idea (ESPECIALLY if you are already taking an antibiotic). And honey, although it breaks down in your body/ is metabolized as sugar, it also has antifungal properties as it becomes a peroxide type chemical in the body. But see a doc for more info.

Getting in touch with a good dermatologist is crucial for people with severe skin conditions. I think they'd be more capable of giving you a clear and helpful diagnosis than a family practice MD.

Benzoyle peroxide or salicylic acid are usually the active ingredients in most topical acne solutions.
Benzoyle peroxide is probably the fastest acting to clear the skin initially, but the salicylic acid solutions are probably better for prolonged use as it helps unplug your skin's pores, and maybe are less drying as some come in a moisturizing base.
Expensive doesn't necessarily mean better. You can find comparable treatment systems to Proactiv at Walmart. You can also get salicylic acid solutions in a gel tube at the the 99cents store. Because everyone's skin is different, you will just have to experiment to find out what works best for you.

Diet: I think diet is crucial for great skin. Sodas and milk products are probably the worst offenders to having great skin.
Sugar affects the body in all sorts of negative ways. In milk products, it's suspected that harmones in the milk affect the body in negative ways too.

I used one 'series' of ProActive; got another in the mail before I'd finished the first. Did not even start the second set, as it didn't do much at all as far as clearing up acne, but did really *really* dry out my skin. Drying out oily skin does nothing but make it even more oily.