Proactiv+ to the rescue! I've actually never tried any of their products until this point but they were very generous sponsors at Genbeauty 2014 last weekend and I received several products from them. I was the most excited to try out the Proactiv+ Mark Fading Pads. After reading the ingredient list, they seemed to be similar to my favorite Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peels (the first of the 2 steps, that is) with the main ingredients of salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and witch hazel extract.
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| Proactiv+ provided a lot of full size products, so I was questioning why I only received 5 packettes...was that really the full size? Nope. Turns out the full size is 15 packettes, not 5 (phew, I knew it was too few). |
So what's so great about the ingredients? Now, I'm no scientist, but basically:
Salicylic acid (listed as the main active ingredient) is a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) that is derived from the bark of the willow tree and basically encourages skin cell turnover that keeps your pores clear and eliminates flaking skin (yay shedding!). This ingredient is an acne ass-kicker.
Glycolic Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that works as an exfoliator, penetrating the skin deeply (thanks to its extremely small molecular structure) and aiding the other products to sink and do their magic. It is very helpful in the treatment of acne, acne scarring, fine lines, and discolorations.
Witch hazel extract contains chemicals called tannins, which help repair broken skin and fights bacteria (destroying the acne breeding ground!).
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| 2% salicylic acid, baby! |
Now, this stuff is pretty potent. If the wipe got too close to my eyes they would start to water a bit from the fumes. Plus, there is some mild stinging around some of my problem areas, but good stinging-tingling like it is working, not burning like I'm on fire from an allergic reaction. They recommend 5 days in a row to kick-start the effects...I wouldn't do every day after those first 5 days, as these are strong and are potentially drying. I am more of an every other day person so that the full pack of 15 would last a month rather than 2 weeks, too.
As for the results? I definitely saw an immediate drying up of any existing blemishes I have. My skin feels smoother (well, the skin between the blemishes, haha) and looks brighter and clearer. I have a few dry patches on my cheeks and near my mouth and those have disappeared (woohoo skin cell turnover). I like that rather than using a physical exfoliant to get scrub away dry skin and potentially spread acne germs, this kind of application is gentle.
While there is alcohol in this product (which is harsh and drying) my skin doesn't mind some skin booze. However, if you have sensitive skin I would highly recommend--as I would for any new skin care product, really--testing a small area to make sure you don't have any negative reactions. Like I said, this stuff is strong!
One thing that is a bummer with Proactiv+ is that its an all or nothing system. If you want just one product, you're out of luck. However, the price per item when you buy the Proactiv+ system is not bad at all. As you can see, they have a 5 piece system for $40, plus the have an additional free product. So 6 items for $40 is around $7 per product. They do have less expensive Proactiv+ sets...but they don't have the Mark Fading Pads in those kits. If their other products are as impressive as this one though, I look forward to trying the rest.
**UPDATE: Proactiv+ products are available individually here, but at $45 for the Mark Fading Pads, it is much more economical to buy a set.**
Speaking of trying the rest, I have 2 additional products from Genbeauty to try! Stay tuned.
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| Next up!! |
The products in this blog post were provided by the manufacturer for consideration. For more information, please view my disclaimer.
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