Have you been trying to decide whether to puchase Acne Free vs Proactive? They are two popular products on the market right now. Proactiv
This is a 3-step treatment program. The steps with their products follow along with some recommended supplemental treatments.
Step 1. Renewing Cleanser - This oil-free formula is made up of small, smooth grains that gently exfoliate dead skin cells and other impurities. It also has prescription-grade Benzoyl peroxide that seeps into pores, destroying bacteria and healing blemishes in a hurry.
Step 2. Revitalizing Toner - This is noted as a refreshing, alcohol-free liquid with botanical agents that removes dead skin cells, gently balance skin tone, unplugs pores, helps with excess oil ridding, and overall soothes skin. Results are refreshed skin.
Step 3. Repairing Lotion – This light, oil-free lotion is made up of fine milled prescription-grade Benzoyl peroxide that heals blackheads and blemishes. It also helps with the prevention of future flair-ups. An advanced delivery system in Repairing Lotion is noted as being "soothing and safe for your entire face.”
Supplemental products include: Oil-Free Moisture with SPF 15. This lite lotion leaves your skin soft, but not greasy-feeling. Specially formulated for acne skin types, this product doesn’t clog pores. It also boasts SPF 15 for sun protection. Another supplemental product is called Daily Oil Control – This product helps skin glow, instead of shine with excess oil. It also helps keep pores from clogging and makeup (and other skin care products) from running throughout the day.
ProActiv
My husband suggested we try ProActiv, the acne solution sold in those annoying infomerials. I had my doubts that it would be any different. However at that point, I decided we had nothing to loose and ordered ProActiv for my son.
He didn’t want to follow the three step routine and so he didn’t get very good results… I hated to see the product wasted so I began to use it myself. I started out using it twice a day. At the age of 44, I finally got positive results. It seemed like the answer to my prayers. ProActiv cleared my skin better than any thing I had tried in the past. At times I was almost completely acne free, but I still had outbreaks from time to time and usually kept a blemish or two all the time.
Still, it worked better than anything I had ever tried, so I decided to continue to use it, but only once a day to make each expensive shipment last as long as possible and prevent over drying of my skin. I used it for a year with satisfactory results.
My biggest problem with ProActiv was that it didn’t seem to clean my skin very well and I saw lots of dirt on the cotton after using the toner which prompted me to use more toner. I later began to wash with Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash prior to cleansing with the ProActiv. This seemed to help and it didn’t appear to change the results of the ProActiv product.
Check out some reviews of Proactive here:
Acne Free
Acne Free is also a three step process. These are the three steps as listed on their website:
STEP 1
PURIFYING CLEANSER
Purifies, gently exfoliates dead skin cells and removes clogging dirt, oil and impurities leaving skin fresh and clean. Non-irritating formula delivers Benzoyl Peroxide directly onto skin and eliminates bacteria.STEP 2
RENEWING TONER
Gently remove dead skin cells and revitalize and renew with this skin balancing formula. Deeply penetrates to remove excess oil leaving skin feeling clean, fresh and perfectly toned. Prepares skin for Step 3.STEP 3
REPAIRING LOTION
Fast working medicine provides the most effective acne prevention available. Attacks bacteria to kill acne and blackheads before they start. Breakthrough Time-Released Benzoyl Peroxide provides all day oil control and works 24/7 to keep pores acne-free.
AcneFree Review
After about two weeks, on February 6th, I finally got a product support person on the phone by dialing the 800 number again. I asked her about the ProAcne product and if it was going to be available again. What she told me was this: They had pulled the product because their name and packaging was too similar to the ProActiv product. She said that a name change to “AcneFree” was presently in the works.
She assured me that the product would be back on the shelves by the middle or end of February and that Wal-Mart would be getting the product first. I asked about the formula, and if the product would still be the same and she said it would be the EXACT same product as before, but sold as “AcneFree”. I was overjoyed. I’d have to stick it out another week or two, but at least it would be back.
I began to break out again. By the time I found AcneFree at Wal-Mart, on Feb 13th, I had 4 visible blemishes. I couldn’t wait to start using the miracle product again. I was disappointed to find out this new product was NOT the same as the previous ProAcne product. It smelled different, looked different and had a different feel to it. The ingredients were not exactly the same as ProAcne like the person on the phone had said they would be. I worried about how it was going to work but figured I had to at least try it. So I began using AcneFree on Friday, Feb 13th. Yeah, I know….Friday the 13th…what was I thinking?
The cleanser didn’t seem to clean as well. It had almost no gritty granules for exfoliation. I found that a lot of dirt remained on my skin and came off on the cotton when using the toner. This was the same problem I had with the ProActiv product. The only plus was that I didn’t notice the unpleasant taste with the new product. I did feel that I should try to clean with Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash again prior to cleansing with the AcneFree. I do like to remove all of the dirt and grime from my face before applying a fresh coat of makeup.
The worst thing about the new AcneFree product was that the repairing lotion DOES have gritty granules (at least the bottle I got does) and it feels harsh, gritty, and scratchy when being applied. It is like rubbing sand on freshly, washed, and toned skin. It made my skin appear slightly reddened and it felt dry and dirty on my skin. Even after it dried it still felt gritty and I could feel it scratching when putting on my liquid makeup. The previous product had felt smoother and cleaner and once it dried it was like having nothing on my skin at all. This new repairing lotion, I did not like at all.
Despite the fact that I was having to use two cleansers, to clean my skin, and the repairing lotion felt scratchy and gritty, my complexion began to clear up almost right away. By day three, the blemishes had dried up and were only minor red places. By the end of the first week, I had only one place left that could be seen.
I have been using AcneFree for almost 3 weeks now and my complexion is perfectly clear. I still do not like the abrasive repairing lotion but I use it every day. I preferred the original product but I will continue to use AcneFree and hope that they will revert back to the original formulas soon.
Check out some reviews of Acne Free here:
ProAcne
Then I saw a product called ProAcne in a Wal-Mart store. It was packaged similar to ProActiv, but cost nearly 40% less. I hoped it was just a generic brand of the same stuff and decided to take a chance and use it for a month to see if it would be a less expensive solution for my acne problem and if would do the same thing.
I was disappointed when I got it home and found that the ingredients were different. But I decided it was still worth a try since I could always go back to using the ProActiv if I had to. Boy did I get a surprise! After a short setback that nearly caused me to throw the product away (a few days of acne like I hadn’t seen in a while), my face began to clear up. Then almost overnight all the blemishes were gone. They were not just under control, they were gone! Never in my whole life had I had such a great looking complexion.
I was only using the 3 ProAcne products once a day, in the morning, before applying makeup (I only use Neutrogena Healthy Skin makeup). In less than three weeks my skin was perfectly clear and I was thrilled beyond belief! Not only had I found a product that worked for me like a miracle, it was less expensive and right down the street at the local Wal-Mart store with no shipping and handling fees.
The cleanser cleaned my skin better. I didn’t have to buy a separate, second cleanser and that was nice too. The only bad thing I could say about the cleansing product was it had an unpleasant taste when it got in my mouth. If it would keep my complexion clear, I could live with that. I cancelled my subscription to ProActiv after only one month of using the ProAcne product and I placed the last full shipment of ProActiv in the bathroom closet.
I continued to use the ProAcne product for several months and remained virtually acne free. In a span of 6-7 months, I had maybe two blemishes pop up and they went away super fast. ProAcne didn’t dry my skin and my face glowed. It felt so wonderful after all the years of fighting what seemed to be a losing battle. I finally had great looking, clear skin. It made getting up and getting ready for work a much more pleasant experience. I didn’t dread the face in the mirror. I used less makeup. It was wonderful!
Then the problem came…Along about the 7th month of using ProAcne, I went to Wal-Mart to buy a new supply and the product was nowhere to be found. I waited a week and tried again, still no ProAcne. I checked the internet and found very little information on the product. The only place I could find it was on online auctions for 2 and 3 times the retail price.
I tried in vain to contact the manufacturer (University Medical Products). They don’t have a website so I tried calling the 800 number on the bottle but I got a message that the support line was closed. I speculated that the makers of ProActiv had lost a lot of customers like me who preferred the ProAcne product and they were threatening a lawsuit (my guess) and caused the ProAcne product line to be shut down. I thought maybe, because they were packaged in bottles similar to the ProActiv product and carried a similar name, they may have violated a patent or something of that nature.
This was disheartening for me. I was desperate. I was out of the cleanser and toner and I was forced to use my last shipment of ProActiv that was still in the closet. I still had some of the ProAcne repairing lotion left but, I feared it wouldn’t be enough to keep my skin clear. And I knew I would run out soon. I had found something that really worked and now it was gone.
ProActiv VS ProAcne (no longer available) VS AcneFree (the ProAcne replacement) Product Comparison
The 3 products are NOT the same.
They do NOT contain the same ingredients.
For my money, I believe the ProAcne and AcneFree products are by far, superior to ProActiv.
ProAcne is no longer sold in stores.
I am currently using AcneFree.
Comparing the Cleansers:
The ProActiv cleanser did not clean my skin very well.
The evidence of that came off on the cotton swap when I used the toner.
The ProAcne cleanser cleaned very well and there was no need for a second product.
The AcneFree product cleans my skin about the same as the ProActiv. I have to use another cleanser along with it.
Both the ProAcne and AcneFree cleansers are creamier and less abrasive than the ProActiv cleanser.
I am currently using Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash cleanser prior to using the AcneFree Renewing Cleanser.
Comparing the Toners:
The ProActiv toner was pleasant to use but there was an added fragrance and color (blue) that I felt was unnecessary.
The ProAcne toner was clear and very pleasant.
The both the ProAcne and AcneFree toners smell like witch hazel which is pretty much what they are with some other added ingredients.
All 3 products felt refreshing and lessened the oil on my skin.
Comparing the Lotions:
The ProActiv Repairing lotion felt smooth and non sticky and it dried clear.
It did not make my skin feel dry.
I had no problem applying makeup over it.
The ProAcne lotion was not sticky and also dried clear.
It was not as smooth but not unpleasant and there was no problem putting makeup over it.
The AcneFree Repairing lotion is gritty and abrasive.
It is very unpleasant to use.
It dries clear and although it isn’t sticky, it leaves my skin feeling a bit dirty.
It makes my face feel slightly dry and taunt. But it has not made my skin flaky or overly dry so far.
Makeup goes on fine over it but if you use a liquid foundation as I do, you will feel the grit again when putting on makeup.
Comparing the Performance of the 3 Complete, 3-Step Systems :
The ProActiv products did improve my complexion but they never really completely cleared up my acne problem.
While using ProActiv, I continued to have regular outbreaks though they were fewer and less severe than before.
The worst thing was the cleanser didn’t clean my skin very well and I had to use another product along with it.
The ProActiv products were easy and pleasant to use and there were no negative results. I did see a very noticeable improvement.
These products might work better for you but I did not get the full clear result that I had hoped for.
I would recommend this 3 step system to anyone who has tried everything else first without good results.
My Results
The ProAcne products completely cleared up my complexion. I did not have to use another cleanser. The ProAcne cleanser seemed to do the job. The worst thing was the taste of the cleanser when it got on my lips. Overall the products were easy and not unpleasant to use. The results were amazing. There were no negative results whatsoever.
I’d prefer this product any day over anything I have ever used on my face. This was an excellent 3 step system. I would recommend this product to anyone, however, the ProAcne product is no longer available.
The AcneFree products have cleared my skin and after three weeks of use I am certain I will continue to get great results. The cleanser doesn’t seem to clean as well as the ProAcne did so I do use another cleanser (Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash) prior to cleansing with AcneFree.
The worst thing is the repairing lotion. The bottle I have been using is very unpleasant to apply because it is abrasive and feels like sand being rubbed over my face. I am wondering why they didn’t put the grit in the cleanser instead of the lotion.
The products are easy to use but the lotion is not so pleasant to apply and doesn’t leave my skin feeling as clean as I like. Despite the unpleasantness, the results have been excellent so far. I have seen no negative results. My skin is “Acne Free.”
Despite the gritty lotion I would recommend this 3 step system. I will continue to use it. However, I feel like University Medical Products should go back to the original formulas that they used with ProAcne.
