Our First Letter to TPS!!!

Dear Product Slut:

I know you said you love infomercials, so I was wondering what you think of ProActiv. Have you tried it? What do you think? ~ Skinquisitive in CA


OH yes, TPS does love her infomercials. She bought the Lori Davis hair care line (yes, the stuff promoted by Cher). She is currently captivated by the Magic Bullet commercials, but has successfully restrained herself from buying it (so far). But we digress...

TPS has indeed tried ProActiv. Before she purchased the starter kit, TPS surveyed her friends and relatives who had also tried it. One positively adored it; using the complete system in conjunction with her bareVitamins from I.D. resulted in clear, beautiful skin. Another loathed it, since the high concentration of benzoyl peroxide bleached all her wash cloths and bed linens. Armed with knowledge, TPS took the plunge and called in her order.

The products arrived speedily. The packaging is simple yet effective. TPS was encouraged. She began the 3-step regimen of Renewing Cleanser, Revitalizing Toner and Repairing Lotion. After a week, TPS realized that this was not the product line for her. Perhaps if she were still in her 20s, the whole regimen would have worked for her, as her skin then was oilier. Currently, she is more concerned with her fine lines and combination skin and the whole regimen just proved too drying, even with extra moisturizer and sunblock. The ProActiv regimen is really for problem acne, not semi-regular small breakouts.

TPS was still fretting, since despite her drier skin she was getting these enormous under-the -skin pimples on her chin (which was why she had tried ProActiv to begin with. She never had such zits as a teen or twenty-something). Fortunately, the ProActiv 30 day trial came with a bonus - the Refining Mask. Not a mask in the traditional sense, TPS relies on this as a spot treatment. She applies it to a monster chin zit after her night-time cleansing, leaving it on for 10 minutes. By morning, the monster chin zit is greatly diminished if not entirely gone. It is pretty fantastic. She also uses the Repairing Lotion for smaller blemishes.

Once her tube of Refining Mask is gone, TPS will revert to her other reliable spot treatment - The Burt's Bees Parsley Blemish Stick. Unfortunately, ProActiv wants you to buy the complete system to get any of their products and TPS does not want to go back down that road.

Do you have experience with ProActiv? Do you disagree with this assessment? Do you have another skin care regimen you'd like to rave about? TPS wants to hear from YOU! Feel free to comment here or email her at theproductslut@yahoo.com.

Have a lovely evening!