Street Cents

ProActiv Solution

Will this three-piece acne system zap zits for good?

The 411 on ProActiv Solution

ProActiv Solution is a three-piece acne system that promises to get rid of pimples and boost self-esteem.

It is one of the best selling acne systems in the world. The company says it sells more than $250 million worth of products a year.

The ProActiv Solution kit includes a daily cleanser with benzoyl peroxide, a revitalizing toner with glycolic acid and a repairing lotion that also contains benzoyl peroxide.

Consumers can buy this kit off the Internet or via telephone for two payments of $19.95 US. Altogether, that’s $86 Canadian for a two-month supply. That includes shipping, handling, exchange and customs charges.

The kit also comes with a free sample of the ProActiv refining mask. The mask contains sulfur, which is supposed to absorb oil and soothe inflammation.

Anyone who orders the ProActiv products becomes a member in the ProActiv Solutions Clear Skin Club. That means the company will automatically ship a new kit every two months. To opt out of the club, customers have to call the customer service number and cancel membership.

Dermatologists say ProActiv Infomercial is misleading

ProActiv Solution is a three-piece acne kit that is sold via infomercial.

The infomercial has been on television for about six years. Judith Light (Remember her from the television show “Who’s the Boss”?) is host of the infomercial. She interviews people who claim to have used the products and saw great results.

The infomercial also features the two inventors of ProActiv Solution – Dr. Kathy Fields and Dr. Katie Rodan. They appear to explain how ProActiv works and why we should buy the products.

The ProActiv infomercial makes strong claims such as:

Users will have “complete freedom from worrying about blemishes”
ProActiv combines the most effective medications with the finest skin care ingredients
There is no other product like ProActiv Solution
“You’ve got nothing to lose except your blemishes”

Imagine . . . no more pimples.

But the dermatologists Street Cents spoke with said these claims are misleading. They said people will never have “complete freedom from” blemishes because there is no cure for acne. We can try to keep it under control, but we can’t get rid of acne for good.

The dermatologists also said the infomercial is misleading because many of the people in the infomercial have severe acne. The dermatologists said most people with severe acne need more than a topical treatment such as ProActiv Solution if they want to see results.

Even the infomercial says the product is designed for people with mild to moderate acne, not the severe acne as they show on the screen.

Dr. Fields told Street Cents that the infomercial shows people with severe acne because the television wouldn’t show mild or moderate pimples very well. She says the infomercial also shows “the most amazing cases so it motivates more people” to use the products. But dermatologists told Street Cents that most people with severe acne will not have success with ProActiv Solution.

The ProActiv infomercial also says the secret ingredient to ProActiv Solution is compliance. Compliance means using the products every day. This is not an ingredient and it’s not a secret. The dermatologists Street Cents spoke with said everyone should use compliance, no matter what acne product they’re using.

Finally, the ProActiv Solution infomercial says ProActiv is different from other acne medications we can buy at the drugstore because it contains “prescription grade” benzoyl peroxide. Health Canada told Street Cents that term is misleading.

The term “prescription grade” may lead viewers into believing ProActiv contains prescription medication. But, Dr. Fields told Street Cents that the ProActiv company made up the term “prescription grade”. She says the company uses the term to explain that the benzoyl peroxide in ProActiv Solution is a higher grade of benzoyl peroxide than is usually available at the drugstore, but cheaper than prescription products.

A real prescription benzoyl peroxide is a higher concentration than over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide. Over-the-counter benzoyl-peroxide can be up to ten per cent in concentration. Prescription benzoyl peroxide has a higher concentration than 10 per cent.

ProActiv Solution has a 2.5 per cent concentration. That means it’s an over-the-counter product.

Since Street Cents viewers asked about ProActiv Solution and since Street Cents questioned the ProActiv dermatologists about the term “prescription grade”, a new ProActiv infomercial has started to appear on television. This infomercial doesn’t mention “prescription grade” benzoyl peroxide.

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original air date: October 15, 2001

Page 01: Viewer letter and Street Cents response

Page 02: The 411 on ProActiv Solution

Page 03: Street Test results

Page 04: Shopping for acne products

Back: to Episode 01

Definitions

Benzoyl peroxide is a disinfectant that kills acne-causing bacteria. It is in many acne medications available over the counter and by prescription.

Glycolic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid that is in fruits, sugar cane, sour milk and the body. It helps exfoliate surface skin cells.

The dirt on acne

Acne is small to medium sized spots on the face. It usually starts to develop when we’re around age 12.

Acne begins with our hair follicles and sebaceous glands. The sebaceous glands produce oil. When all is going well, the oil smoothly exits the glands through our pores and melts on the skin’s surface. But sometimes, dead skin cells block our pores and form something like a cork. When a pore gets clogged, the oil can’t exit the glands. As the dead skin and oil build up, we start to see a bump. This bump is the start of a pimple.

The secret to controlling acne is to stop the dead skin cells and oil from clogging hair folicles and pores. To do this, we have to make sure we wipe the dirt and dead skin cells from our face and use a disinfectant to help keep pores clean.

ProActiv Solution claims to be the ultimate answer to stopping pimples. The company claims it’s cleansing and disinfecting system is the best. But, the dermatologists Street Cents spoke with said even though ProActiv Solution may work for some of us, there are cheaper alternatives available that will help clean and disinfect pores.

We can use products from a drugstore or dermatologist to treat acne. Dermatologists say these products should be just as effective as ProActiv Solution, but can be two times to six times cheaper than ProActiv Solution.

Those of us with severe acne may need more help than a topical treatment. But, most of us with mild to moderate acne should be able to use a mild cleanser and benzoyl peroxide product to treat acne.