I haven’t been shy here discussing my battle with adult acne. While I had very few breakouts as a teen, I developed acne in my 20s which only multiplied after I had children. Now, I’m in the difficult situation of trying to fight aging and stop acne – not a fun combination. And, while I’ve tried a variety of products with different active ingredients – over the counter products, prescription products, even oral antibiotics – I never really knew what each ingredient did.
I was sent this chart below, which I absolutely love because it explains things clearly, and was offered the opportunity to talk to California dermatologist Vicki Rapaport, who works with Proactiv. I’ve reviewed Proactiv before and had good success with it, but have always been confused by the variety of ingredients offered in the various products (the chart helps out with that!).
Dr. Rapaport answered some of my questions, and in fact, even inspired me to seek a new dermatologist who would be more aggressive in helping me! Here are just a few things I learned:
- Adult acne is generally triggered by hormones, as the skin receptors are more active and more sensitive to hormones
- A dermatologist can prescribe you a stronger version of OTC medications
- Products that worked when you were a child may not work when you are an adult
- What works for others may not work for you
- Even inactive ingredients may play a role in how one particular product works for you
- Don’t be afraid to try different products until you find one that works, but make sure you give each product enough time (2 months or so) to be effective before giving up on it
Dr. Rapaport also recommending using products right after the shower, when pores are dilated.
To learn more about Proactiv, visit their Web site.
Disclosure: I interviewed Dr. Rapaport for this article – and I tried Proactiv for my review last spring (the products were given to me at no cost).
