I've used this mask for years. When I was younger (teens and early twenties) I had oily acne prone skin and used the entire Proactiv system. Now that I'm 30 and my skin has dried out, I use this mask once, or twice a week to clear my pores and to calm inflamed pimples. It works best after a shower when skin is soft and the "gunk," in your Tzone is soft, too. I apply, hang out for twenty or thity minutes and rinse with warm water, or exfoliate with a warm wash cloth. Results are not permanent, but for a few days at least, bye bye blackheads. Remember, for BEST results, use this mask after your shower, or steam your face carefully over a pot of hot water with a towel (to catch the steam) and apply when skin is warm and soft. =o) Proactiv Solution Refining Mask 2.5 Oz
This product contains sulfur, a non-synthetic antibacterial compound. In theory, bacteria see the sulfur and absorb it because it looks so much like vitamin D to them. Through an unknown mechanism, this kills the bacteria. Neat!
On a side note, i paid $9.50 for this product. Their price fluctuates daily, so add it to your cart and wait for the best price.
I was once a Proactiv user and eventhough my skin is oily it became very dry. I quit using Proactiv and then realized I needed to use a spot treatment. I tried everything but it either left me looking blotchy or it overdried my skin. I ordered just this refining mask and use everytime I feel something coming on. It works over night! I spot treat lightly at night and in the morning I do the same under my makeup. I LOVE IT!! I hope it's a product I'll be able to obtain from here on out. =}
So I've used tons of acne products, and when I say tons I mean pretty much everything that's available in stores, and then several prescription products. I tried Proactiv, and it really only succeeded in drying my skin out and actually making my acne even worse. The only product in the entire Proactiv system that I actually saw good results with is this refining mask.
I don't use the mask on my entire face, I just use it as an overnight spot treatment. I use a cotton swab to just dab a little bit on the surface of any pimples I have on my face, I let it dry, and I go to sleep with it on. Usually by morning the spot has reduced in size by at least half, or it's completely gone.
If you're someone who has dry, acne-prone skin, you'll have to use it sparingly, because it does really dry your skin.
I tried the Proactive system when I was in high school. I didn't feel that it worked any better than anything else I had tried already. But I absolutely love this mask! I use it as a spot treatment and it works very well!
This product is a life saver. If you have a pimple starting you just put a dab of the mask on go to sleep and wake up the next morning and it is gone. Also if you use it as a weekly mask it leaves your face feeling so tight, soft and refreshed. Worth every penny
I had very severe acne growing up and all throughout most of high school. The Proactiv kit itself didn't really work for me because it was too harsh, but the refining mask always helped clear up some of my worst acne. Since I have very sensitive skin, I have a hard time finding products that won't irritate my skin or make the problem worse. Lately, I've been having a few bouts of acne, so I decided to buy the refining mask by itself to help me with spot treatments. It's still the same as it was 10 years ago! I use a small amount on a pimple and after the first application, the redness goes away. When I use it again on the same area on the second day, the acne starts to disappear, and by the third day, it's usually gone or nowhere near as visible.
I would recommend following the directions as stated on the product: wet the area before application, leave on for 10 minutes, and rinse off. I find that leaving it on any longer will make my skin too dry, as the product is intended to draw out the toxins on the affected area. You can use it as a facial once in a while, but the size of the bottle is pretty small, so it lasts longer to use as a spot treatment. I would also recommend using it right after you come out of the shower, as your skin is thoroughly moisturized and your pores are in better shape for the product.
Lastly, I'd recommend that you use a very thin layer of the product when you're applying it to your skin. Other reviewers have complained that it dries out your skin, which can be true depending on what type of skin you have. Although my skin is very sensitive, I find that applying a thin layer rather than spreading it on think really makes a difference for me.
I got the Proactiv Solution Refining Mask as a freebie with my purchase of a 90 day 5-step system, and for awhile, I was really happy with it. Although applying this mask as a spot treatment on my blemishes did not provide the "and my pimple totally disappeared overnight" effect that many customers swear by in the commercial; it did succeed in drying up my acne, relieving any active zits of their redness, and generally accelerating the rate at which they healed. However, when I applied this as a mask to my entire face and left it on for the recommended 10 minutes, it completely tore up my skin. It was extremely itchy, covered in small white bumps and big red blotches. A few of my friends had a similar experience, and we all decided that we must be sensitive to the active ingredient in the Proactiv Solution Refining Mask: Sulfur. This mask smells very unpleasant--just like sulfur--and I cannot consciously recommend this product after my own negative experience. However, I am not discounting this product as unworthy. A lot of people have had success with it, and I am sure that it is not a "bad" product. But I don't think that it would benefit very sensitive skin types, as sulfur can cause more harm than good.'
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