Random - Skincare: To Proactiv or not?

My acne nightmare did not start until my first year of university. My skin was basically clear before that so I didn't know what to do except wonder, 'shouldn't acne be going away at this age instead of emerging?'

My parents freaked out. I was too stressed out over school to properly take care of my skin which made it even worse.

I went to the dermatologist who labeled it 'hormonal acne', recommended creams that didn't work, and pills that I did not feel comfortable taking even if they did clear my skin. Because of the commercials on TV, I went to the mall and bought my first set of Pro-Activ (at the time it was close to $100!). I was desperate to try anything after my confidence took a bad beating.

My first experience with Pro-Activ was a positive one. I followed the system religiously, starting out with only a night application during the first week and increasing it to twice daily like suggested. I never skipped it, even when I had to carry the whole system with me to my best friend's during sleepovers. Summer came and I could go out without any makeup on at all.

Then I began to question all the chemicals in this product. Like many users, my skin hated me when I tried to quit by exploding into breakout hell. I began to look for new products to replace the expensive system. Nothing really gave me that clear skin Proactiv had given me.

My skin was in pretty bad shape in December 2010. I work teaching an after school program and my students thought I had allergies. I'm going to be a teacher soon and that motivated me to put my best face forward =P

When I went back on Pro-Activ in December, I felt like I was at rock bottom. I wanted what it had given me three summers back - the coveted flawless skin. That's not what I got. My acne did not get better. It got worse. Things didn't get better after 3 months. The most logical thing was to quit and find something new but I wanted to use all the product up before moving on. I hate wasting stuff.

At the end of March, I started seeing noticeable results. To speed up the process I began to delve into the Origins skincare line. Their promise of natural product ingredients sounded very appealing to me. The Spot Remover was awesome! A little bit dried out pimples really quickly. I loved it!

I have clear skin now, just some scarring and hyper-pigmentation. I think they could have been preventable if I had started dealing with my acne issues sooner rather than later. It makes my life easier to have a good skincare routine then rely on makeup as my quick fix.

My verdict? I will be repurchasing this system. I don't think Pro-Activ is a miracle product but I'm glad it has worked for me (despite the delay the second time around).

FYI - I have sensitive skin. The system (Cleanser & Toner, 120mL, Repairing Lotion 60mL) lasts me a good 7 months.