Acne is no longer a problem affecting teenage boys or girls only. Many younger or older women (and men) are developing acne problems due to sensitive skin, untreated rashes or pimples, bad skincare products, or external factors such as pollution. Most of the time, acne appears due to excessive sebum, which turns into pimples or black spots when mixed with impurities. Makeup is also a common cause.
Taking care of your skin is essential. Clean and well-nourished skin is not likely to develop acne problems. It means you can avoid using Proactiv altogether.
What is Proactiv and Why Should You Look for Alternatives?
Proactiv is an acne treatment and skin-care product, part of a three-part kit that is sold in many countries. The kit includes a cleanser, toner, and treatment cream. It has quickly become one of the most popular solutions for acne problems.
While Proactiv does work in most cases, its side-effects have made people look for other alternatives. The side-effects include dryness, itchiness, peeling, stinging, and even allergic reactions. Because Proactiv contains benzoyl peroxide, which is a chemical, it can even make your skin addicted to it. The acne will soon reappear after you stop using the product. It’s also relatively expensive. You can do better.
Why is Benzoyl Peroxide Bad?
This chemical has a lot of negative aspects linked to it. It dries out all skin types, stains towels, and cloths, causes redness, bleaches your hair and eyebrows, causes irritation, removes the top layer of your skin, slows the healing process, and it is tested on animals.
What Alternatives Should I Look for?
There are a lot of great alternatives to Proactiv. Choices range from natural health remedies for treating acne to products which have a milder chemical profile that works well for your skin without the unpleasant side effects.
I’ve put together a list of 4 Proactiv alternatives that work, based on personal experiences and online comments and reviews. Keep reading to find out more about them.
1. Aspirin Mask
Aspirin and clay masks can be a wonderful natural alternative to Proactiv acne treatment.
Aspirin is not only a drug that can cure headaches, but it’s also great ally if you are fighting against pimples and acne. It’s an anti-inflammatory that brings inflammation associated with acne down. Aspirin is a cheap alternative to treatments such as Proactiv minus all the negative side effects.
The acid in aspirin takes in excess sebum, dries out pimples, reduces inflammation, and reduces redness. It’s a very powerful exfoliating agent with a micro-abrasive effect. Aspirin exfoliation is used in a lot of professional salons and skincare clinics due to its wonderful properties. Aspirin also reduces fine lines and coloring spots on your skin.
Mask Preparation:
Dissolve an aspirin into some lemon juice and mix it with two tablespoons of clay until they form a paste. Once this is done, add two tablespoons of honey and keep mixing until they fully blend with the paste. You will need to apply the mask on clean and dry skin and leave it for about 20 to 30 minutes before rinsing it with hot water.
If you want to offer your skin the proper care, don’t use tap water for cleaning the mask—choose chamomile tea instead.
2. Clay Masks
Clay is the one thing you should always have around the house if you are suffering from acne.
Clay masks are a must-have for women (or men) with acne-prone skin. It is a wonderful ingredient in natural skin care products. It will do wonders for curing your acne, as long as you accompany it with excellent skincare and healthy dieting. It’s not an all-in-one solution, but can be a powerful system to help clear your skin when used in combination with other healthy habits.
Mask Preparation:
Mix two tablespoons of clay with a little bit of lemon juice and water until they blend. Apply it on clean and dry skin and leave it for about 30 minutes.
Use warm chamomile tea to remove the clay mask and don’t forget to apply a hydrating cream afterward, since clay tends to dry the skin.
3. Cinnamon and Honey Scrub
Apply it on the face and let it sit for as long as you can if you don’t feel any adverse reactions. If you have have sensitive skin. leave it on for 10 minutes.
Do not apply it on irritated or broken skin. If you make too much of it, you can store it in the fridge for future use. Keeping it in the fridge before applying it will smoothen your skin.
Mask Preparation:
To make it, mix equal parts to make a paste. Check the consistency—make sure it’s not too runny.
4. Rose Water
This natural rose water toner can be used throughout the day, but in case you are too busy, it is ok to use it just in the mornings and evenings. It is used in balancing the PH of the skin, which will keep it clear and acne-free
The high antioxidant properties it contains will neutralize and rebalance the skin’s PH.
Mask Preparation:
You can find rose water toner at any drugstore. However, if they are not of high quality, you can substitute it with rose-infused witch hazel. Witch hazel is great for oil control without drying the skin.
Leave a Reply