Proactiv launched a new version of their popular acne treatment product and called it New Proactiv. So what’s different? Can this new version really work even if the old formulation didn’t work for you? What do customers say about it? Sit back and take a few minutes to read this review of New Proactiv to find out.
New Proactiv – what’s really new?
Despite the fanfare not much has changed. Both the old and new formulation contains exactly the same ingredients. The only thing the company did was to grind benzoyl peroxide into finer particles.
In the old version of Proactiv BP particles were larger. Sometimes this causes the benzoyl peroxide particles to clump on the surface of the skin. They kinda gathered into a few spots. BP can be quite harsh so having clumps of it on the skin can cause ‘hot spots’ of irritation, as the company puts it. This can partially explain why Proactiv causes irritation and redness for some people.
In New Proactiv BP is ground into fine ‘micro-crystals’. These finer particles can penetrate deeper into the skin and are thus divided more evenly. In theory this could make the product more effective and reduce irritation.
Better, but…
On the other hand the cleanser still has exfoliating beads. These beads are simply way too harsh for people with even moderately sensitive skin.
There’s also the issue that BP depletes vitamin E levels from the skin. And if you aren’t getting sufficient vitamin E from your diet then using benzoyl peroxide leaves your skin more vulnerable to inflammation and actually makes it more acne prone.
What customers say about the New Proactiv?
Unfortunately I could find a very few comparisons between the old and new Proactiv formulations. One person did say that the cleanser still feels “scrubby” and causes irritation to her skin. This is probably due to the exfoliating beads.
Reading overall Proactiv reviews it’s obvious that the product is too harsh for many people. And these complaints also come from people who use the new formulation.
Where to buy
If you are interested in trying New Proactiv, I suggest you get it from Amazon. That way Proactiv cannot enroll you into their auto-billing programs, and you’ll often get it cheaper, too!
Bottom line
The New Proactiv is still Proactiv. Aside from finer particle size nothing has changed. This can make the product slightly gentler and more effective. But if you the old formulation didn’t work for you it’s unlikely you would get much better results from New Proactiv.