Proactiv Revitalizing Toner Review | Proactiv Solution Info Center

Proactiv promises that this alcohol-free toner opens the skin pores and soothes and hydrates acne prone skin. In this review of Proactiv Revitalizing Toner we put that to test.

Take a few minutes to learn the essentials of this product. From real user views to what science has to say about the ingredients.

All here so you can make an informed decision instead of falling for the hype.

About Proactiv Toner

This is the second step in the Proactiv Solution 3-step acne treatment program. The toner helps to keep the skin pores open by removing dead skin cells from the surface.

Most skin problems are characterized by weak skin barrier function. This means that the skin has a hard time keeping bacteria and dirt out and keeping moisture in the skin. Weak skin barrier function leads to dry and irritated skin.

Proactiv toner has botanical ingredients that studies have shown to improve skin barrier function by helping the skin to retain more moisture. The result is that the skin is less prone to infection and inflammation and you are less likely to get pimples.

A more detailed review of the ingredients follows later.

The product has mild fragrance, like a slight undertone of rose. As alcohol-free toner this shouldn’t irritate the skin. You still want to be careful applying it to open wounds or other sensitive areas as it can sting.

Proactiv Revitalizing Toner divides customer into 2 groups

Proactiv toner divides people into two groups. There are a lot of people who say they love this product. For them the other products in the Proactive Solution 3-step system are too drying. So they dropped the other products, but keep using the toner.

On the other hand there are also people who say the completely opposite. They say this product is useless. They keep using the other Proactiv products, but dropped the toner because it had no effect on the skin.

Other than some people saying this didn’t do anything for them I couldn’t find too many complaints about the product.

On the positive note people say the Proactiv toner calms the skin. It helps to reduce redness and irritation. One user called this as “awesome redmark terminator”. Other praise includes leaving the skin feeling smooth and matte.

How Proactiv Revitalizing Toner works

To understand how this product works we have to look at the ingredients. Here’s a scientific review of the main active ingredients and what they can do for your skin.

Glycolic acid

Glycolic acid is one of the main ingredients in Proactiv toner. It’s a form of AHA (alpha hydoxy acid). AHAs are weak acids that weaken the bonds between the cells in the outer layer of the skin. This helps them to shed faster and brings new, healthy skin cells to the surface. This also unclogs pores by removing the dead skin cells that block them.

The result is that your skin looks and feels healthier and you are less likely to get acne because the skin pores are open.

Panthenol

Wikipedia says panthenol is used in treatment of sunburns and minor skin problems. In summary, it improves skin hydration, reduces itching and inflammation and improves wound healing.

Looking at published research on panthenol I came up with the following benefits:

One study found that applying lotion containing panthenol and vitamin B3 lead to significant improvement in hyperpigmentation (red marks) and evened skin tone.
A few studies found that panthenol reduces skin irritation and improves skin barrier repair after injury. This is important because weakened skin barrier cannot keep bacteria and dirt out of your skin and thus leads to more acne.
One study showed that panthenol reduces moisture loss from the skin and actually improves skin hydration by binding more water into it.
Some studies also show that panthenol improves skin regeneration and thus wound healing.

Witch hazel (Hamamelis Virginiana)

Witch hazel is another common herbal ingredient in skin care products. As an astringent it helps to remove excess oil from the skin. It can also tighten the skin and make your pores smaller.

Other benefits of witch hazel:

Strongly anti-inflammatory. Witch hazel contains polyphenols that research has found to be highly anti-inflammatory. They can protect the skin against damage from bacteria, sunlight and pollution.
Improves skin hydration. Witch hazel acts on the natural moisturizing factor in the skin and helps to bind more moisture to it.
Reduces redness. Witch hazel contains ingredients that contracts the blood vessels in the skin. This means less blood to the skin and helps to reduce irritating redness that usually goes with acne.

Allantoin

This was covered in Proactiv green tea moisturizer review, so I’ll just copy it here.

Allantoin is one of those little-known yet critically important ingredients in skin care products. It comes from the roots of comfrey plant.

Along with Zinc PCA it’s one of the natural moisturizing factors and thus helps to bind and retain moisture in the skin.

Because of its keratolytic effects allantoin helps with scar healing. It softens the hard, outer layer of the skin. This causes them to shed faster and allows healthy skin to come to the surface.

Allantoin also soothes and protects the skin from irritation and damage.

Other ingredients

Sodium PCA (pyrrolidone carbonic acid) – Sodium PCA is part of the natural moisturizing factor in the skin. It absorbs moisture from the air and binds it to the skin. This hydrates the skin and improves skin barrier function. It’s a naturally occurring substance in the skin. The result is that the skin heals faster and bacteria and dirt have a harder time getting into the skin.
Chamomile – Soothing ingredient that reduces inflammation, redness and irritation in the skin.

Where to buy

Proactiv toner normally comes with their 3-step acne treatment kit. And unless you are a member of their ‘club’ you can’t buy this product individually from their website.

However you can find this from Amazon at better prices than you would get from Proactiv. You also don’t have to worry about the company billing your credit card every month for product you don’t want.

Conclusion and recommendations

Proactiv toner divides customer into two groups: those who can’t praise it enough and those who say it’s useless.

Overall customer opinion is that this is a good product. It does what it says on the bottle: exfoliates, calms and hydrates the skin.

These results are backed by science. Studies show that ingredients help to repair skin barrier function, retain moisture in the skin and reduce inflammation. In the end you are left with healthier skin that is less prone to acne.

Of course no product works for everybody and you have to try it out for yourself. User reviews and studies show that this is one of the better products and worth trying.

However it is better to get it from Amazon at first. You’ll get a better price and don’t have to worry about auto-billing.

Click here to check the current price at Amazon.

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