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updated from Paula

ProActiv Skin Care
ProActiv is a small group of products aimed at those with breakouts. It was created and endorsed by two dermatologists, Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields, who market these products via celebrity-filled TV infomercials and on their Web site. Their promises of results are so over-exaggerated that someone should take these doctors to task for their un-medical hype and hyperbole. While I don¡¯t doubt their dermatologic expertise, the notion that their products are the be-all and end-all for acne is at best misleading and, coming from physicians, shockingly inappropriate; but so many doctors are into the skin-care game it¡¯s hard to be shocked by this anymore. Some percentage of people will benefit from this routine (it contains the basics that are necessary for over-the-counter treatment of acne), but it¡¯s definitely not for everyone, and every dermatologist knows this (just check out the American Academy of Dermatology Web site at aad.org, for example, on their recommendations for battling blemishes). It also goes without saying that other lines offer many less expensive versions of all the ProActiv products.

Some of the ProActiv products are very good, while some of their other product formulations are problematic for some skin types. Plus, many of the products contain fragrance, which is a particularly egregious oversight from a so-called dermatologic line. Finally, the prices are steep for what you get, unless of course you join their club. In order to get your first order at the discount price ($39.95 plus shipping), you need to agree to automatic shipments of the same four products for $39.95 plus shipping every two months. If you want to pick and choose which products work best for you, the price goes up considerably. My constant reminder to all of you who are trying to take good care of your skin is to pick and choose carefully, and to remember that battling blemishes takes experimenting to find the products that work for you. [The complete ProActiv Skin Care review from my book Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me may be purchased from my site.]

Renewing Cleanser ($16 for 4 ounces) contains 2.5% benzoyl peroxide. Though benzoyl peroxide is an effective disinfectant for breakouts, putting it in a cleanser doesn¡¯t make much sense. You not only risk getting in your eyes but you also rinse the effective ingredient down the drain before it can work. To counter that issue, the directions suggest massaging your face with the cleanser for 1 to 2 minutes. Even assuming you have the time to do this, leaving the cleansing agent base on your skin for that long can be irritating to skin. There are other ways to get the benefits of benzoyl peroxide. This contains ground-up plastic (polyethylene) as the abrasive material.

Oil Free Moisture with SPF 15 ($25 for 1.7 ounces) is a good, in-part titanium dioxide¨Cbased sunscreen in an ordinary moisturizing base. This is pricey for such an exceptionally basic sunscreen that lacks any antioxidants or water-binding agents. It does have a fairly matte finish, but the titanium dioxide can be a problem for someone with breakouts.

Repairing Lotion ($21.75 for 2 ounces) contains 2.5% benzoyl peroxide. This is a fine benzoyl peroxide product, but it doesn¡¯t repair anything in the skin; it only disinfects. Keep in mind there¡¯s nothing special or unique about this benzoyl peroxide lotion; you can find several products just like it in the acne section at your local drugstore.

Advanced Blemish Treatment ($17 for 0.33 ounce) is a 6% benzoyl peroxide solution. However, the fourth ingredient is alcohol, which makes this unnecessarily drying and irritating. There are far more gentle 5% and 10% benzoyl peroxide products at the drugstore for a fraction of this price.