Okay, we’ve all had our awkward “early high school braces/weird hair/bad skin” phase. Somehow I was spared the bad skin, and when I graduated, I took it as a symbolic sign that I had dodged that bullet. However, upon arriving to college, I started noticing a few problems with my skin that I never really had previously. I like to think I am pretty proficient at makeup, so it was never really a huge concern. As the year has progressed, however, I seem to have less and less time to put on a full face of makeup (especially not to class). In fact, most of the time I like to be able to wake up 15 minutes before my first class and book it there from East Halls with no delay. I decided it was finally time do something about my skin. I had always loathed the celebrity promoted brand Proactiv, but I thought id give it a shot on recommendation of my friend who has had success with their products. Granted, it is only my second day using their system, but so far I am pretty impressed.

I got the Proactiv+ package, which included a Skin Smoothing Exfoliator, Pore Targeting Treatment, Complexion Perfecting Hydrator, Dark Spot Corrector, and Eye Brightening Serum. The company also includes the free gift of a Skin Purifying Mask, and Mark correcting pads (which I have not tried yet, as they are to be used once a week). So far this is what I think:
Skin Smoothing Exfoliator- I really like this as a daily face wash. I have always used drug store brands when it comes exfoliators, and it is clear that the quality of this stuff is far superior. There are little beads in the solution that really scrub the face, but they are soft so they are not too abrasive. So far, the only problem I have run into is that unless it is washed of thoroughly, it dries into little flakes on the skin (but, honestly, its probably my fault for not washing it off correctly).
Pore Targeting Treatment- This product claims to “kill bacteria deep in the pore” when used as part of the daily routine. It is too early to tell if this works yet, but I will cover that in my follow-up blog.
Complexion Perfecting Hydrator- I have VERY dry skin, and I have to say this is the best product I have ever used to combat the problem. The moisturizer is so smooth! I read about it in the reviews online, but I didn’t really understand what people meant. I mean how much different can it really be from my Aveeno daily moisturizer? All I can say is it feels like I’m putting silk on my face.
Dark Spot Corrector- I think dark spots and marks are my biggest problem with my skin, so I am really hoping for the best with this product! I think I have reason to be optimistic. After one day of use, my marks are a little bit lighter, so I am excited to see what a month of use will do.
Eye Brightening Serum- Under eye circles is another skin problem I have been cursed with. Granted, it’s mostly my fault for refusing to sleep at a decent hour. Hopefully this product helps to improve this, although there will be no way for me to tell if it actually did, as I plan to fix my sleeping habits as well.

Okay…brace yourselves…this is me on Day 1 of testing the products with no makeup. I will post a follow-up picture in three weeks, along with updated information on the effectiveness of the products.