Well have been using Proactiv for quite some time now, months in fact. The end result is that it works wonders on pimples, but does nothing for blackheads.
At the moment I am using the Proactiv cleanser every morning, followed by the Proactiv toner, followed by the Proactiv Daily Oil Control and lastly followed by a Clarins moisturiser. At night I use a totally different cleanser (usually SKII) and I use the Proactiv Clarifying Night Cream. Once, sometimes twice a week, I use the Proactiv repairing lotion. I can't use it more frequently than that because it burns my skin if I do, I react badly to too much of the Benzoyl Peroxide. I think I have found the right balance with my current routine though.
One thing I have noticed though, is that I can no longer use a liquid foundation. The reason for that is that as wonderful as Proactiv is on pimples, it does cause your skin to dry out ... so I am constantly finding skin peeling off my nose. It's not always noticeable that my skin is peeling ... that is until I apply a liquid foundation, and then the foundation just highlights it and it looks absolutely dreadful. It's then both very obvious that my skin is peeling and it's also equally obvious that I am wearing a liquid foundation ... so it becomes a double whammy. Thus, I have now changed to a bare mineral powder base. I'm finding that better anyway because it looks more natural, it doesn't show that my skin is peeling, it is easy to reapply and it also helps to counter the fact that I have oily skin. Liquid makeup seems to just exacerbate the oily look of my skin by mid afternoon.
All that said, I am currently on holidays in Palm Cove. Because Proactiv makes my skin burn in the sun faster, I chose not to bring any Proactiv products with me. I am just using some normal cleansers and moisturisers this week. WELL .... have I had breakout central! For the past 2 days, my acne has returned. Now I can't say 100% that it is because I am not using Proactiv. It may well be, but I can't be certain. As I am out in the sun every day during this holiday, I am wearing a lot of greasy sunscreen on my face. It's also very warm up here at the moment and I am perspiring ... so it may be the sunscreen that has brought out my acne, it may be the lack of Proactiv use, or more than likely, it's a combination of both of those things.
Regardless, I cannot wait to return to Sydney and start using Proactiv again just to make my skin go back to what it was pre-holiday.