whatever

Erin - Hi Meg! I used Proactive and was so hopeful it would work I stuck with it for 2 years. It made my skin worse! On top of that, they put you on an auto refill program. It was a big hassle to try and discontinue you “subscription”–I would say don’t do it!

Valerie @ Chateau a la mode - Proactive was a waste of money at our house! Maybe I’m too late for an opinion but saw this. Our dermatologist. told us not to believe those commercials. Good luck cuz pimples suck 😉

AnnMarie Denis - Proactive will stain your towels. It has bleach in it or something b/c whenever I used it and tried drying my face it left giant bleach stains on it.

Cory - Have used proactive for years and LOVE it! My skin is super dry and the lotion is very gentle.

Valerie - I bought this last year ( Wacoal Women’s Sport Bra #855170) at Amazon and it’s the first sports bra that I’ve ever liked. I’ve always wished I could wear the cute kind, but alas.

I want to buy the Clairisonic. I’ve been thinking about it, but the price makes me choke a little. I should do it.

Linda - I highly, highly recommend Mary Kay products. When my daughter was in those great teenage years she used the acne treatment gel and other skin care and even though we had gone to a dermatologist and could have paid megabucks for his recommendations, the Mary Kay provided her with much success and at a very reasonable cost – plus no ruined washcloths or towels. 🙂 And she has “graduated” into their other skin care products as a young mother. Feel free to email me at lbt2060@gmail.com if you’d like to know more.

Deb Meyers - Don’t know about Proactiv, but wow, Adam Levine had serious acne? That’s encouraging for anybody, right?

How about sharing the Clarisonic with them?

Reducing sugar and wheat makes a big difference with any skin issues in our family. But that’s hard to do if the teen isn’t on board. So maybe introducing green smoothies (Start with Naked brand) would help.

d meyers

Rachael - I have used proactiv. It was not a life changer for me. About two years ago I started using a RX facial cream at night called Clindamycin and it changed everything. It’s very gentle feeling, no strong smell and it WORKS. My face is completely cleared up and both my teen daughters use it and have clear skin as well. 🙂

Maria - Hi Meg, re: Proactive…it does work, when nothing else seemed to work for my young teen. Then real downside is you will end up with boxes of step 2 & 3 under the sink, and they only ever run out of step 1. But you cannot order individually without paying way too much. I hate that! She has now been using Xout (also sold on TV) which is sold individually, and seems to work as good.

Shelley - Ok, I suffered for years and years with acne (it started when I was 12, I’m 38 now)and about 2 years I finally cleared my skin up, but it wasn’t with proactive. It’s an amazingly cheap all natural product called sea buckthorn oil. There is soap and oil and serums etc, but highly recommend the bar soap and oil for spot treatment. BP is so hard on skin and through my own experience, a temporary fix. All I use on my skin now are all natural products, I am done with chemicals…Good luck, I can sympathize with anyone (especially kids) who have acne…

Jennifer - I used Proactiv a million years ago, at least 15. While it didn’t do miracles for my skin, I did want to warn you about the issue I had-it has benzoyl peroxide and you have to be really careful with it. It ruined my towels, my sheets and the front of some of my clothing. I obviously wasn’t careful enough with it, but I ruined a lot of stuff. I found out my breakouts were related to diet coke believe it or not. I love that stuff in spite of all the scary warnings-but as soon as I quit it, my face cleared up.

Michele - I used Proactiv in my early 20’s and it worked…at first. Then it just stopped working. It made bleach stains on my pillows, sheets, shirt/jacket collars, etc! 🙁 I now use Purpose soap and Purpose lotion and my skin is very clear. I think a good diet is key. Try having your kids drink plain lemon water (with a straw to protect their teeth). It’s made a big difference for me. During football season, my son uses Coalface by Lush and it keeps his face clear. It’s just too drying in the winter–right now he uses the Purpose face wipes. Not fun for a teen, but laying off the fries, soda, chips, sugar, etc helps. When my son eats like crap, you can see it on his face!

Julie - When I was 13, my mom took me to the Clinique counter at the mall and bought the basic care system for me (the bar of soap, the toner and the lotion). The rule was I had to take care of my face before I could start wearing makeup, and it was impressed upon me that these products were expensive but would only work if I used them diligently. The other rule was, no hands on faces! I was fortunate to not be predisposed to serious acne, but I never had more than an occasional pimple.

I buy bras from Bare Necessities online — and I, too, overbuy, knowing I will send at least a couple back! BN has a good returns policy. I hate searching for bras in the store!

Michelle - My son used Proactiv when he was around 15 and it really didn’t work that well. You have to be so thorough with the whole system and he was not good about that. We started ordering from Melaleuca shortly after and their similar product worked much better. Don’t know if you’d heard of this company out of Idaho. They have natural cleaning products, etc. The most significant difference came one lent season and he gave up all beverages and only drank water. He lost 10 pounds and his acne cleared dramatically. I really blame dairy like milk and cheese for most of the problems. My husband, who is 54, even had breakouts and since giving up dairy he no longer does. Happy Craft Weekend!

Lisa - I use tea tree soap from Goat Milk Stuff. I love supporting the family owned company and it works amazingly!! I would suggest at least trying it before you spend proactive kind of money! It’s all natural so I like that too, proactive was too harsh on my skin and didn’t do much.

Karey - Proactive is the only thing that works for my skin. It didn’t work for me to get the shipments in the mail because I was receiving more than I was using. There is a proactive vending machine in the Wichita towne east mall outside of Dillard’s. I always buy from there and can get the specific product I need when I need it. They do have little trial boxes. You could get one for your kids and let them try it out. Oh, and I love your blog by the way. I live in the same town as you and have run into u sometimes in the north grocery store. I always want to say hi but then feel silly 🙂

Lori H - Meg, my kids used ProActive for a while and it did seem to work. I consulted our dermotologist and she said that it works because the kids see it as a “program” and therefore use it per instructions. But when used faithfully, most acne products would work as well. One downside to ProActive, my kids are in college and I STILL get regular emails from them asking me to “come back” – even after asking them to stop 🙂

Martha - My son used Proactive and it worked great….at first. It stopped working after a few months. An elderly Hispanic woman that he worked with told him to use honey. We googled it and found a recipe using honey, lemon juice and baking soda. It’s easy, natural and it works! The only draw back is it’s a bit messy but, hey I think it’s worth a try!

laura oyler - 2 more things I forgot to mention-1. Obagi doesn’t bleach anything like Proactiv apparently does. 2. It is a multiple step system that is supposed to be done 2x a day, but I only do it at night and it still works great for me!

Michelle - When I met my husband, he had extremely bad, cystic acne and had been using Proactive for about 3 months. He was very disciplined about using it, too – he used all the products and followed the directions EXACTLY. Just between you and me, it never did any good.

Changing his diet helped (as a single guy, he was eating a lot of take out, greasy stuff, etc.).

Now we both use just sunflower oil mixed with castor oil (I use the same combination to remove my makeup). We also use Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner. I wash my face at night and use the toner in the morning after I shower. He washes his face at night and immediately uses the toner. In the shower, we both just rub our faces gently with a washcloth.

I had a Clarisonic, but my sister is a microbiologist and she was totally skeeved out at what kind of bacteria could be hanging around in the brush heads. So, I’m back to using washcloths. (I bought 40 white washcloths and 40 white hand towels at IKEA that are ONLY FOR FACES.) I love my husband and childrens to bits, but I don’t want to wash my face with the same cloths they wash their feet with – even if I launder it in between.

Amy - I love the MyChelle teen line for my 12 year old daughter. It has a cleanser, clarifying pads, balancing cream, and a spot treatment.

Love my Mia 2! 🙂

tracy fisher - hi meg. I had to respond regarding teen zits!! haha. my daughter has to keep her skin as clean as possible due to some modeling she’s working on… we LOVE the Mary Kay little trial kit for zit zapping. I can’t remember what it’s called. If you need the info, email me at tfisherart@comcast.net. brooke loves it and I am happy that she loves it. and it is really affordable (that’s really why I like it..haha). teen skin is so fickle. I’ve been away creating a new blog and trying to figure out life in general. i’m back. looking forward to catching up on a month or two of your posts this weekend. tracy fisher

Chelsea - Skincare is such a tricky thing. What works for some doesn’t always work for others. I personally couldn’t handle Proactive, it burned my skin like crazy. It also hasn’t done anything for my teens acne, but I know it works for some people. My recommendation would be to see your dermatologist, sometimes taking an antibiotic or getting on accutane is more successful than using an intense line of cleansers. Especially with teenagers who most likely won’t follow all the steps that some of the skincare lines require. Good Luck and I’d love to know what you end up doing…..

Michelle Skalet - I used Proactiv for awhile and it seemed to work really well. I had to be careful though because I have sensitive skin and if I’d use it too much… my skin would start to look like leather… especially below my eyes. I later switched to the walmart equate version of Proactiv and I thought it worked exactly the same. It’s less than 1/2 the cost of Proactiv too!

Bec - Proactiv was really awful for me. It basically burned off the top layer of my skin and left my face raw and dry. Target brand cream cleanser and their blackhead scrub plus a light moisturizer have been my winners. I use the Norwex face cloth as well, but probably not a requirement for kids. Change their pillow cases often 🙂 and push water drinking. Much cheaper than proactiv!

Kristin S - Randoms are my fave.

Sports bras. I’m a 34DDDD and hate to bounce. Moving Comfort Fiona is my all time favorite. I don’t like ones I have to maneuver over my head when it’s all wet and sweaty. I sweat. A lot. It has to have a back clasp. They carry them lots of places but I try to hunt for them on sale.
http://www.rei.com/product/718027/moving-comfort-fiona-sports-bra

Have a fantastic weekend!

Angela - Check out this guide. While you’re there, read the measuring advice as well. So many women wear the wrong size!
http://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/wiki/sports_bras

Lori - My 14 yo daughter has used Acne Free (for sensitive skin) for a year and it has worked well for her…try it out it out since it’s easy to pick up locally! Also, if Acne Free doesn’t work for your kids, Clarisonic has a teen kit…more pricey but you already know how awesome it is so it might be worth it!

Necole@seriouslysassymama - I had acute cystic acne in my early 20’s, and proactive did not work for me. It is probably good for basic teenager acne. I use a glycolic scrub from dermae.

Wendy - I love my Clarisonic!! I use it with Neutrogena Naturals face wash. I’ve never used Proactive for my children but my sister has used it for her daughter with severe acne but with no improvement (and this young lady followed the instructions religiously).

Verena - Love the MIA!!! Have mine for almost two years! Use it every day , still going strong. Def.worth it’s money!

Jess Noble - Proactive totally works. I still use it!

Midwest - Has anyone tried the Olay ProX cleansing brush? I’m wondering if it works as well. Even if you had to replace it after a year, it’s SO much cheaper. I’ve been wondering about proactive for my 15 yr old too. So thanks for asking!

Marla - I have used ProActiv for about 10 yrs now and I love it. I use the 3-step system(cleanser, toner, lotion) and none of the misc. products that go with it. It has never stopped working for me and I won’t stop using it, even though I’m mid 30’s now. Yes, be sure to use an old towel(or white!) to dry your face afterwards and an old tshirt b/c it will bleach. I say give it a try! And the bottles do last longer than what they say…the 30 days or 60 days, I can usually get to last me an extra month.

Jenni - I would recommend Rodan and Fields. It is sold by independent consultants ( I don’t sell it), people have great success with all sorts of skin issues. Here’s my friends info who does sell it: https://eeandersons.myrandf.com/

Jennifer - I used ProActiv years ago before my wedding, and it worked well for me. It is pretty pricey though. I think I only used it for maybe 6 months.

I have also tried the AcneFree kind, and it worked OK. I felt like ProActiv didn’t dry my skin out as badly, but I didn’t have teenager skin/acne either.

The key to any of it is USING it. Once it became a habit, it wasn’t so bad, but you have to force yourself to do all three steps nightly. I’ve never been very good about keeping up with habits like this, and I know I wouldn’t have done it when I was a teen.

If you’re on the fence about a teenager using it, maybe you could try the store brand and give them 2 months. If they use it consistently for that long and it’s not working (or is too harsh), you could spring for the ProActiv.

I will say the ProActive refining mask is the best thing I’ve ever used. You could put a dab on a zit and sleep with it on, and the zit was gone the next day. Awesome for those times when you break out right before a big event.

Margaret - 1) I have to agree with everyone else about ProActiv. It worked for about a year before it seemed to stop and I switched to something else. A few years later my acne was bad enough that I tried it again and it stopped working after about 6 months that time. I bought new towels and realized it bleached them after 1 or 2 uses. So I called it quits with ProActiv for good.
2) I want a Clarisonic so badly. Everyone I know who uses it loves them. I may have to splurge for that soon.

Siew - I LOVE my Clarisonic Mia. Its silly, when I rave on about it I get people to touch my cheek, which they think is kind of weird until they see how smooth it is. Like a baby’s bottom. Its the best.

Vanessa - OK about ProActiv – It works! For a while – and then it’s sort of like antibiotics; if you use it too long then it isn’t as effective. The bad part – the acne gets worse in the first couple of weeks (but then it works!), it turns every washcloth/towel you own bleached so you have to use white for EVERYTHING – including pillow cases. That was the kicker for me! I hated everything being stained and I liked my colored towels/pillow cases! It even stained collars on shirts, but it DOES work!

Jenn - I order multiples of things and return all but one all the time. You are not alone.

Good to know about the Clarisonic. I’ve been wanting to get one.

Happy Craft Weekend! One day I’ll be there.

kimberly oyler - any person on the whole planet that i know who has used proactiv said it quit working after a year.

Emily - Love it.
Three things.
1. I use Acne Free every summer (breakout season) and love it. Was about to try Proactive and my friend suggested Acne Free. Takes care of all my issues.
2. Lululemon bras are worth the price.
3. I guess I need a Clairisonic! 🙂
Have a GREAT Craft Weekend! Tell Jess hi!

Ruth Elder - I have a pretty easy recipe for CCP that I have perfected over the years. Happy to share it, if you are interested.

Mindy - A dog, a book and some comfy jammies – sigh…what a way to spend a day. I have been wondering about the Monuments Men so glad to hear your take on it. Our daughter loved Full House growing up and I am a Tom Hanks fan so I am off to check out your video : )

Valerie @ Chateau a la mide - Haha, i’m still waiting for my Alice. I love hiow Carol just helps out with dinner, too funny!

Love that Lauren had a special birthday. Glad she is doing well at school.

Loved the Tom Hanks thingy and by the way, I saw the Beach Boys in concert and they stank! I’ve never been to a concert that bad since. It was so obvious they didn’t care to be there. Just a little side note 😉

Happy Wednesday!

Kristen K - Meg…if I could do my house/crafts over again, I’d fill this primitive/traditionally-decorated home with vintage treasures & rainbows & polka dots & chickens & pets. Four kids, 2 kittens, and the love of my life is what fills it now (which is awesome!)…and a lot of dreams! But I’ve spent most of my life living to make someone else’s dreams come true, and I’m just plain chicken to ask God what my own dreams might look like. So many have come true in my family alone…but I long to turn my creative gifts and passions into something more, something for Him. When I start to get excited and dream…my brain fills up with doubt, someone gets sick, I forget to defrost the chicken for dinner (I hate cooking…least rewarding mom-job ever in my book!)…and I put off dreaming for another day/month/year. SO…thank you for sharing what’s making your heart sing, with all the speed bumps and blessings along the way. I am encouraged by you and the life you live for God – and I love your blog! Thank you! 🙂

Kirsten J - What a fun list! I’ve cried over pie crusts before. Don’t cry, though! This is the best : http://zitzmanfam.blogspot.com/2013/01/chicken-pot-pie-crumble.html
Only I cook the crumbles separately or they get soggy. And I add extra broth.

Barbara (WA) - I feel the exact same way about cooking. And I am going to find that book, it’s just what I am thinking about presently. Thank you!

Tanya - I’m reading the Holley Gerth book version right now and your description doesn’t seem weird. It *is* a lot to take in. I probably would’ve done better with the devotional.
I am just so happy with the living room pic and your opinion that your house is trashed, cause it just makes me feel not alone in the chaos that can be a house full of kids. Thanks for taking that pic and then posting it – for reals.

Jennifer - Is the book by Holley Gerth suitable for a man to read too? My husband and I feel that this is his year to determine his dream from God and next steps for the future. I am looking for resources to help us walk through this together but I know Holley usually writes for women.

Laura - When you feel up for trying again, my sister’s recipe for pot pie is fool proof and delicious. and PLEASE buy the crust! Pillsbury (the roll out one) I don’t make it often because: gluten because: carbs because: cellulite, but the kids love it. Recipe in link below.

http://reigningitin.blogspot.com/2008/09/my-first-ever-cooking-post.html