I've never used
Proactive, but I would look at its active ingredients to see what is working for you. A down side to Proactive is that I think they use microbeads, which can tear your skin and are really bad for the water supply. They've actually been banned in some states because of this. If the microbeads are no longer present, ignore that.
For acne, the main things most people look at are clearing any underlying bacterial problem, reducing inflammation and exfoliating. Personally, for my body, I found that manual exfoliation helped tremendously. So I use a Clarisonic (Smart Profile model). Some people don't like Clarisonic brushes because they think bacteria in acne will stay in the brush head.
I use a cleansing spray between uses, wash my brush heads once a week, and replace them every 3-4 months and haven't seen an issue.
Chemical exfoliation is another option. There are
Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) and Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA). You can use either or both, depending on your needs. This is a great "cheat sheet" about the differences between AHAs and BHAs:
https://i.imgur.com/iNjIZR0.jpg . So if your primary concern is acne, your first choice would be a BHA to help clear active breakouts. Salicylic acid is the most common choice, and it is normally used in most acne treatments because of this. Proactive might already have this in their body wash. (I would google, but I think there are different products, and I don't want to spout off wrong information.) Even if they do have it in the wash, you could add a BHA about 10 minutes after you shower. You can order a serum online, like at Paula's Choice, or you can get something like Stridex Maximum Strength pads at most grocery or drugstores. It's important to note that some people--not most, but some--have a salicylic acid allergy. Thus they spent their teen years using acne washes, only to make their skin worse. Definitely patch test and monitor your skin any time you add a new product. And try to only add one at a time, so you know how you react to each.
An AHA would be useful after you have adjusted to the Proactive and any other BHA or physical exfoliation you might add. An AHA will help build collagen in your skin and even out your skin tone. It will also help your skin to retain moisture, which will help since you are using drying products. You want to make sure you wait after applying an AHA or BHA before you moisturize. I would recommend at least 10 minutes, but if you're in a hurry, at least let the products dry before moisturizing. AHAs also cause you to be more reactive to the sun, so you want to either not expose yourself to the sun much, or use sunscreen regularly, or both.
......
Re: fungal issues, many people think they have acne when they actually have folliculitis. Products like tea tree oil (some people aren't very tolerant to it, so patch test and use a carrier oil if necessary--mixing with water will be ineffective) and selenium sulfide (found in many dandruff shampoos) can clear that up.
Some last thoughts: since acne has a lot to do with inflammation, I personally do see an improvement when I have fewer simple carbs in my diet. I also see an improvement when I balance my omega 6 and 3 more (fish oil supplements, watching what I eat). I saw you mentioned cocoa butter in one post, and this is very
comodogenic (clogs pores) for a lot of people. I can only tolerate it on my shins--anywhere else, I get huge breakouts. You also mentioned CeraVe, which IMO, is a great moisturizer.
Make sure you're showering regularly in luke warm water, using a fresh towel, and washing your sheets at least once a week.
Hope some of this helps.
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