Proactiv Solution is an over-the-counter

Over-the-counter drug

Over-the-counter drugs are medicines that may be sold directly to a consumer without a prescription from a healthcare professional, as compared to prescription drugs, which may be sold only to consumers possessing a valid prescription...

 topical

Topical

In medicine, a topical medication is applied to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes such as the vagina, anus, throat, eyes and ears.Many topical medications are epicutaneous, meaning that they are applied directly to the skin...

 treatment for mild to moderate forms of acne

Acne vulgaris

Acne vulgaris is a common human skin disease, characterized by areas of skin with seborrhea , comedones , papules , pustules , Nodules and possibly scarring...

, widely known for being marketed in Guthy-Renker

Guthy-Renker

Guthy-Renker LLC is a direct-response marketer known primarily for selling products in the United States via infomercials. The company also sells products direct to consumer through a variety of media channels via offices in numerous countries...

 infomercials since 1995. Like many acne treatments, the active ingredient is benzoyl peroxide

Benzoyl peroxide

Benzoyl peroxide is an organic compound in the peroxide family. It consists of two benzoyl groups bridged by a peroxide link. Its structural formula is [C6H5C]2O2. It is one of the most important organic peroxides in terms of applications and the scale of its production...

, along with other ingredients such as moisturizer

Moisturizer

Moisturizers or emollients are complex mixtures of chemical agents specially designed to make the external layers of the skin softer and more pliable, by increasing its hydration by reducing evaporation. Naturally occurring skin lipids and sterols as well as artificial or natural oils,...

s and exfoliants.

Indications and possible side effects

Proactiv Solution was created to treat mild to moderate cases of acne. However, it is not guaranteed that the user will ever see results. Like most antibacterials for treating acne, Proactiv Solution uses benzoyl peroxide

Benzoyl peroxide

Benzoyl peroxide is an organic compound in the peroxide family. It consists of two benzoyl groups bridged by a peroxide link. Its structural formula is [C6H5C]2O2. It is one of the most important organic peroxides in terms of applications and the scale of its production...

 as one of the main active ingredient

Active ingredient

An active ingredient is the substance of a pharmaceutical drug or a pharmaceutical ingredient and bulk active in medicine; in pesticide formulations active substance may be used. Some medications and pesticide products may contain more than one active ingredient...

s. Reportedly, Benzoyl peroxide may cause dryness and peeling of the skin; approximately 5 percent of the population is allergic to it. Reported reactions include redness, itching, hives

Urticaria

Urticaria is a kind of skin rash notable for pale red, raised, itchy bumps. Hives is frequently caused by allergic reactions; however, there are many non-allergic causes...

, swelling and a burning sensation after topical application. Benzoyl peroxide may also cause increased sensitivity to sunlight and induce color-specific discoloration of clothes. For those who may be sensitive or allergic to it, Proactiv Solution has marketed the Gentle Formula kit, containing salicylic acid

Salicylic acid

Salicylic acid is a monohydroxybenzoic acid, a type of phenolic acid and a beta hydroxy acid. This colorless crystalline organic acid is widely used in organic synthesis and functions as a plant hormone. It is derived from the metabolism of salicin...

 instead, although it is unclear whether or not salicylic acid can also cause these side effects.

Infomercials and celebrity spokespeople

For several years Judith Light

Judith Light

Judith Ellen Light is an American actress. Her television roles include Karen Wolek on the soap opera One Life to Live, Angela Bower on the sitcom Who's the Boss?, Claire Meade on ABC's TV series Ugly Betty and Judge Elizabeth "Liz" Donnelly on Law & Order Special Victims Unit.-Early life:Light...

 was "the face of Proactiv" acting as their exclusive celebrity on-camera spokeswoman. During this time Judith hosted several infomercials, appeared in commercials, ads and in live-TV segments on QVC.

Guthy-Renker's marketing campaigns make heavy use of celebrity spokespeople (including Vanessa L. Williams

Vanessa L. Williams

Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...

, Alyssa Milano

Alyssa Milano

Alyssa Jayne Milano is an American actress and former singer, known for her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the series Charmed. She was also a series regular on the original Melrose Place portraying the role of...

, Ryan Sheckler

Ryan Sheckler

Ryan Allen Sheckler is an American professional skateboarder and was the star of the MTV reality show, Life of Ryan.-Early life:...

, Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson

Jessica Ann Simpson is an American recording artist, actress, television personality, and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and...

, Michala Banas

Michala Banas

Michala Elizabeth Laurinda Banas is a New Zealand television actress, and singer now living in Australia.-Career:Born in Wellington, New Zealand, she starred in her first commercial at only 18 months of age....

, Delta Goodrem

Delta Goodrem

Delta Lea Goodrem is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress. Signed to Sony at the age of 15, Goodrem rose to prominence in 2002, starring in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker. Goodrem has achieved eight number-one singles and three number-one albums in her home...

, Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...

, Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber

Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...

, Julianne Hough

Julianne Hough

Julianne Alexandra Hough is an American professional ballroom dancer, country music singer and actress. She is most widely known for being a two-time champion of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. She earned a Creative Arts Primetime Emmy nomination in 2007 for choreography...

, Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys

Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...

, Avril Lavigne

Avril Lavigne

Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...

, Jenna Fischer

Jenna Fischer

Regina Marie "Jenna" Fischer is an American actress and director. She is most widely known for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of Pam Halpert on the NBC situation comedy and mockumentary The Office, and has also appeared in several films, including Blades of Glory, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,...

, Mandy Moore

Mandy Moore

Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of...

, Sean Combs

Sean Combs

Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...

, Katy Perry

Katy Perry

Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...

 and Caroline Wozniacki

Caroline Wozniacki

Caroline Wozniacki is a Danish professional tennis player. She is the current world no. 1 on the WTA Tour. As of 7 November 2011, she has held this position for 56 weeks...

), recounting their true-life stories of using the product.