Products
Proactiv is a registered trademark of Alchemee/Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. The brand's primary products are three-step kits comprising a cleanser, toner/treatment and lotion/moisturizer, which sells for $36 a month in the United States.
The Revitalizing Toner contains glycolic acid, Aloe Barbadensis leaf juice, and witch hazel, an astringent. The active ingredient in the cleanser and lotion, outside Europe, is a 2.5% concentration of micro-crystal benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide has been used since 1934 to kill Cutibacterium acnes, the bacterium that causes acne. Several over-the-counter acne treatments contain it, including Clean & Clear, Clearasil, Doctor's Dermatologic Formula, Neutrogena Advanced Systems, PanOxyl and Stridex.
In 2013, Proactiv+ was introduced, it is a paraben-free three-step kit comprising an exfoliating cleanser (Skin Smoothing Exfoliator), treatment (Pore Targeting Treatment) and hydrating moisturizer (Complexion Perfecting Hydrator). The exfoliator contains 2.5% micro-crystal benzoyl peroxide, the treatment contains 2.5% encapsulated benzoyl peroxide, and a moisturizer with 0.5% salicylic acid. It is more hydrating than the original program and designed for dry-to-sensitive skin types.
Sales and marketing
Sales
Proactiv is marketed and distributed by Guthy-Renker and is responsible for about half the company's revenue. Sales of Proactiv amounted to $800 million as of 2010. 70% of sales were in the United States as of 2007.
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The product is available in some stores, including Boots in the UK, and in kiosks and vending machines (known as ZoomShops) in malls and airports through a partnership between American Kiosk Management and Guthy-Renker. But the product is mostly sold online or through a toll-free number directly by Guthy-Renker; 60% of Proactiv orders were placed online as of 2010. In 2016, Proactiv began selling their products at Ulta Beauty.
Continuity program
Alchemee sells Proactiv as part of a continuity program, also known as a negative-option offer, whereby customers are sent repeat orders of the program until they cancel their subscription. When purchasing directly from the company, customers automatically become members of a Proactiv club. A month after ordering, and every three months thereafter, they are sent a three-month supply costing $34.95 (in the US as of 2022). They are billed monthly until they cancel the subscription. The approach is based on the customer lifetime value model.
Commercials and advertising
At the time Guthy-Renker owned Proactiv, they had a media budget of $200 million for the brand, much of it spent on air-time, and was spending another $12–15 million a year on celebrity endorsements. Justin Bieber for example, was paid $3 million over two years. Its infomercials have featured celebrities who have themselves suffered from acne problems; the list includes Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kelly Clarkson, P. Diddy, Avril Lavigne, Lindsay Lohan, Alyssa Milano, Katy Perry, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, Kendall Jenner and Vanessa Williams.
According to the New York Times, until 2010 Proactiv infomercials were "fast-talking" and "hard-selling"; an announcer repeatedly advised viewers to "call now," and offered faster shipping if the order was placed within three minutes. As infomercials became less popular, Proactiv sales stalled. Since 2010 Guthy-Renker has tried to move the brand into the mainstream cosmetics market, focusing on quality rather than price. It began advertising on network television during shows like American Idol, and in Elle, InStyle and People magazines.
In 2012, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK banned some of Proactiv's advertising as misleading. A viewer complained that the celebrities were likely to have used the US version of Proactiv, which differs from the UK version. According to the ASA, the celebrities had signed statements saying they had used the UK version for a few weeks one to three years earlier, but the advertisements gave the appearance that they had continued to benefit from it, so the viewer's complaint was upheld.
