Proactiv Solution Concealer Plus is a concealer intended to help those suffering from acne. The formula is crafted for oily skin and includes acne-fighting sulfur. Rodan & Fields sent over a sample for us to try and I found that it’s more of a spot-treatment that has some covering capabilities, not really a concealer in the traditional sense.

Sulfur Helps Treat Acne

Don’t think of the rotten eggs yellow rock when you think of sulfur in acne products. 

Proactiv Solution Concealer Plus contains 8% sulfur, which is a component of vitamin B, collagen, keratin, and several amino acids.

The maximum amount of sulfur you’ll find in beauty products is about 10%. Skin becomes more receptive with the use of benzoyl peroxide, and to some extent salicyclic acid, so when included in an entire skin care routine, 8% is quite an effective amount of sulfur for a concealer (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Because benzoyl peroxide and sulfur increases the effectiveness, it can also increase the irritation (The Encyclopedia of Skin and Skin Disorders).

[Read More: Proactiv Solution Refining Mask Review]

Sulfur helps to clean out pores and curb the growth of acne (The DERMAdoctor Skinstruction Manuel). It clears pores because it’s been found to have keratolytic action, which means it dissolves the outer layers of skin, removing dead skin cells and cleaning pores (Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology).

It also has antibacterial and antifungal properties with little adverse reaction on skin, making it useful for treating a host of dermatological conditions including rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis (Journal of Drugs in Dermatology).

Better for Spot-Treatment Concealing

Alcohols like glycol stearate help ingredients penetrate skin better.

Think of this less as a regular concealer and more as a spot-treatment with concealing properties. The ingredients in this are formulated very specifically to go over acne-prone and oily skin, so it could be a bit drying on regular skin.

The various alcohols included in Proactiv Solution Concealer Plus, such as glycol stearate, help ingredients like the abovementioned sulfur penetrate the skin, helping to make them more effective (DERMAdoctor Skinstruction Manual). While it’s true that alcohols can be drying to the skin, in the case of this concealer, it helps to thin the formulation that includes more moisturizing ingredients such as stearic acid.

In addition to this, this on-the-spot treatment is designated for a small area and is really best in the event of a pimple, not necessarily as a general day-to-day concealer for everything.

[Read More: Why Alcohol in Skin Care is Safe]

There’s also a decent amount of magnesium aluminum silicate in Proactiv Solution Concealer Plus, which will be helpful for absorbing excess oil. In fact, on normal skin, this might become a bit chalky and drying.

Using it On-the-Spot

The steps taken to make sure the formula is good for oily skin means it’s not as smooth.

Recently, my skin has been a little wonky and breaking out, so it was the perfect time to try Proactiv Solution Concealer Plus. Having tried it, I can assure you that while this product is great for spot-treatment that conceals pimples, it shouldn’t be used as a regular concealer. I found that it covered my pimples fairly well, but made my skin feel a bit dry in the areas around them. It also didn’t cover quite as well as traditional concealers.

The sulfur has a very strong, almost clinical smell that’s rather unpleasant and the formula doesn’t have the smoothness of a regular concealer. But this isn’t really something to put under your eyes or to even out skin tone. This is something to help acne and for that it works fairly well — though I’d say its concealing powers are a bit limited.

But what’s important it that it won’t worsen your acne, it will, in fact, improve it. Just be sure to dab, rather than rub the concealer in for the best look. Overall, this is a fairly good on-the-go treatment that won’t make skin worse, but it isn’t a fantastic concealer.

Bottom Line

Traditional concealers may make acne worse, so it’s worthwhile to have a product like Proactiv Solution Concealer Plus to use as a spot-treatment. But don’t get rid of your regular concealer. The formula is a bit drying and doesn’t have the same kind of coverage as a traditional concealer. It also has a very unpleasant smell because of the sulfur. Overall, it’s something that will help make pimples better, and for that reason, it’s good to keep around.