Proactiv® is one of the most widely advertised skincare products. Most of us are familiar with their star-studded infomercials, with some of the biggest A-listers reporting their satisfaction with the product.

Does Proactive work? From Elle McPherson to P. Diddy, the celebrities chosen to front the campaigns have been diverse and far-reaching. Here we take a look at the messages they give.

Singer Jessica Simpson plays up her hectic lifestyle in her commercial. She never knows what her schedule will be from one day to the next, but the one thing she does know is that it will involve using Proactiv®. She mentions previous skin complaints –“believe me, everyone noticed”. Now, she never worries. She drives home the idea of Proactiv® as a product for regular use. She “wouldn’t even think of not using it”.

Tales of previous breakouts, and how Proactiv® turns things around, are common. Singer Avril Lavigne even claims that Proactiv® “changed my life”. She talks of a feeling of relief, with clear skin leading to self-confidence.

Singer Katy Perry is an international celebrity; in her commercial, she talks up her reputation as a free spirit, but implies that this freedom can be taken away by an acne breakout.

This fits in with the theme that despite their lofty position, celebrities are just like you. Pimples are a great leveller.

Kelly Clarkson reports that, while suffering from acne she was insecure. Like all of us, she didn’t want to go anywhere, but would rather just stay in her pyjamas indoors.

Another feature of Clarkson’s commercial is that it plays on another human trait we all share – the desire for instant gratification. She tells us “we like quick fixes”, and reports seeing “results right away”.

To show that this is a universal product, for actress Lindsay Lohan’s infomercial from 2005, Proactiv® bring her younger brother in to speak of his experiences of the product. This was an early message that Proactiv® wasn’t just for girls.

More recently, many more male A-listers have been used in the campaigns, including P. Diddy, and Justin Beiber, whose message is fairly simple. “No more pimples, I like that”.

The American celebrities used by Proactiv® are generally well-known internationally. However, in the UK, they are supplemented by Gabriella Ellis, who appears in a reality TV show. Gabriella talks in detail about her acne, mentioning the spots on her chin and cheeks. As with the others, her commercial tries to show the problem of acne as something we all face, no matter how recognisable we are. She alludes to the idea that, despite being famous, she historically lacked confidence because of her skin problems.

So the key messages from the celebrities featured in these commercials is that when it comes to skin care, they are just like you. They know how you feel, they know you’re insecurities.

They too once suffered with acne, but now their skin is clear. You may believe this is down to private dermatologists, teams of makeup artists, but Proactiv® is the answer!