PROVEN Skincare Review: The Smartest Skincare?

Finding skincare that actually works can be a full time job. Luckily, PROVEN skincare has created a way of customizing skincare for maximum effectiveness.

Price: $145 for one-time purchase or $119 monthly subscription

PROVEN skincare was founded in 2019 by Ming Zhao and Ming Yuan. These two women were tired of trying to find skincare products that worked for them. After spending many years, and tons of money on things that didn’t work, they decided to create their own line of skincare products.

They determined that one of the biggest issues with skincare today is that it isn’t customized to each unique person. So, they solved that problem by creating the first AI solution. Their company and their Skin Genome Quiz won the 2018 MIT Artificial Intelligence Award. By doing so, they were able to raise their seed round money which was able to propel them further into the research process.

PROVEN founders have the mission to create the world’s most personalized skincare. And by doing so, they will custom create a skincare regimen for each consumer. This regimen can change as the skin begins to heal and change for long lasting results. It’s a pretty cool way to look at skincare!

To be as transparent as possible, I’ve never invested in a personalized skincare regimen before. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I became hip to the fact that what we put on our skin goes into our body. Needless to say, with my relatively new focus on clean beauty, I was curious to see if the PROVEN custom skincare set was worth the hype.

I don’t really have any major facial skin conditions, but wanted to see if PROVEN could help with some of my minor issues. These include:

• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Uneven complexion
• Red spots
• Blackheads

I found it pretty incredible that they are able to completely customize a skincare regimen based on so many different factors. When I started the Skin Genome Quiz, the first set of questions asked me about my biggest skin concerns.

Next, it asked me how concerned I was with my fine lines and wrinkles around my eyes, since that’s the option I chose.

There were quite a few more questions regarding how my skin looks and feels to me. None of which I was too concerned about. The next set of questions blew me away though! They started asking me about my lifestyle:

• foods I regularly eat
• how much sleep I get
• how stressed I consider myself to be
• how often I fly
• how many hours a day I’m in front of a digital screen

As if that weren’t enough information about me, it then asked me for my zip code so that the AI could determine information based on my environment. Pretty cool!

After all of that (it really only took me about 2 minutes to complete), they emailed me my results. I then had to place the custom order and just sit back and wait. Luckily, my customized PROVEN order came in pretty fast so I could start the regimen.

I began the PROVEN regimen according to the directional cards that came with the products. And here are how things went during my 4 week testing period.

Honestly, I struggle to really stick to a routine when it comes to self-care. So, the thought of having a list of products that needed to be applied to my face twice daily has been a huge deterrent in my search for the perfect skincare routine.

Before PROVEN

However, this skincare routine is one of the simplest I’ve seen, so I figured I might be able to handle it.

The cleanser is applied in the morning and at night. After each wash, you simply follow with the appropriate moisturizer.

Each morning after massaging the cleanser into my skin, I noticed my skin felt significantly drier than it usually did. I attribute this to washing my face more frequently than normal. However, as soon as I applied the daytime lotion, the dry, tight feeling went away.

After Week 1

Overall, week 1 on the PROVEN regimen was pretty good. My face felt more hydrated and I noticed some of my dry spots went away. I did not notice any difference in my redness by the end of the first week, however.

Week 2 was a bit easier for me since I had become used to the facial cleansing routine now. My skin seemed to become more acclimated to the PROVEN skincare products, so it felt less dry after washing my face.

After Week 2

According to the brand, this level of acclimation is actually pretty fast compared to a lot of other product testers. Apparently, anytime we use new products on our skin it takes a bit of time for the skin to acclimate.

These new products will increase skin cell turnover rates, which leads to skin purging. And this can lead to some not so fun side effects sometimes. Typically, these can include:

• Breakouts
• Dryness
• Irritation
• Redness
• Minor swelling in some instances

When things like this happen, it’s best to cleanse with cold water. This can potentially help calm and hydrate the skin and help alleviate the symptoms more expediently. Luckily for me, I only developed a slight case of the dryness side effect.

Overall, week 2 was a good milestone in my facial cleansing routine with PROVEN. I noticed that most of my red spots had disappeared and my complexion was more even and balanced.

This week was not much different than week 2 for me. Since my initial cell turnover purge was completed by the end of week 1 and my red spots had gone, I was pretty happy.

After Week 3

My skin was nice and hydrated, more even and the red spots disappeared. I didn’t notice any new changes this week, but I was still really happy with the results I had achieved thus far.

There was no change this week from the previous 2 weeks. Overall my complexion looks great and I’m happy with the results. The two main issues of concern were resolved early and I even noticed some of my finer lines did reduce some when I’m not smiling.

After Week 4

As a side note, I was initially concerned that the products may not be sensitive enough for my skin. Typically, any products with SPF have a tendency to make my face burn. But, this did not happen with the PROVEN product line. Which was a happy surprise.

I was also in the middle of a small eczema breakout on my hands at the time and was concerned that these new products would inflame the situation more. This also did not happen, to which I was extremely relieved and amazed by.

Ultimately, the experience was great with the PROVEN products and I’ve continued to keep up with the regimen.

PROVEN claims to take the ingredients they use in their products really seriously. They say that none of their products contain:

• Phthalates – linked to cancer, reproductive toxicity, and endocrine disruption
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) – a surfactant that strips the natural oils of the skin and weakens the barrier, making it easier for toxins to creep in.
• Parabens – endocrine disruptors
• Formaldehyde – linked to cancer and allergic skin reactions
• Palm Oil – many detrimental environmental effects caused by production and is a surfactant like SLS.

As far as skincare products go, not having these ingredients in any of their lines speaks to the quality they are trying to produce.

Since their products are all completely customizable, it’s difficult to narrow down what ingredients they do actually use though. There are a few ingredients either mentioned by them on their website that they do use, as well as what I was able to discern from my products. Some of these include:

• Rose oil – fights wrinkles, balances the skin, improves skin blood circulation, and balances hormone production
• Pomegranate – improves collagen and elastin, while also having anti-aging benefits
• Grapefruit – increased collagen production and protects against sun damage
• Ginseng – reduces inflammation and redness, while decreasing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Green Tea Extract – protects against cancer, reduces redness and premature aging, treats acne, and protects the skin
• Tasmanian Pepper – antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and calms and protects the skin
• Sodium PCA – naturally occurring hydrating ingredient for the skin

And while all of these ingredients are fantastic, nowhere is there mention of how and where they are sourced from. This is much less transparent than I’d like to see from a company promoting such high level products.

The other cause for concern I have is regarding their manufacturing lab. The brand states that “All PROVEN products are made in an FDA-approved, GMP-accredited laboratory right here in the USA.” However, they don’t give the consumer any further information regarding where the lab is nor mention if the lab has any further quality control.

A GMP-Accredited certification is meant for food safety, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the lab is up to standards for skincare products. 

A bit more transparency by the brand would make me feel more comfortable with the higher price tag. But, even without that, their products seem to be continually speaking for themselves with regard to how well they perform. And a lower quality product would not be able to produce the positive results they did from this independent study.

While the initial price tag of PROVEN skincare products may seem a bit steep, it’s actually pretty cheap in comparison to a lot of other skincare regimens. Since the average person spends $100 or less per month on their skincare regimen, PROVEN falls within that range.

PROVEN doesn’t really offer coupons or discount codes. However, you may be able to get the jump on new product releases (and possibly some discounts) when you join their email list. 

If you are serious about your skincare, and the products that go into these products, then PROVEN is a great company to check out. They have a passion for creating the best skincare products on the market without blowing your monthly budget.

The fact that they have created this really cool AI program to customize every product for each consumer doesn’t hurt either. And, if you are having any issues with the products, their customer service department is lightning fast. 

Therefore, it’s difficult to come up with any valid reasons why someone shouldn’t give them a try. At least once, for 60 days. And if you don’t notice any differences, reach out to PROVEN because I’ll bet they’ll do everything in their power to figure out what went wrong and make it right. After all, their mission is to bring the world’s most evolved personalized skincare to you.