I'm going to be honest, I have not tried many exfoliators. I didn't think much of them before, only that they made my skin really smooth afterwards (still a bonus). But I never found one that was a holy grail. Which leads me to my review on Kate Someville's Exfolikate. Boy was I in for a ride, this exfoliator is such a joy to have and I have seen it work on countless skin types and skin issues.
So, what's her story? At times I found out why ingredients are incorporated or how products are formed just because I think it's nice to know the backstory of the product you have in your bathroom. Kate Somerville's clinic in LA is known for many treatments, two of which are the DermalQuench Oxygen treatment and her signature facial. In many of her treatments, she steams and exfoliates the face with a peel. Her peel had consisted of 2 components, one was the manual scrub and the other was the enzymatic peel. One day, a celebrity (hush hush on who) had needed her KS treatment during a 4 month shoot, so Kate, being the mixer she is, just tossed the 2 treatments in one bottle and gave it to said celebrity. That person came back with nothing but rave reviews, claiming she should bottle it and sell it! And here we are with Exfolikate.
Cool story huh? Let's get into the nitty gritty.
Exfolikate claims to give that 'Hollywood facial' in 2 minutes and I must say I definitely saw the results. I'm not one for waiting at my basin for 2 mins so I usually use Exfolikate when I'm in the shower. I would recommend doing it this way because the steam from your shower helps to soften your skin and open up your pores. Upon application, I was thinking,
'wow, I feel like I'm in a spa!'
It smelled divine and the deep green colour just exuded luxury spa facial.
There was a slight tingle - nothing too uncomfortable. Her packaging does say you might get a bit of redness but it would soon fade. When I washed it off, my skin felt beyond smooth but not squeaky dry (thank heavens!). It was the results afterwards that really struck me though. As I stepped out of the shower, my skin had this luminescent glow that I usually never have (because of my dry skin). Not only was the glow lingering after my shower, but throughout the whole week! I really thought to myself - this product is really something. People even compliment my skin and they still do to this day.
The Rundown
This ingredient list though… You've got 3 types of exfoliators in there:
- Manual - polyethylene beads (which she is phasing out for a more biodegradable option)
- Chemical - lactic acid, salicylic acid, and glycolic acid
- Enzymatic - bromelain, papain, and fruit enzymes like papaya and pumpkin.
All these exfoliators help to not only lift off the dead skin cells, but travel deep enough through the layers of the skin that the newest, healthiest layer is surfaced. They also help to increase your collagen and elastin production through skin turn over. The other ingredients consists on fruit and nut oils that I believe contribute to that post-Exfolikate glow.
That's a whole lotta good stuff - no wonder I love this product. Would definitely recommend to people wanting to clear their skin or those wanting that extra little bit out of their exfoliator.
It has now been part of my routine for 2 years and I must say, I have not broken out in a good while. *knock on wood* This product has really changed my skin. It has really maintained a smooth, delicate texture where pimples and blackheads are a thing of the past for me.