Many skincare experts recommend semi-regular facials to keep our skin looking its best. Unfortunately, while that sounds great, I don’t have the time or money to do that. Wanting to provide an at-home treatment that would help her customers’ skin look its best even if they couldn’t access her clinic, Kate developed the Exfolikate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment. For example, one review says, “I really struggle with large and clogged pores, nothing seems to be able to help the appearance of them, other than this! I tried a sample of this and noticed after 1 wash my skin looked firmer! This dermatologist-recommended chemical exfoliator can help with uneven skin tone, rough texture, fine lines, and breakouts. That said, some reviewers with sensitive skin said they experienced redness and irritation with this one. ExfoliKate Glow Moisturizer is a silky, lightweight moisturizer that exfoliates while also improving skin’s hydration.

Throughout my years as a beauty editor, I've scrubbed my face with hundreds of exfoliating treatments — both physical (which use tiny granules to get rid of dead skin) and chemical (which use acids). Unfortunately, we noticed there’s quite a few fragrant essential oils in this cleanser, such as bergamot oil, orange peel oil, geranium oil, and more. These ingredients have the potential to cause skin sensitivity reactions. Upon rinsing our faces, our skin was smooth to the touch with nearly unnoticeable texture. We also appreciate how the plant-based formula is free of a long list of questionable chemicals. Some have noted that it can be a bit drying though. An independent study found that after one week of use, 97% of users reported tighter skin and 94% reported a smoother skin texture. This is a drastic change to other serums that take 1-3 months to show results. The Exfolikate Intensive Exfoliating Treatmentis safe to use once or twice a week for two minutes at a time. It is available in three sizes:Overall, we like that the ExfoliKate products include high concentrations of AHAs because this group of ingredients is well known to provide numerous benefits to the skin. The main disadvantage of the ExfoliKate collection is the inclusion of so many fragrance ingredients. If you’re interested in all of the benefits of using AHAs but don’t want to expose your skin to so many fragrance ingredients, we’d recommend Formulyst’s Clarifying AHA Cleanser. Created by Kate Somerville, ExfoliKate is a collection of skin care products designed to improve texture, pores, fine lines, and wrinkles at home. There are four products in this collection: ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment, ExfoliKate Liquid, ExfoliKate Cleanser, and ExfoliKate Glow Moisturizer. Let’s look a little closer at each of these products so you’ll know exactly how they affect your skin. While that sounds great in theory, there’s a lot of pros and cons we need to discuss with this leave-on AHA exfoliant. This is effective because dead skin cells can build up on the surface of your skin, leaving it looking dull and also possibly clogging pores.

For this part of my Kate Somerville review, I turned to online customer testimonials to see what people really think about the brand. Spoiler alert: users seem to love its products. Let’s get into the positive comments first. Yes, Kate Somerville is cruelty free. The brand does not test finished products or ingredients on animals, and neither do their suppliers or any third-parties. In addition, Kate Somerville does not sell their products where animal testing is required by law. You agree to indemnify and hold Space NK (and its officers, directors, agents, subsidiaries, joint ventures, employees and third-party service providers, including but not limited to Bazaarvoice, Inc.), harmless from all claims, demands, and damages (actual and consequential) of every kind and nature, known and unknown including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising out of a breach of your representations and warranties set forth above, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third party. The key ingredients that are found in all ExfoliKate products are alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). The Intensive Exfoliating Treatment contains lactic acid, ExfoliKate Liquid includes a 10% Triple Acid Blend (glycolic, malic and lactic acids), and both the ExfoliKate Cleanser and Glow Moisturizer contain glycolic and lactic acid. But what exactly are AHAs and how can they benefit your skin? We’ll give you a brief overview below.Safe and effective for every skin type, we recommend ExfoliKate for anyone looking for a physical-chemical exfoliating hybrid that delivers a healthier-looking complexion. You can leave it on for up to two minutes—just don't go over to avoid stinging or burning.