I use this twice a week. I use the Micro Glycolic Polisher two or three times a week, and then Murad's clarifyng mask about once or twice a week. My skin can take it without getting irritated. But I always follow with a good serum and moisturizer.

I heard Kate say that she uses the gentle one every day, but she recommended twice a week for the regular one.

In addition to working as a scrub, ExfoliKate contains an enzymatic exfoliator, which works like a peel to dissolve surface skin and impurities. Unless you have super resilient skin, you should not use this more than two times a week. It may take a couple of weeks for the damage to show, but daily use will most certainly dry out and irritate your skin.

I don't think you should use it everyday, maybe twice a week stretching it. If your skin isn't sensitive. But I say once a week is good enough. Plus it's a very expensive product, you don't want to overuse it.

ExfoliKate is a pretty intensive exfoliator. I would not use it every day. I use it twice a week.

It depends on your skin and tolerance. I used this 2-3 times a week rotating it with lighter scrubs/masks the other day. It can burn, but I got used to it. You want to make sure you don't overdo either because your skin can produce more oil and make it worse. Proceed with caution.

I don't see why not, however, the product is a little pricey so you might not want to do that. Doing it 3 times a week would probably do better

Depending on your skin type I would only do 1-2 times per week. You will love the results and want to use it more, but really only that much is necessary.

I don't think this would be suitable for you. It's quite intense and burns in the two minutes you have to leave it on. It also has a strong smell.

this product contains 3 types exfoliants - physical beads, chemical exfoliants (salicylic and lactic acid) and enzymes (pumpkin, papaya and pineapple) to dissolve dead skin cells. plus it also contains cinnamon to give you an instant "rosy glow" basically meaning it will sort of inflame the skin... if you have rosacea maybe you want to try exfolikate gentle in the green packaging. it does not have the cinnamon nor the salicylic so would be more appropriate for your skin type. and consider only using it for 20-30 seconds. or you can try the new sephora collection dual action exfoliator. it is super gentle! =)

You may want to do a test patch. It is pretty intense. My skin is very sensitive and I tend to turn red easily but I think this product ultimately helps texture, redness, and clogged pore that result in break-outs ... I'd do a skin test patch just to be safe.

Yes

YES! It will soak right in because you have new baby smooth skin shining through. Treatments should be applied directly after exfolikate so ey can work better!

i would suggest exfolikate sensitive instead! and definitely always use a moisturizer! especially after exfoliating, it should absorb a lot quick and work better.

No, you should not use this product if you have rosacea. The product is not intended for use by anyone with sensitive skin and this could make your rosacea worse.

woww... some of you seriously need to learn how to add.

I prefer the smaller size because it lasts forever and does not seem to lose its efficacy over time. Two should last 6 months

Yes

i've tried both and the smaller tube seem "less full" than larger

I always purchase the smallest tube because of the lower price and it last a long time because you only need a pea size. buy a few tubes at a time and you will be amazed of how long they last. date the tubes when you start using them to keep track.

Isn't the .5 $20 and the 2oz $80. So its the same

No, it will end up being more than the two-ounce because of tax, and at least ten dollars over even without tax added on. It's price is set in such a way that the company can provide it to people with an income that can't afford such a large sum on a face wash, but still need a good product to use.

From a scientific perspective, I think you should be able to use all of them, but only at certain times of the day, or alternating days.

For the retinol: AHAs/BHAs and retinol should never be used at the same time of day, since they inactivate one another! The acids work at a very low pH (around 3.5), whereas the retinol only works at a pH of 5.5-6. When you use both together, you get an in-between pH that makes both products ineffective. ExfoliKate has both AHAs (lactic acid) and BHAs (salicylic acid). That means you shouldn't be using Exfolikate or your glycolic at the same time as your retinol (you may already know that...) Most dermatologists recommend using AHAs/BHAs and retinol on alternating nights, OR using AHAs/BHAs in the morning and retinol at night.

For the AHAs: If your skin has adjusted to the 10% daily glycolic, then your skin may actually be less sensitive to this product than the average person's. You should be ok to use both, but I wouldn't use both on the same day (since two AHA/BHA products in one day would be too exfoliating).

What this means: If I were you, I'd use the glyolic in the morning and retinol at night most days. If you've got sensitive skin, I would use ExofliKate once or twice a week and skip both the glycolic and retinol on those days. If you don't have sensitive skin, I would do one of the following: A) in the morning I'd use the ExfoliKate and skip the glycolic, then at night still use the retinol, or B) in the morning I'd use the glycolic, then at night use the ExfoliKate and skip the retinol. Try some combinations to see what works best for your skin.

Sorry for the essay, but ingredient interactions can be very complicated!! I hope this helps. When in doubt, ask your dermatologist. :)

Probably not a good idea. Too many products to peel the skin don't make the skin make new skin cells any faster, but can have negative effects. Use one and have patience.

Too harsh only if you have sensitive skin.

I use several topical perscription medications for my moderate acne and use this weekly to help keep my pores clean. I use it weekly, the good thing is you can put it on and if it starts tingling to much you can rinse it right off. I leave it on for the full 60 seconds if my skin doesnt feel to sensitive. I would get a sample pack or the .05 ounce (20 bucks) from Sephora before you spend the money on the full size.

I would not recommend this with retin-a at all. First, nothing resurfaces your skin like retin-a so the cost for this product would just be silly. Additionally, retin-a can cause sensitivity (peeling, redness, etc) so throwing this on top probably isn't a good idea. A gentle exfoliating cleanser used in the morning can help deter peeling and aid in the exfoliating process. Just follow up with your favorite moisturizer and sunscreen. Hope this helps and good luck!

I am on prescription Tazorac from my dermatologist for acne. I use ExfoliKate twice per week at night, and on those nights I skip the Tazorac. I've been doing this for about a month, and everything is working out great. I would recommend skipping other harsh treatments on the same night(s) that you use the ExfoliKate product, but everyone's skin is unique.

It really depends on what type of peel you're having done. The effectiveness of a peel depends on its ingredients. The most effective are high-percent glycolic/lactic acid peel (50-70% done in a derm/plastic surgeons office), then mid-percent glycolic/lactic acid peel (15-40% done in spas). Finally non-acid spa enzyme peels and OTC glycolic/lactic acid products (around 10%, like ExfoliKate) offer a similar level of exfoliation.

If you're just getting an enzyme peel at the spa (no glycolic or lactic acid), this should be as effective or MORE effective, since this has enzymes plus lactic acid, a powerfully exfoliating AHA--consequently, it may also be more irritating than your spa treatment. If you're getting chemical peels (glycolic or lactic acid) at the spa, then this won't be as effective since it contains OTC levels of lactic acid (10% max).

Hope this all makes sense! Cheers!

Just as good as a professional peel.

I think if you try this product you will be suprised at how close, if not better, this is compared to the spa effect. I got this in a "try me" kit which is more cost effect.

You won't need to get a professional peel if you use this one- I think this product is more powerful than anything I have tried so far and I have tried a lot of products.

No - not as effective as a spa treatment.

I tried the peel, and I believe this works better. Plus it is much more gentle.

I always leave on for two minutes. I usually scrub for 30 seconds, then let stand on my face for two minutes.

I have left it on for longer, and sometimes been not so 'gentle' and it's been fine.

I wouldn't if I were you. Exfoliating treatments like this work by dissolving away the top layer of skin cells. The live, plump cells underneath are much more attractive. If you leave this or any other chemical exfoliant on too long, then it can eat right through the dead cells and start 'chewing' on the live ones. That will lead to redness and irritation. A few seconds won't hurt, I usually start applying this product on the least sensitive parts of my face and then once I've finished with the most sensitive I start the 30 second countdown, but all the same you really don't want to overdo it.

I have left it on for 2-3 minutes, but the woman at the store told me you can leave it on for as long as 5. I haven't done this yet, but I'm pretty sure that as long as you avoid the eye area you'd be okay--however it's your call.

My product says 1 minute, but it burns so much that I can't imagine wanting to leave it on longer.

According to Kate Somerville's website, you can leave it on for up to 2 minutes. I certainly do and haven't experienced any signs of irritation.

I always rinse with water after I use (the directions say leave on 2 minutes, max). I rinse with cool water and blot my face dry. I put on my moisturizer and my skin feels heavenly.

Definitley cleanse your face. I wait about 2 minutes and then rinse off the product. I then wait about another 2 to 5 minutes beffore i apply my moisturizer becasue you can still feel the product working after you have rinsed it off.

rinse off

Leave on for a few minutes and rinse off with water.

Bad idea ... tryed that and it made my skin burn more

Yes, rinse completely with water. I did it in the shower, after washing my face. Hope this answers your question!

Yup, I had a rather severe allergic reaction to this. I don't get along with Aloe but I also saw somewhere a warning that people with latex sensitivities sometimes had issues with this product.

yes! i have this too and i use philosophy products. i think it might just be my skin but ive never been allergic to any other skin care products

not me but then again i use the clinque dramatically different gel so maybe your skin doesnt like this product

I did not get any irritation after using this product. And I did not get the usual worse before better either. I did however have issues with Hope in a Jar... maybe that's the culprit?

I too was somewhat itchy with little bumps on my cheeks.. I quit using this. I am unable to use philosophy as breaks me out too. I use Dermalogica skin care and LOVE it...hope this helps..

no, I was fine even though my skin is sensitive.

it totally does. another good product is Ahava's dead sea facial scrub or their deadsea mud mask. I don't think it's sold on this website.

This product helps to clear blackheads, but I also use the peel off luminizing mask by boscia first. Stick to giving yourself a facial every three days until you see an improvement. Then after you wipe off the Kate Somerville mask with a warm washcloth will be ready for extraction. You may want to go get a facial or ask a professional for some tips so you don't damage the skin while extracting the blackheads.

This is a serios issue with me...I still have the problem after using for 2 months. Maybe a bit less noticeable.a

I've only tried it once, but the blackheads on my nose appeared to have cleared out significantly!

Yes, it has just the right texture of really fine grit to get into the creases around the nostrils where my blackhead used to give me fits. I rub it in gently because it really WORKS and then let it sit on my face for about 10 minutes. When I rinse it away, the blackheads are softened, and it only takes light pressure to get the debris out.

I don't think it really gets rid of black heads but I think that in conjunction with pore strips or an extractor it would definitely help prevent them. When you use pore strips I find that they work better when you cleanse your nose with toner or an alcohol swab first.

It's a thick, dark green, gritty texture that smooths out as you work it into your skin.

It's a green color and the texture is like a scrub. More of a gel than a lotion.

It is a dark olive green gritty paste texture, but don't let that discourage you, smooths on great and easy to use and rinse off. Others I've used tend to leave grit behind

the color is green and the texture is similar to fine, wet sand.

The product is green with a texture of a fine scrub. It also tingle when you apply to the skin. Do not use if you are going tanning.

The mask is a green color and the texture is gritty