A miracle anti-acne product is always very tempting, isn’t it? That’s what the Kate Somerville EradiKate Acne Treatment is supposed to be, the ultimate zits weapon!
I have wanted to try some products from the Kate Somerville brand for some time already. This American skincare brand is very popular in the US and the UK but not necessarily easy to find for me.
When I went on a pilgrimage to Sephora in the US last September, I had some products from the brand on my wish-list. Then I looked at the ingredients list and I was a little disappointed. It’s funny because I always thought Kate Somerville was a natural brand, but apparently, in the US cosmetic market, a brand can be considered natural even though it has a lot of silicones in its formulas… -_-
Personally, silicones are not my cup of tea, I already tell you that here. When you have a lot of silicones in your skincare products, they form a film on the skin that prevent the other ingredients from penetrating deeply into the skin (I’m simplifying a lot but basically it’s roughly that).
However, the brand was promising. Kate Somerville created her brand after working years in the field of paramedical esthetics (where medicine meets skin care), a kind of beautician/ dermatologist, if you want. In France, the two are completely separated, but in many other countries, like the USA or the UAE, it’s easy to find “medical spas” where you can get a classic skincare facial treatment but also some “deeper” treatments.
In short, Kate Somerville is one of the most trusted names in skincare in the USA at the moment and many celebrities swear by her facials.
Her skincare philosophy is also quite interesting: she thinks skincare is like a process with several steps:
– the first step is to protect the skin, to avoid too much damage on it.
– secondly, you need to hydrate your skin to repair and make it able to receive the forthcoming treatment.
– then you can also nourish it if necessary.
– once the basic needs of the skin are treated, it’s time to stimulate the skin with anti-aging ingredients in order to oxygenate it and stimulate the production of collagen to help renew itself faster.
– and finally, it ends with the removal of impurities, a kind of “detox” to complete the process. I confess that for my part, I would have started there, but there may be something I’m missing in this Skin Health Pyramid process (the name Kate Somerville gives to this process).
However, a product from the range caught my eye: the famous EradiKate Acne Treatment, a sulfur-based solution supposed to eliminate pimples within hours.
I already knew the virtues of sulfur on acne (I’ll tell you more about it a little later in this post) so I decided to try it on my very stubborn breafouts!
Kate Somerville EradiKate Acne Treatment, presentation:
What the brand says about it:
“Kate’s bestselling EradiKate™ Acne Treatment is specifically formulated with the highest level of sulfur allowed to effectively heal blemishes, reduce acne, and help keep skin free of new breakouts. AHAs are designed to reduce the appearance of enlarged pores while zinc oxide, a natural mineral, provides oil control by absorbing excess sebum production. The result is clear skin that lasts.
“Do you have a pimple you can feel but can’t see? Use EradiKate on the area immediately to help prevent it from surfacing.”—Kate Somerville, Founder”
EradiKate is a local acne treatment with sulfur that you’re supposed to apply directly on your blemishes and which helps to dry them out and heal faster.
Sulfur and acne
It may seem a bit radical to apply sulfur on your skin but it's a very famous acne treatment and it's very effective!
Its use, as a skin treatment, even goes back to antiquity, where immersion in hot sulfured water were often recommended to treat various skin conditions (acne, warts, dermatitis...).
About the acne, we know that hormonal imbalances can cause excessive sebum secretion. The skin pores will therefore tend to clog more, creating a favorable environment for bacterial growth which leads to the appearance of acne pimples.
Sulphur will tackle the two main causes of acne through its keratolytic and antibacterial properties. The keratolytic property means it will exfoliate the first layer of the skin and help to detach dead skin cells that clog pores and promote the growth of bacteria on the skin. As a second effect, sulfur encourages the growth of new skin cells. Although it can dry and peel the skin surface, it does not dry the skin excessively like other more aggressive anti-acne ingredients.
Sulfur is effective in the treatment of blackheads, whiteheads and other inflammatory lesions (aka angry pimples). It's particularly recommended for the occasional pimples. It basically works on the outer surface of the skin, so it's more an occasional treatment, not really for the long term.
As a quick reminder, I’m 37 (until the end of the month anyway wink ), a rather oily dehydrated skin, with large pores that clog easily and a persistent hormonal acne. So I tend to have from time to time some quite ugly and painful pimples, as soon as my hormones get angry (so rather often).
This is where a product like the Kate Sommerville EradiKate Acne Treatment can be very useful!
Kate Somerville EradiKate Acne Treatment, my test and thoughts:
– Packaging:
It’s a transparent glass bottle, very minimalist.
– Texture:
It’s a solution in two phases, one completely liquid and the other which looks like a paste, it’s a sort of powdery deposit, which settles in the bottom of the bottle. If you shake the bottle, the two phases mixed together but it’s precisely what you shouldn’t do because you’re supposed to use the “powdery” phase on your blemishes. So the brand recommends especially not to shake the bottle (it’s even written on the cap).
– Scent:
The product clearly smells like alcohol. There is a lot in there, in particular in the liquid phase. But hey, it could have been worse because the sulfur naturally smells like rotten eggs (thankfully, EradiKate doesn’t stink!).
– Formula:
Here is the ingredients list:
Sulphur, Isopropyl Alcohol, Zinc Oxide, Camphor, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Salicylic Acid, Iron Oxides.
EradiKate is formulated without parabens, it’s non-comedogenic and dermatologically tested. However, as I said earlier, there is a lot of alcohol in it… Not necessarily ideal for sensitive skin and even in general, I find alcohol way too aggressive for all skin types.
The composition is based primarily on purifying ingredients and some others more focused on a healing action.
The ingredients that the brand highlights are:
- – the sulfur: helps to fight against acne, to eliminate existing blemishes and to prevent new ones from appearing.
– the AHA: reduce the appearance of LARGE pores, help the skin to renew itself (it’s interesting for the healing process).
This product is a little aggressive, it’s like the ultimate weapon for pimples.
When you apply it on the skin, I’m not gonna lie, it burns a little. The brand recommends not to apply it more than once a day on the affected areas, but I confess I’m not even sure it’s a good idea to use it every day. For me, it’s really the product that I use only in case of big, painful angry red pimples, not really on the little ones I may have also sometimes, otherwise it’s a bit like using a bazooka to kill a fly, if you get the picture. wink
– Application:
You need to apply the product on a clean skin. Personally, I use it after I completing my full evening routine.
Then, without shaking the product, I dip a clean Q-tip in the solution to soak it in the pink sulfur deposit and then, I apply it directly on the blemishes. The product dries and becomes “crusty”.
And after, well, you’re supposed to go to bed looking like that! Not the most glamorous treatment here, but personally, my dear husband doesn’t really mind (he’s seen worse lol).
– Result:
I have been using EradiKate for a little over a month now and I find it quite effective. It helps to dry out my blemishes faster and if applied at the beginning of their “blooming”, it even helps to reduce or eliminate them completely. However, I avoid applying it more than 2 nights in a row on the same pimple because I find it quite drying for the skin.
Is this is a must-have? I don’t think so, but it’s still a good SOS anti-zits product.
Also, I don’t think it can be called an anti-acne treatment, as the brand describes it. For me, it’s good if you have occasionally pimples, but if you have a true acne skin condition, with many blemishes all over your face all the time, it’s not the best treatment for you. This will be too drying for your skin if you use it every day, and also not very cheap!
– Value For Money:
It’s quite expensive!
The 30ml bottle retails for $26.
After I did some research, I found a cheaper alternative: the Drying Lotion de Mario Badescu ($17). Even if the lotion by Mario Badescu doesn’t contain sulfur, it contains other anti-acne ingredients. I guess I’ll have to try it to see if it’s as effective as the Kate Somerville EradiKate. To be continued then! wink
– Availability:
The Kate Sommerville EradiKate Acne Treatment is available in the Sephora US website or on the Kate Somerville website for $26. (only delivers to the US, Canada and UK)
In summary:
[wprs-pros][wprs-cons]
In summary, I think it’s a good product to use occasionally, like a SOS anti-zits treatment.
I used to use another very similar product (but a bit more expensive, around $33 to $35), which is also based on sulfur but without alcohol, so much softer for the skin while still being very effective.
It’s the Yon-Ka Juvenil, which is more like a liquid serum (this one dries completely clear also). I used it for years and I love it! However, I must say, this one smells a little bit too much like rotten eggs lol. Oh well, nobody’s perfect as Joe E. Brown would say in Some Like It Hot! wink
And you, do you know the Kate Somerville EradiKate Acne Treatment? What is your favorite anti acne SOS treatment?
Photo credit: bonnie-garner.com