No Pain, No Gain.

True confession: I secretly (or not so secretly, as of now) believe that for a product to truly work, there should be some sort of side effect - usually, an unpleasant one. When dermatologists have prescribed me various medications and creams and cautioned me that a side a effect may be redness and peeling skin, I'm tempted to buy popcorn and sit in front of my mirror for hours on end in anticipation. When the side of a box cautions that redness and flakiness may occur as I result, I cross my fingers. Sadistic, I know.

The problem is, I seem to have the toughest skin in all of America. Creams that send others into hiding for the first few weeks of application barely register on my skin. Redness, peeling, flakiness? I wish. For a couple of years, I've been wanting to try Exfolikate, a miracle product by skin aesthetician to the stars Kate Sommerville. According to various reviews, the green gritty goop should be applied sparingly over your face, and then rinsed off within 20 seconds because it will begin to burn. (You can see why I would want to use it, right?) Your face may turn bright red afterward, but allegedly you wake up glowing. Due to the intensive nature of the product, they recommend using only at night.

When I came across a spa in New York that was offering Exfolikate at a discount, I decided to try it. Following the directions, I applied it to clean, damp skin. And then I waited, with anticipation. 10 seconds. 20 seconds. 30 seconds. A minute passed, and then two. Nothing. Not even a bit of tingle. After five minutes, I washed the green goop off. My face was a normal color. It was softer, to be sure. But I wanted burning! I continued to use it about once a week, and I have had no major breakouts during that time. It's also helped (or I think it's helped, but maybe it's something else) with my clogged pores. Worth the expense? I remain unconvinced.