Medik8 Press & Glow Review: Gentle Exfoliation For Rosacea
One of my favourite exfoliators for sensitive skin
I am slowly moving some of my most relevant rosacea posts over from my old website over to my Substack. I would like things to all be in one place to avoid confusion (and to make my life a little easier!)
When I was looking through my most popular posts over the years, this review of the Medik8 Press & Glow Exfoliating PHA Tonic was a stand out. I think it’s because so many people have been told that if you have rosacea you absolute cannot exfoliate your skin. I’m here to tell you that that - like many things related to rosacea - that statement is a bit too black and white, when a lot of nuance is hiding in that grey area. So let’s get into it, shall we?
The usual disclaimers apply here: I am not a dermatologist, I have no training in skin or the health of skin. However, I have had rosacea for 20 years and have been writing about it for about 12 years. In that time I’ve tried hundreds of products, spoken to countless experts, listened to and supported thousands of other rosaceans.
When I was first diagnosed with rosacea, my skin was so intensely dry and itchy and (knowing absolutely nothing about skincare or rosacea) I used an infamous apricot scrub every day in an attempt to get rid of my dry skin.
EVERY. DAY.
Sometimes twice a day if it was particularly dry.
Unsurprisingly, this made my dry skin worse and made my rosacea so angry that the heat in my skin gave me headaches which left me in bed all day. That experience terrified me so much that I didn’t touch any exfoliating products for years.
Over time, as I learned more about skincare, about rosacea in general and (most importantly) about my own skin, I very gently dipped my toe back into the exfoliating pool.
Can I Exfoliate If I Have Rosacea?
The (slightly annoying) answer is ‘yes but carefully… using the right products… and only if your skin is healthy enough to take it’.
If your skin is inflamed, itchy, tight, or more red than usual this is not a good time to be adding exfoliation into your regime. Focus on getting your skin as calm as you can and it’s really important to point out that that means whatever calm means for you. Comparing your skin to other people’s is unhelpful and pointless.
Are There Exfoliators That Are Better For Sensitive Skin?
Yes.
Personally, now that my rosacea is mostly under control, my skin can tolerate very small amounts of AHAs (e.g. glycolic and lactic acid) and BHAs (e.g. salicylic acid) however it much, much prefers Polyhydroxy acids (PHAs). PHAs are a gentler form of chemical exfoliator and are much better suited to sensitive skin.
I’ve written a full article about exfoliation which also contains my personal recommendations in each category (including this product!), you can find it here:
I’m a huge Medik8 fan girl. They make some incredible products that I have featured over and over again over the years and the Press & Glow Daily Exfoliating PHA Tonic is one of my favourites. A chemical exfoliator that contains PHA (Gluconolactone, if you’re interested in the details) as well as Prickly Pear Extract, Aloe Vera, and Acai Extract. You can buy it HERE.
How To Use Medik8 Press & Glow
I apply a few pumps to a reusable cotton pad (the Body Shop ones are great and also have days of the week labels on them which is ADORABLE) and swipe across my face, focusing on the areas of my skin that are prone to congestion first: nose, chin, jawline. I then use what’s left on the pad to go over the rest of my face. (Have a look at the tips I share at the bottom of this post if you’re still nervous!) I then wait about 10/15 minutes before applying the rest of my skincare routine.
I have had absolutely no issues with Medik8 Press & Glow: no flare ups, no redness, no irritation, and my skin absolutely loves it. With semi-regular exfoliation my texture is improved, my skin looks more glowy, the congestion on my t-zone is drastically improved and the marks left by any hormonal spots are much lighter. And because my skin is less dry and textured, my make up goes on better and looks more natural.
A really nice touch is that the product packaging is fully recyclable, except for the pump, but the pump can be reused as Medik8 sell refills. I love it when brands make recycling easier and also understand that cheaper refills are much more preferable to buying a brand new bottle.
How To Use a Chemical Exfoliator On Sensitive Skin
Here are some tips for introducing a chemical exfoliator into your routine . These apply to any similar product, not just the Medik8 Press & Glow.
CHEMICAL EXFOLIATION TIPS:
Where does a chemical exfoliator fit into my routine? After cleanser, before serum/moisturiser. As mentioned above, I tend to wait at least 10-15 minutes between the Medik8 Press & Glow and my next skincare steps.
Start slow. Like with all new products in your routine, you should introduce it as slowly as you can. Use it once or twice a week for a few weeks until you’re sure that your skin likes it, then you can bump it up to 2-3 times a week. The product description says it can be used daily, but I don’t think that’s wise for rosacea skin. I use this every other day and my skin is happy with that. Remember that you know your skin best: if you only want to use it once a week, do that!
You can choose where to apply it. Test it on the areas of your face that are less sensitive (for me that’s my jaw and chin) and avoid the areas that are most aggravated (e.g. cheeks and temples). If you only need to use it on your nose, just do that!
If you’re still nervous, you can wet your cotton pad before applying the product to the wet pad. That will dilute the tonic slightly, lowering the chance of irritation (obviously this will reduce the positive effects as well, just FYI) so you can build up even more slowly.
Applying your serum/moisturiser immediately after your chemical exfoliation step, rather than waiting, will also dilute the product slightly, so that could also help give you some peace of mind if you’re nervous.
Have you tried a chemical exfoliator? What would be your tips for use? Has this post helped alleviate any fears you might have had? Let me know in the comments below!
