By Lori Caruso

With credibility and a strong history of success, Peels resume will surely impress. After all, if they were a staple for one of history’s first influencers, Cleopatra, it’s worth investigating, right? And you won’t need seven hundred donkeys to get the job done like she did. Incidentally, if you happen to have seven hundred donkeys, get milking! You will soon have a bathtub full of milk (the ingredient that lactic acid is derived from), and the same solution that Cleopatra discovered for her infamous silky-smooth skin. 

Flash forward to 1950’s when Dr. Max Jessner began blending acids making a three in one solution for acne, pigments, and texture. This peel boasts minimal recovery, a great price point, and visible improvements will make it a go for your skin correcting lineup. 

Now let’s unpack the peel family tree. Peels are separated into three main branches- deep, medium, and superficial.  

Phenol peels being the deepest and date back as far as the 19th century when Dr. Von Hebra began using a combination of phenol and croton oil to improve scars. They penetrate deeply and are best used for scarring and cumulative sun damage with heavy pigmentation and/or deep wrinkles. Due to its intensity, phenol peels require sedation for patient tolerance. For this reason alone, many people opt out of this treatment. Deep peels require significant recovery and are not the typical option offered to most people today due to lack of convenience in sometimes extended recovery time. 

The popularity of medium depth peel is soaring when clients see how easy it is to make progress across so many categories ranging from post inflammatory hyper-pigmentation, (the pigmented marks left behind from acne activity), to smoothing rough, aging sun damaged skin. Two of the more recognizable being TCA peel and Jessner’s peel. 

Many are formulated with added ingredients to the active solution to buffer the healing time, making it easier to complete a treatment plan. Three peels done anywhere from two to four weeks apart is the most popular plan when seeking more notable and lasting results. 

 

Light, with little or no active flaking, superficial peels offer a quick refresh to skin in need of a glow. Done as often as every two weeks, these peels offer busy socially active peel to option they may be looking for. Offered in low strengths and a variety of combinations of AHA/BHA, these peels hit the refresh button and can be used every few weeks or even quarterly as a seasonal housecleaning for your face, neck and décolleté.  

Further down the family line we find peels distant cousins, the enzymes. Finding their roots in natural sources such as pumpkin, papaya and pineapple, enzymes work to slough away the top layer of the epidermis and revitalize the skin with a newfound glow. At home products containing enzymes are a safe and effective way to stay consistent with your exfoliation program without the telltale signs of it or robbing mature skin of the hydration it needs so much. As well as being easy to do and affordable, this is a safe choice for sensitive skin types as well. 

A favorite of many is a gommage, the French term meaning “to erase.” Gommages may consist of lower percentage of AHA/BHA solutions, or a combination of enzymes. As the gommage is massaged into the skin, the dull surface of the epidermis is then whisked away in eraser like particles leaving the skin fresh and primed to receive the greatest benefits from topical serums, lotions, and creams. 

How long will the results last? Generally, one month for light peels and up to years for deep peels. That is why prepping your skin and supporting the progress with a targeted at home regime makes the most sense. By building on the momentum of each in-office treatment with stellar products that keep the process moving forward, the results will be more dynamic. 

Glycolic/ sugar cane 

Lactic/milk 

Mandelic/almonds 

Malic/apples 

Citric/ citrus 

Tartaric/grapes 

Salicylic/ willow bark 

With formulations that have been evaluated and tracked, chemical peels have established their place in the skin care industry as the go-to for many professionals. The recovery is light, the results and remarkable. And the best time to start is now.