Peeling back the facts about at-home exfoliation treatments

Using at-home peels for radiance and softer skin has never been more popular. You can find peels in numerous doctor-led brands like Murad, Alumier and Dr Dennis Gross. At-home peels and inclinic peels confuse people though, and wading through the offerings for something to use in the comfort of your own home is quite a challenge.

To understand what we should be looking for and how to use it, Magazine spoke to Dr Qian Xu, an emergency medicine doctor and medical director at Skin Aesthetics in the UK.

‘At-home peels are skin exfoliating treatments using low concentration chemicals that are safe for home use. These are good for people who want to do as much as they can to maintain optimum skin health,’ Dr Xu says. ‘Lactic acid is a common ingredient for at-home peels. It offers gentle exfoliation and can be found in some products designed for daily use.

‘Salicylic acid is another common ingredient, good for oily and acne-prone skin. Glycolic acid in low concentrations can also be found in some at-home peels. This one is a bit stronger than lactic acid and can give a deeper exfoliation, so shouldn’t be used more than once a week.’

Some people like to use a light glycolic toner on a daily basis, so are these an alternative to weekly peels?

Dr Xu says ‘For more consistent results, it would be better to use a gentle daily exfolia

ting solution. That way, you can use it as part of your skincare routine so that you will use it consistently.’

What time of day is best to use a peel? Dr Xu says: ‘For mild peels, it doesn’t matter what time of day you do it. However, for slightly stronger peels, it would be better to do it late afternoon or evening, so you won’t be going into the sun afterwards.’

‘It’s always a good idea to use SPF on a daily basis. This is especially important after you have used a peeling product. Chemical peels can thin the skin, making it more vulnerable to damage by UV rays.’

How different are at-home peels and the type you can get in a clinic?

‘At-home peels will not give you the dramatic results that a medical-grade chemical peel can give you in the clinic, however, the downtime is also a lot less or none at all.

‘Over the long term, slow consistent peeling with at-home products would give you better results than having regular peels in a clinic.’

I asked Dr Xu if there is anyone who should stay away from peels. ‘Sensitive skin is often due to impaired barrier function of the skin, and there may be several reasons for this,’ she says. ‘It would be important to find out the cause of your sensitive skin and improve your skin health first before using any peeling products.

‘Otherwise, you could develop serious reactions to the products. I would recommend you have a skin consultation with a skin specialist before going ahead.’