Chemical peels are cosmetic treatments that involve using acids to exfoliate the skin.
The acid removes a uniform amount of damaged skin cells across the treatment area. When done appropriately, this allows the skin to heal, with minimalTrusted Source scarring or color changes.
Chemical peels can affect two layers of the skin, the epidermis and the dermis. The epidermis is the visible outer layer, and the dermis sits just beneath. This deeper layer contains nerve endings, sweat glands, and hair follicles.
All chemical peels remove a controlled amount of skin cells from the epidermis. A stronger peel may also remove a small part of the dermis.
Dermatologists may use chemical peels to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles or to address:
- acne
- enlarged pores
- scarring
- redness
- rosacea
- hyperpigmentation
During a chemical peel, a dermatologist applies an exfoliant acid — first to the thicker areas of skin, such as the chin, nose, and cheeks, and then to the thinner areas around the eyes and mouth.
After the chemical peel, the dermatologist may use cool saline compresses to remove any remaining exfoliant.
They may recommend various ways to help the skin heal, such as applying a weak vinegar solution or unscented emollient to the face for a few days after the treatment.
The process can cause swelling and peeling, which may take 1–2 weeksTrusted Source to go away, depending on the depth and intensity of the peel. It is important to keep the face dry and not shower or use face wash for the first 24 hours. Also, do not use makeup until the skin has healed.
REN Clean Skincare glycol lactic radiance renewal mask
£36, Renskincare.com
We’re obsessed with REN’s entire radiance range, and this peel might just be its crowning jewel. Made with lactic, glycolic, tartaric and citric acid, it’s just powerful enough to decongest troubled skin without triggering a breakout. When applying the gel formula over dry skin, the first thing you notice is the divine citrusy scent. You do experience some brief tingling in the ten minutes of use, but it’s extremely mild.
Once the 10 minutes are up, the product rinses off to reveal brighter, tauter skin. The more we used the mask, the longer these effects lasted, and over time we even saw improvement in sebum production and acne scarring. A lot of masks promise to deep clean your skin, but this was the first time we really believed it. The effects of each weekly peel were comparable to a professional facial. Peels sound so harsh, and yet this gave us an unbeatable healthy, dewy finish without any unwanted side effects. Magic in a bottle.
The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% peeling solution
Price comparison
- Beauty Bay£6.25
- Beauty Expert£6.30
- HQhair.com£6.30
- Boots£6.30
There’s a reason why this peel became a TikTok sensation and consistently sells out across the internet: it’s a cheap miracle-worker. We’ll be the first to admit we were terrified to use it at first – it’s a blood-red concoction, with a very high concentration of acids – but after one use, we were hooked. Using the dropper, you apply a thin layer across dry skin. This can be tricky as it’s such a watery formula, but the important part is to avoid the eye and mouth area. Then wait for 10 minutes before washing off with lukewarm water (learn from our mistake and don’t use hot water).
After just one use, our complexion looked smoother, more radiant and quite literally like we’d just shed a layer of dull, dead skin. Used in the long-term, it also does an incredible job of fading acne scars. As we said before, it’s an extremely potent peel, containing glycolic, lactic, tartaric, citric, salicylic and hyaluronic acids. This translates to high-impact exfoliation, but does mean your skin is left vulnerable to irritation, so it’s important to ease yourself into it. Our tester’s an old hat when it comes to acid exfoliation, but still felt a slight tingle during use, so newbies might find it too powerful. However, you can’t beat its instant results.
Alpha-H beauty sleep power peel
£54, Alpha-h.com
This peel brings new meaning to beauty sleep, serving as a final step in your night-time routine to resurface and restore your skin. Although this is an overnight treatment, the formula still packs a punch – with 14 per cent glycolic acid and 0.5 per cent retinol, the cream helps to boost collagen and fade hyperpigmentation. Thick enough to lock in moisture but not so much that your skin feels smothered, we liked how glowy our skin looked before bed. There was a slight tingle at first, but it really was slight and never veered into the burning territory we’ve come to fear from acid products.
Radiance continued well into the next day, and our complexion looked fresh and plump like we’d had twice the amount of sleep than usual. After three weeks we saw a big difference in acne scarring and the appearance of our pores, and it didn’t break us out once. It’s pricey, but as you can only use it twice per week and a pea-sized amount goes a long way, it’ll last much longer than you expect.
Drunk Elephant T.L.C. sukari babyfacial
£67, Cultbeauty.co.uk
As the name suggests, this exfoliator aims to give you baby soft skin with the aid of glycolic, tartaric, lactic, citric and salicylic acids. This sounds like a lot, but it’s really quite gentle. We applied a thick layer over our entire face and only experienced a slight tingling sensation for the first few minutes, then rinsed it off with lukewarm water after 20 minutes or so. While we didn’t experience any redness afterwards, the peel does also come equipped with a mini sample of Drunk Elephant’s marula oil to soothe irritation.
There was a noticeable glow after our first use, but it’s with repeated weekly use that this product really shines (literally). After a month we saw big improvement in the texture of our forehead and our pores were way less obvious. There was even a slight reduction in the oiliness of our T-zone.
Algenist blue algae vitamin C dark spot correcting peel
£80, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Hyperpigmentation is the bane of our life. All it takes is one spot lasting two or three days for it to create a dark mark that somehow endures for months on end, so we’re keen to try anything promising to solve our woes. This is one of the best solutions we’ve tried so far. Made with vitamin C and Algenist’s hero ingredient, alguronic acid, it’s a startlingly blue formula that works best when left on damp skin for 20 minutes once or twice a week. Like most peels, it does sting at first but this then evolves into a unique, pleasantly cooling sensation.
Our skin immediately looked brighter, and the next day we woke up to a shockingly even complexion, despite being in the midst of a breakout. It took a few uses to see a major difference, but we then noticed a significant improvement to acne scarring , fading more after each use. While it’s an expensive product, and you do have to use a lot of it each time, it’s worth the investment to tackle particularly stubborn pigmentation.
Caudalie vinoperfect glycolic peel mask
£22, Caudalie.com
This peel features all the usual staples, such as lactic, tartaric and citric acid, but also contains Caudalie’s patented ingredient, viniferine. Claiming to offer dark spot correction that’s 62 times more effective than vitamin C, we were keen to put it to the test. You can’t see the impact straight away – we used this twice a week over the course of three weeks, and it was only in the third week that we noticed a patch of hyperpigmentation on our jaw had started to fade. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t doing much in the meantime – our cheeks felt softer than usual, and texture evened out across both our chin and forehead. Unlike a lot of masks, we also didn’t experience any irritation whatsoever.
Kate Somerville liquid exfoliKate triple acid resurfacing treatment
Price comparison
- John Lewis & Partners£58
- Lookfantastic£58
We love when a product manages to be both effective and mindlessly easy to use, and thankfully Kate Somerville agrees. All you need to do to use this treatment is apply some product to a cotton pad, pat it over your face, and fall asleep. The glycolic, malic and lactic acids and fruit enzymes work their magic overnight, dissolving dead skin cells and smoothing out your complexion in the process. After just one night we had the usual post-mask glow and our pores seemed tighter than usual. The effects were even more pronounced a month later, at which point we realised it had potentially also prevented our usual monthly hormonal breakout. Also, there was no tingling or warmth upon application.
Kiehl’s nightly refining micro-peel concentrate
Price comparison
- Lookfantastic£43
- Boots£43
- Amazon£59.98
Another peel designed to be left on overnight, this formula is infused with phytic acid and quinoa husk extract. Both ingredients are renowned for their exfoliative properties, but are utilised by Kiehl’s in a way that provides gradual resurfacing. While your complexion’s tolerance may vary, we found it gentle enough to use a few drops every evening before our moisturiser. The first effects we saw were plumper, glowier cheeks. After three weeks, we also saw an improvement in texture and any new spots that did crop up seemed to dry up and fade quicker than usual. These results were very gradual, but well worth the wait. Our only critique is that the consistency is quite sticky.
Murad replenishing multi-acid peel
£49, Cultbeauty.co.uk
This is a bi-phase product, which means it promises to deliver on two different fronts – resurfacing skin for a smoother, brighter finish, and nourishing your complexion to increase radiance. The former is achieved with a blend of AHAs and BHAs, while the latter relies on adaptogenic herbs like holy basil. With such a stellar ingredient list, it’s no surprise we saw such quick results. It’s a nightly product, so we massaged a small amount into our skin with a cotton pad before moisturiser and after a few days had a softer, more evenly toned complexion. While it didn’t make a major difference in hyperpigmentation, it did ease oiliness across our nose and forehead, and brightened our dark under-eyes.
The Inkey List apple cider vinegar peel
£14.99, Cultbeauty.co.uk
At one point it felt like the internet was convinced apple cider vinegar could achieve anything, and yet this was our first time using a skincare product that actually included it in its ingredient list. We were even more surprised this was the case once we looked into its skin benefits – not only is it anti-inflammatory, but it’s a natural exfoliant with an aptitude for absorbing excess oil. This peel bolsters it with glycolic acid and a five per cent multi-fruit blend, which makes it quite potent. It has a very strong scent and there was a brief but significant stinging effect at first.
Rinsed off after ten minutes, it brightened our complexion and held the worst of our oiliness at bay for over 24 hours. While repeated use didn’t soften our skin like other peels, it went far in resolving and preventing breakouts. We can imagine it may be too harsh on dry complexions, but it’s an effective quick solution for those with oily skin types.
Elemis pro-collagen tri-acid peel
£59.50, Johnlewis.com
The tri-acid peel owes its name to an exfoliating complex of lactobionic, asiatic and mandelic acids. With a relatively high active concentration of eight per cent, it was specifically formulated to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while simultaneously protecting your skin’s moisture barrier. Only a tiny amount is needed at a time, and we only noticed tingling during our first 15 minute use. It started brightening and softening from the get go, and our skin seemed to hold onto that freshly-applied-skincare-glow for longer the day after use. With bi-weekly use, dark spots began to fade after a fortnight. While we can’t vouch for its ability to reduce wrinkles, it did also seem to tighten skin in the under-eye area.
Chemical Face Peel
A chemical peel is a procedure in which a chemical solution is applied to the skin to remove the top layers. The skin that grows back is smoother. With a light or medium peel, you may need to undergo the procedure more than once to get the desired results.
Chemical peels are used to treat wrinkles, discolored skin and scars — usually on the face. They can be done alone or combined with other cosmetic procedures. And they can be done at different depths, from light to deep. Deeper chemical peels offer more-dramatic results but also take longer to recover from.
Why it’s done
A chemical peel is a skin-resurfacing procedure. Depending on the issues you’re addressing with the procedure, you’ll choose a chemical peel in one of three depths:
- Light chemical peel. A light (superficial) chemical peel removes the outer layer of skin (epidermis). It’s used to treat fine wrinkles, acne, uneven skin tone and dryness. You might have a light peel every two to five weeks.
- Medium chemical peel. A medium chemical peel removes skin cells from the epidermis and from portions of the upper part of your middle layer of skin (dermis). It’s used to treat wrinkles, acne scars and uneven skin tone. You might need to repeat the procedure to achieve or maintain the desired result.
- Deep chemical peel. A deep chemical peel removes skin cells even deeper. Your doctor might recommend one for deeper wrinkles, scars or precancerous growths. You won’t need repeat procedures to get the full effect.
Chemical peels can’t remove deep scars or wrinkles or tighten sagging skin.
Risks
A chemical peel can cause various side effects, including:
- Redness, scabbing and swelling. Normal healing from a chemical peel involves redness of the treated skin. After a medium or deep chemical peel, redness might last for a few months.
- Scarring. Rarely, a chemical peel can cause scarring — typically on the lower part of the face. Antibiotics and steroid medications can be used to soften the appearance of these scars.
- Changes in skin color. A chemical peel can cause treated skin to become darker than normal (hyperpigmentation) or lighter than normal (hypopigmentation). Hyperpigmentation is more common after superficial peels, while hypopigmentation is more common after a deep peel. These problems are more common in people with brown or black skin and can sometimes be permanent.
- Infection. A chemical peel can lead to a bacterial, fungal or viral infection, such as a flare-up of the herpes virus — the virus that causes cold sores.
- Heart, kidney or liver damage. A deep chemical peel uses carbolic acid (phenol), which can damage heart muscle and cause the heart to beat irregularly. Phenol can also harm the kidneys and liver. To limit exposure to phenol, a deep chemical peel is done a portion at a time, in 10- to 20-minute intervals.
A chemical peel isn’t for everyone. Your doctor might caution against a chemical peel or certain types of chemical peels if you:
- Have taken the oral acne medication isotretinoin (Myorisan, Claravis, others) in the past six months
- Have a personal or family history of ridged areas caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue (keloids)
- Are pregnant
- Have frequent or severe outbreaks of cold sores
How you prepare
Choose a doctor with knowledge of the skin and procedure — a dermatologist or dermatologic surgeon. Results can be variable and depend on the expertise of the person doing the peel. Improperly done, a chemical peel can result in complications, including infection and permanent scars.
Before you have a chemical peel, your doctor will likely:
- Review your medical history. Be prepared to answer questions about current and past medical conditions and any medications you are taking or have taken recently, as well as any cosmetic procedures you’ve had.
- Do a physical exam. Your doctor will inspect your skin and the area to be treated to determine what type of peel you might benefit from most and how your physical features — for example, the tone and thickness of your skin — might affect your results.
- Discuss your expectations. Talk with your doctor about your motivations, expectations and potential risks. Make sure you understand how many treatments you might need, how long it’ll take to heal and what your results might be.
Before your peel, you might also need to:
- Take antiviral medication. Your doctor might prescribe an antiviral medication before and after treatment to help prevent a viral infection.
- Use a retinoid cream. Your doctor might recommend using a retinoid cream, such as tretinoin (Renova, Retin-A) for a few weeks before treatment to help with healing.
- Use a bleaching agent. Your doctor might recommend using a bleaching agent (hydroquinone), a retinoid cream, or both before or after the procedure to reduce the risk of side effects.
- Avoid unprotected sun exposure. Too much sun exposure before the procedure can cause permanent irregular pigmentation in treated areas. Discuss sun protection and acceptable sun exposure with your doctor.
- Avoid certain cosmetic treatments and certain types of hair removal. About a week before the peel, stop using hair removal techniques such as electrolysis or depilatories. Also, avoid hair dying treatments, permanent-wave or hair-straightening treatments, facial masks, or facial scrubs in the week before your peel. Don’t shave the areas that will be treated beginning 24 hours before your peel.
- Arrange for a ride home. If you’ll be sedated during the procedure, arrange for a ride home.
What you can expect
Before the procedure
A chemical peel is usually done at an office or in an outpatient surgical facility. Before the procedure, your doctor will clean your face, protect your hair, and cover your eyes with ointment, gauze, tape or goggles.
Pain relief isn’t typically needed for a light chemical peel. If you’re having a medium peel, you might receive a sedative and painkiller. For a deep peel, you might have a sedative, something to numb the treatment area and fluids delivered through a vein.
During the procedure
During a light chemical peel:
- Your doctor will use a brush, cotton ball, gauze or sponge to apply a chemical solution typically containing glycolic acid or salicylic acid. The treated skin will begin to whiten.
- You might feel mild stinging while the chemical solution is on your skin.
- Your doctor will apply a neutralizing solution or wash to remove the chemical solution from the treated skin.
During a medium chemical peel:
- Your doctor will use a cotton-tipped applicator or gauze to apply a chemical solution containing trichloroacetic acid, sometimes in combination with glycolic acid. The treated skin will begin to whiten.
- After a few minutes, your doctor will apply cool compresses to soothe treated skin. You might also be given a hand-held fan to cool your skin. No neutralizing solution is needed, however.
- You might feel stinging and burning for up to 20 minutes.
During a deep chemical peel:
- You’ll be given intravenous (IV) fluids, and your heart rate will be closely monitored.
- Your doctor will use a cotton-tipped applicator to apply carbolic acid (phenol) to your skin. Treated skin will begin to turn white or gray.
- To limit your exposure to phenol, your doctor will do the procedure in portions at about 15-minute intervals. A full-facial procedure might take about 90 minutes.
After the procedure
After a chemical peel of any depth, your skin will be red, tight, irritated or swollen. Follow your doctor’s directions for sun protection, cleansing, moisturizing and applying protective ointments to your skin. And avoid picking, rubbing or scratching your skin. It may take several months before your skin color returns to normal and you can see the full results of the peel.
After a light chemical peel, treated skin will be red, dry and mildly irritated — although these effects might be less noticeable with each repeat treatment. Your doctor might apply a protective ointment, such as petroleum jelly, to soothe the skin. You can usually wear makeup the next day if you wish.
Treated areas take about one to seven days to heal after a light chemical peel. New skin might temporarily be lighter or darker than normal.
After a medium chemical peel, treated skin will be red and swollen. You’ll feel stinging. Your doctor might apply a protective ointment, such as petroleum jelly, to soothe the area and prevent dryness. After five to seven days, you can use cosmetics to cover any redness.
Use ice packs for comfort. Over-the-counter pain-relieving medication, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve, others), may help reduce any discomfort. You’ll likely schedule a checkup soon after your treatment so that your doctor can monitor your healing.
As swelling decreases, treated skin will begin to form a crust and might darken or develop brown blotches. Treated areas take about seven to 14 days to heal after a medium chemical peel, but redness might last for months.
After a deep chemical peel, you’ll experience severe redness and swelling. You’ll also feel burning and throbbing, and the swelling may even make your eyelids swell shut.
Your doctor will apply a surgical dressing to treated skin. He or she might also prescribe painkillers. You’ll need to soak the treated skin and apply ointment several times a day for about two weeks.
Treated areas will develop new skin within about two weeks after a deep chemical peel, although redness might last for months. Treated skin might become darker or lighter than normal or lose the ability to tan.
You might prefer to remain at home while you’re healing from a chemical peel. You’ll likely need several follow-up visits soon after your treatment so that your doctor can monitor your healing.
Once new skin completely covers the treated area in about two weeks, you can use cosmetics to conceal any redness. Use sunscreen every day.
Results
A light chemical peel improves skin texture and tone and lessens the appearance of fine wrinkles. The results are subtle but increase with repeated treatments. If you have a medium chemical peel, treated skin will be noticeably smoother. After a deep chemical peel, you’ll see a dramatic improvement in the look and feel of treated areas. Results may not be permanent. Over time, age and new sun damage can lead to new lines and skin color changes.
With all peels, the new skin is temporarily more sensitive to the sun. Talk with your doctor about how long to protect your skin from the sun.