Based on recent conversations with other skin pros, the trend of DIY pro-peels is starting to take off, and dangerously so.
If you use a AHA cream, let’s say a glycolic since that’s one of the strongest AHAs out there, do not assume that your skin can tolerate a pro-peel strength glycolic.
The marketing department may have slapped a ‘made with 20% glycolic acid” label on your cream, which would lead you to assume that a 20% glycolic peel is no big deal for your skin. What you don’t realize is that included in that cream are all sorts of buffers to bring that acid’s pH to a level where you can’t do any harm. So while it may have 20% glycolic in it, the acid has been neutralized so it is not at all what you would experience in a pro strength 20% glycolic peel.
But, DIYers often do not realize this. So they purchase pro-peels over the internet thinking that they can’t possibly do any damage. And then they use the peel and end up burning their skin.
There is a reason why pro-peels are for professional use only. If they were safe for anyone to use, the major cosmetic companies would most certainly attempt to make a buck off of them. But the liability from potential damage is high, so you are not going to see pro strength peels on drugstore shelves. And for very good reason.
I love peels and I swear by them. Done properly in a controlled environment, peels do amazing things for the skin. But please don’t try to save a buck and DIY with the pro products. Visit a professional and get it done safely.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
chemical peels are also damaging if not properly administered;,,
Yes, they can be. In fact, someone recently shared a horror story with me about a peel gone awry. I should do a post about what you should expect when going for a peel. Administered properly by a qualified professional, peels can be wonderful. But you should definitely be in the hands of a skilled pro.