My First Chemical Peel Experience
Last week while giving a client a facial, she innocently asked, "So who does your facials?"
I mournfully told her I had nobody around to do that. Cue me missing beauty school when treatments were available every day if I wanted. Sigh.
For about a month I have been itching to get a chemical peel and I finally just decided to do it myself. I have all the products and it would be a great money-saver doing it on my own. So I realized giving myself the treatment may not be as relaxing, but it would still be worth it.
Luckily for me, I had a day last week with few appointments. I came in early, wrapped my hair up and set up what would serve as my battlestation for the next half hour.
Doing this treatment was not decided on out of the blue. I had to prepare the week leading up to it by ceasing use of my Image Iluma Intense Bleaching Serum, which has retinol, three days before the peel. The day before the peel I also stopped using my Clear Cell Medicated Acne Lotion because it contains benzoyl peroxide. I would say these two steps were the hardest part. The serum and lotion have dramatically improved the appearance of my skin and not using them in my daily routine killed me.
But then, I discovered the wonders of the Image Signature Facelift peel.
This peel has a blend of vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and fruit enzymes that hydrate, exfoliate and pump anti-oxidants into your skin. It's a great introduction to chemical peels for somebody who has never had one before. So I parked myself in front of my treatment room mirror and got to work.
The process starts out with a cleanse and then jumps right into the peel solution. I applied the solution to my face and massaged it, then added an anti-aging mask on top for another massage. I could feel some tingling on my face after the first mask but it wasn't unpleasant or unbearable. On top of the anti-aging mask I then applied a second coat of the peel solution, massaged for one minute, then continued with an enzyme mask on top of that. After another massage, I let all of the layers sit for five minutes.
By this point my skin felt a little strange with the goopy layers of three different products, but there was still no burning on or uncomfortable feeling.
I removed the layers, finished off with a serum and moisturizer and holy cow. My skin had never felt so good. It felt refreshed, soft and plump immediately after, which I wasn't expecting. And there were also some immediate results I definitely didn't think I would see.
The top two photos are right before my peel and the bottom two are immediately after. LOOK AT MY PORES. Their appearance was already reduced!
I'm now five days post-peel and I've had a few pimples pop up but they typically go away after 24 hours. I've only had slight redness and no flaking of the skin. My pores are looking better and better each day and I can even see a reduction in blackheads on my chin.
I'm so happy I finally gave myself this treatment. It was fun, relaxing and I now have personal experience to share with my clients. The main takeaway? Your face won't fall off from a chemical peel ;).