“Veil Down” and More on Chemical Peels

When I hear the words chemical peel, I immediately think of the Sex and the City episode when Samantha has a chemical peel and then attends Carrie’s book launch party. She arrives wearing a huge black hat with a veil to hide her face. Carrie asks her when she became a beekeeper (hee hee) and has only the following words for her the rest of the night “veil down, veil down.”  It’s a hilarious episode that draws attention to the aftermath of chemical peels.

When I was married and had disposable income, every 3-4 weeks I saw an esthetician and got a glycolic facial–a sort of peel. My skin looked radiant but now that I am in my own personal economic crisis, I have to turn to at-home methods to get my glow going. I’ve tried several products and these are the ones I find most gentle and effective.

DERMADoctor Physical Chemistry – The reason I like this is that it’s a microdermabrasion and multiacid peel in one. You pat it on cleansed dry skin and massage in–the scruby particles are very fine with no rough edges, so as long as you don’t rub really hard, it’s very gentle. The beads are supposed to break open while rubbing, but they didn’t for me and personally I don’t think it matters. After you rub it in rinse off with water. I leave it on my skin for 5-10 minutes before rinsing off but I do NOT have sensitive skin; it’s best to follow directions  It makes your skin feel soft and smooth! The peel part contains four different acids–Glycolic, Lactic, Salicylic and Azelaic. Great for aging skin. retails for $75

Chella Enzyme Formula Exfoliating Crema Mask -I received this product in one of my BeautyFix boxes and having tried other Chella products (see reviews here) I had high expectations. Chella didn’t let me down! This mask is so gentle yet so effective even girls with senstive skin and rosacea can use it. Although billed as a mask, it is clear in color, doesn’t dry up on the skin and has NO beads. Directions state to apply to damp skin in circular motions and leave on for 10 minutes, then rinse off. How easy is that? My skin really does feel happy and glowy after using this. The thing that amazes me though is that my skin feels moisturized after this mask. Most masks leave my skin feeling dry and tight and I can’t wait to slather on  moisturizer–not so with Chella Enzyme Exfoliating Crema Mask. I could go on and on about the ingredients, but I don’t know how they do it and I don’t care; I just know this mask makes my skin look radiant! Recommended use is once a week. Retails for $60.

 Reviva Labs Light Peel -  Another gentle exfolating peel, it lifts off dried skin cells to reveal brighter, fresher skin. The consistency of this is strange; it reminds me of gloppy oatmeal or the really old fashioned wallpaper paste. It is very thick and doesn’t smell that great but the odor disappates quickly. You smooth it onto you face, leave on for 3-5 until it’s completely dry and then rub off with your fingers or a dry wash cloth. Weird huh?  I prefer my fingers but then I’m sure there is some deep dark psychological reason I like doing this; I always liked peeling Elmer’s glue off my hands as a kid too. The best thing about this peel is that it makes my skin feel soft and supple and does not leave it red. The first time I used it, when I washed my face in the shower the next morning, I was amazed at how velvety my skin felt even the next day. This 1.5 oz. jar will last as long time and is only $20!

Stella got her groove back, what do you do to bring your glow back? Let me know in the comments!