Spa Magazine

But while the goal is the same, the results can differ depending on the ingredients, your skin type, and the issues you're hoping to address. According to Bella Schneider, the distributor and educator of the Rose de Mer herbal peel and founder of LaBelle Day Spas in Northern California, fall and winter are the best times to get a peel, and in fact Schneider won't perform them in the summer because the new skin revealed by a peel is at a high risk for sun damage.

Thinking about giving it a shot yourself this season? Following is a breakdown of the most commonly available peels, how they work, and who they're best suited for.  

 

CHEMICAL PEEL

What It Is: An acid-based exfoliation of the face or body that promotes clear skin, healthy cell growth, and an even complexion. Lighter chemical peels contain glycolic, lactic, or alpha hydroxy acid and cause only minor tingling and no downtime, while deeper peels contain trichloroacetic acid and can reach a deeper level of the dermis. The deepest chemical peel available is a phenol peel, which takes one to two hours to perform and several days of recovery time during which layers of skin are shed and new, sensitive skin is revealed.

What to Expect: Light chemical peels take about 15 tingly minutes and reduce the appearance of acne and superficial wrinkles. Significantly more intense, medium-strength peels must be performed by a licensed esthetician or dermatologist. Though they leave skin pink and flaky for several days, improved texture and tone are the end result. Deep peels, which take up to two hours and require a general anesthetic, should only be administered by a dermatologist or plastic surgeon and only to the face. Expect your skin to scab over for a couple of weeks and look red for up to two months, but after it recovers, you'll see fewer wrinkles and a dramatic reduction in sunspots and other discolorations.

 

Next Page: The breakdown on herbal and enzyme peels.