Doing a Glycolic Acid Peel at Home

Do you go to the dermatologist or med spa when you want to have a peel done to your skin? I have done this myself but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I’ve been doing more skin treatments at home and they’ve really impressed me. There are options that you can safely do at home that are just as effective as in-office peels. I’m sharing what I’ve recently done at home. If you have no experience doing a peel on your own face, I recommend that you either have one professionally done for the first time or start with the lowest concentration.

Why do facial peels?

What we know is that “peels are one of the most effective and least invasive paths to better skin. Specially formulated with gentle acids and other pure ingredients, they clarify and beautify by removing dead surface layers, enabling skin to heal and renew itself from within. In the past, effective peels were only available at med spas or your physician’s office. There are now safe and affordable options for doing these at home.” Today I’m going to be talking about a glycolic acid peel.

I have personally had peels done at the med spa and at my dermatologist’s office. I’ve even done some at home too. I am quite comfortable with the procedure and performing a peel in the comfort of my own home. So when I saw an email come across my desk talking about Perfect Image Glycolic Gel Peel products I was happy to give their products a try. I wanted to brighten up my skin after being stuck mostly at home under the pandemic restrictions. Since I have pretty tough skin and have used glycolic peels in the past, I decided to go with the 50% Glycolic Peel solution.

The Perfect Image Glycolic Gel Peel is available in several different strengths (10%, 30% and 50%) for home use. The strongest percentage is 70% and it is only available to professionals. One bottle of  peel solution costs $29.95 for 30 ML or approximately 15-30 peel applications. Average use is 1-2 ML per treatment. So, as you can see, this is a very affordable option for those who wish to do peels at home.

It’s very easy to apply the glycolic acid peel . I ALWAYS suggest reading and rereading the instructions so that you are familiar with exactly what you’ll be doing. The process is pretty simple and straightforward. After doing a patch test you basically cleanse the skin, apply the peel solution, leave it on for one minute and then rinse it off. Depending on your skin’s tolerance for glycolic acid, you can layer a peel. Layering a peel helps it to penetrate the skin further. Depending on your goals, you can do peels more frequently as well.

UPDATE – After about 48 post-peel with 2 layers my skin began to flake and continued to do so for about 5 days. Some of the dark spots on my skin crusted a tiny bit. By 7 days post peel, my skin is visibly brighter and the clogged pores on my chin are now gone. I’m extremely pleased with the outcome. I believe that going slow is the way to go rather than layering the acid on the first round.

Peels are available in both pad form and bottled formulas, both of which are equally effective. The pads are just pre-soaked with the liquid gel peel. Peels can be used on the face, shoulders, decollete and on the tops of the hands. Each product is packed with natural plant/ botanical extracts. Perfect Image products are all paraben free, gluten free, phalate free, cruelty free and are made in the USA.

The biggest difference from Perfect Image’s version compared to those on the market is “the concentration of acid (most are 10% or lower concentration), and a higher pH typically 3.5 and higher which dilutes the formula. Perfect Image has a lower PH range from 2-2.5pH to keep the integrity of the active ingredients.”

Benefits to doing a glycolic acid peel:

• Reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines
• Improves skin hydration
• Improves Scars
• Reduces Pore Size
• Helps to Reduce Acne
• Reduces Hyperpigmentation
• Stimulates collagen development for plumper, firmer skin
• Increases cellular turnover for smoother skin

I love that Perfect Image has an online chat with an aesthetician available to its clients if the process is new to you, or if you have questions. You can send pictures too so that the aesthetician can recommend the strength best suited to your skin, as well as suggest pre-peel and post-peel products. I personally didn’t utilize this service for my glycolic peel, but I will certainly use it in the future when purchasing other peel products from them.

I’m extremely impressed with the 50% Glycolic Acid Peel and will look into purchasing other products from the brand soon. If you’ve been thinking of trying out a peel to use at home, glycoloic acid in a lower concentration os a great place to start. I recommend checking out the Perfect Image website and consulting with one of their aestheticians if you need advice for your skin type and goals.