What type of peels are best for sensitive skin?

Answers (1)

Daniela Ferri (Licensed Esthetician, Acne Specialist) answered (2/8/2013)

Can I be biased for a second ? :):)
I can tell you right off the bat, if you're sensitive you should only get chemical exfoliation for home use from a trusted Esthetician. Store brands will either have percentages or pH levels that are not appropriate, often they will have irritating ingredients that have freer entry to your skin because of the acids, and you shouldn't try to fly blind having to guess what's ok for you.

Having said that, the go-tos for peels on sensitive skin are Salicylic Acid (unless you're allergic to aspirin) and lactic acid. I love combining Salicylic Acid with fruit enzymes. I use it in the salon and sell it also for home care. The Sal Acid dissolves what holds dead skin cells together, calms the skin down since it's anti-inflammatory, and kills bacteria. The fruit enzymes of cranberry and pomegranate break the loosened dead skin cells apart. Followed by a soothing toner and calming serum and lotion, sensitive skin can actually be made less sensitive over time (depending on why it's sensitive, of course). By the way, I'd like to add that I have very often come across people whose skin has actually been sensiTIZED by use of the wrong products, where once we get the skin healed and back to normal functioning, the skin isn't sensitive anymore. Much fewer people actually have sensitive skin who identify it as such. :)