See, back when I was young and cute I always figured I’d just grow old gracefully… but now that I’m getting old and wrinkly I’m finding that growing old gracefully is harder than I thought it’d be. Today I was at Eckerds and I noticed some of those home chemical peel kits and I actually carried one around with me for a while… but I just couldn’t make nyself buy it. I mean, I know I’ve always been a little vain, but vain enough to put caustic chemicals on my face? I dunno. And to pay $20.00 for the privilege? I finally decided to do some research first. I found a lot of advertisements for these kits on the web, but no evidence other than the anecdotal… and I thought, “Heck, if I’m going to look at a bunch of anecdotal evidence I might as well seek Doper anecdotal evidence, which is bound to be of a superior kind.”
So, has anyone used one of these kits? And, if so, did it help smooth your wrinkles or did it just burn hell out of your face?
I used these kits from the drugstore and loved the results. Make sure that you read, understand, and follow the directions carefully. The peel is rather instensive, so don’t do it just before a big event. I like to do the peel on a Saturday afternoon so that my face is smooth and glowing on Monday morning. I don’t really have any wrinkles, the peel just exfoliates a lot more than my usual routine. I use the peel once a month and I make sure to use at least SPF 30 on my face and neck at all times. Good luck when you finally take the plunge.
I have “peeled” for skin cancer. Although it was not a pleasant experience, my skin did come out smooth and evenly textured. However, the prescription medication that I used is not normally available, nor can it be used casually.
If you are at all squeamish about a “peel” you might want to try some of the alphahydroxy acid creams that are on the market. I use one that I actually got at Eckerds called “Alpha Hydrox” (ha, very imaginative I know). I’ve tried more expensive creams from Prescriptives, Chanel, etc…and I swear this one works the best!! I read an article once where a dermatologist said that if you use a good alphahydroxy acid cream daily it will obiviate the need for a peel later on. I’ve had many people compliment me on my skin. I’m in my early 30s and I’ve been using it for 5 years or so. People usually think I’m in my 20s and I really think I owe it all to this particular cream…plus I avoid the sun like the SARS virus.
Ok, hope I’m not being too pushy about this because you did ask for advice specifically on peels…but, I have to say that if you use “Neutrogena Anti Wrinkle Cream” (w/ retinol) in conjunction with the “Alpha Hydrox” cream you will have skin like buttah. I’m not kidding…These two creams are pure gold.
Thanks all. I’m off to Ekhards today to get a peel – what the heck, right? I’m also going to get the Alpha Hydrox stuff and the Neutrogena stuff to use in future. I’ll post back with results.
Yes, please let us all know. Also, how sensitive is your skin usually? That can make a difference in trying to compare your results to what mine might be. I’ve been interested in trying a peel, too.
I’ve seen that red box of Alpha-hydroxy cream for years–it’s nice to hear some reliable feedback on how well it works. I think it’s time to use that free shipping coupon from drugstore.com
Well, it worked pretty well. My skin feels really smooth and looks pretty good, too. The peel didn’t hurt at all, in fact it doesn’t really seem to have taken a layer off at all and it doesn’t seem to have touched the wrinkles much, either. I bought the Vita-K kit, BTW. It cost $19.99 and came with a tube of exfoliating scrub (step 1), the peel stuff (step 2) and a tube of spf 15 moisturizer (step 3 to be used whenever I’m out in the sun). I left the peel stuff on for the prescribed 10 minutes, but I was in the bathtub while I did it – maybe I should have been out of the tub so it would dry better? There’s enough stuff left for several more applications, so I’ll try it again in a week – out of the tub, this time. If it still seems too gentle, I’ll leave it on an extra few minutes the time after that – I am of hardy, peasant stock, not at all delicate or sensitive. And thanks, Shana for the tips on the the two creams – I bought them too and really like them both!
I just want to say that because of this thread (wherein I had the same thought as j. c.) I went out to look for a home peel kit (I looked first online and decided on the Vita-K).
I didn’t find one, but after I’d returned to my office I had a message from my mother. I called her back, and she was curious about where I’d been when she called.
I told her, and long story short, she offered to pay for me to have a professional peel.
I’m pretty much too chicken for that–but I thought I’d share.
I use this stuff called “Thermal Fusion Enzyme Masque” by Arbonne. It uses papaya extract to dissolve the dead skin. Use it 5 nights in a row and it’s equal to a chemical peel but without the harsh chemicals and super-sensitive redness. It leaves my face soft as buttah. I’ll let you know how to get it if you email me.
Doughnut - wouldn’t any chemical strong enough to dissolve skin be harsh? Are you sure you’re supposed to use it five days in a row? That doesn’t sound right.
For those who haven’t had one: a pro peel starts with removing all the oil from your face (acetone or some other ass-kicking astringent) which is the only part that you can feel. Then the derm dabs your face with an odorless liquid. Then he dabs it with another odorless liquid to stop the peeling action. Then you go home and look raw and horrible for a couple of hours. When you wake up, you put on makeup and go to work. When you come home from work, you clean your makeup off and are beautiful and if your derm finds out you went in the sun without a hat, you will get in trouble.
There’s another derm trick that involves freezing with the icy breeze from a liquid oxygen canister. This is really great for rosacea and acne. Much better, I am told, than my old method of drying out my face by spending a lot of time swimming and in the sun.
