Do the words chemical peels or acids scare you?

1st April 2020, By Fatma Gunduz - Skin & Sanctuary’s Senior Aesthetician

Are you haunted by Samantha’s face in THAT Sex in the City episode?

I wanted to write about this topic to reassure you and explain the benefits of these treatments. In all my 20 years of doing chemical peels I have hated the actual name but that is technically what they are and I have to use the correct terminology. And although I may not like the name, I love what they do.

I first came to see the benefits of acids in skincare when I had to use them to correct serious damage I had caused to my own skin. My foolish 18 year old self had the desire to be golden brown, and working in a hair and beauty salon I had easy access to sun beds. With the addition of the bronzing oils I applied to deepen the tan I felt that I looked “healthy and glowy” like Nicole Scherzinger from the Pussy Cat Dolls (I mean who wouldn’t want to look like her, she is stunning!).

I was finishing off a hairdressing course before going into beauty, so my core knowledge of skin health was non-existent. Luckily I didn’t continue using tanning beds for long, but even 3-6 months of regular use had been enough to cause damage to my skin including deep lines and aged skin on my neck, fine lines, dehydration and pigmentation on my face, as well as congestion from the tanning oils.

It was only when I started working for an aesthetic nurse in Knightsbridge that I discovered the power of glycolic acid. I experienced this first-hand when I started using a treatment cream formulated with AHAs for daily use coupled with a professional chemical peel once a month. I was paler, but now with heathy, plump and dewy skin.

To this day, when I pass a beauty salon with sunbeds I cannot help but get angry that 20 years on we have not banned them. I find it hypocritical that a place whose aim should be to help clients have healthier skin can still offer a service that not only speeds up the ageing process but could also cause long term harm.  

So what types of acids are there and how do they work?

The main types of acid we use for chemical exfoliation are alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs).

You will probably have heard of glycolic and lactic acids, both commonly used and well researched AHAs. We also love the lesser known AHA mandelic acid (and so do our clients!). As I always like to explain to clients, these acids might sound scary but in fact they have been around for centuries in their natural forms.

• Glycolic acid comes from sugar cane and is amazing when used to treat sun damaged skin and for ageing skin concerns (hence why I saw such difference to my Benidorm-style leathery skin!).

• Lactic acid is derived from milk. Cleopatra, known for her soft and beautiful skin, enjoyed bathing in donkey’s milk (yes you read that right).

• Mandelic acid originated from almonds. This AHA has larger molecules meaning it is much more gentle and ideal for more sensitive skins.

As for BHAs, these are commonly used for inflamed acne or oily, congested skin. The well known BHA salicylic acid is found in its natural form in willow bark, and can also be extracted from aspirin.

Aestheticians use both AHAs and BHAs to exfoliate the skin, removing dead skin cells and encouraging cell turnover which helps to avoid dull, dry or congested skin. This chemical exfoliation helps to even out skin tone and treat pigmentation concerns. AHAs and BHAs also attack the p. Acne virus, helping to calm down uncomfortable inflammation from acne breakouts. Another benefit is that they stimulate collagen production, helping to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. What good stuff these acids really are!

Now before you go running off to buy some sugar cane, binge eat almonds or make a deal with your local farmer for milk to bathe in, you need to know that the effect of using these natural forms would take sooo long to show any results, as well as causing a lot of hassle and expense! We are lucky to live in a time where these incredible ingredients can be synthesised in labs and formulated into products of different strengths ready for targeted home and professional use.

Skincare has come a long way since I was 20, and there are now many retail products containing AHAs and BHAs, including cleansers, toners, spot treatments and serums. The formulations and effectiveness of these will vary widely and for the best (and safest) results I would always recommend speaking to a skincare expert and following their advice.

For enhanced results, alongside your home care routine, I recommend having professional chemical peels carried out in clinic. These use AHAs and BHAs but in more advanced percentages, formulated with pH levels that enable better penetration into the skin.

Professional chemical peels are graded at different levels. The most common and popular ones are superficial peels, which require little to no down time and are great for general skin health. These peels treat concerns at a slower and controlled pace whilst still delivering a wonderful glow to the skin. They don’t cause redness and after treatment you can continue with your day. There may be a little flaking of the skin after a few days, but this is generally very limited. At Skin & Sanctuary we call these “Light Chemical Peels”, and often combine them with our other facials for enhanced results.

Our most advanced peels, the “Deep Chemical Peels”, are always administered by a medical practitioner. These do require downtime (meaning more visible shedding of skin). This level of peel is used for more stubborn skin concerns (such as deep wrinkles, scarring, pigmentation) and can deliver faster results.

Depending on the concerns you are trying to correct and what you want to achieve, one of these super-duper acids can usually help. And I hope that now you are no longer scared of them and can see how wonderful they actually are!

I would always recommend a consultation with a professional aesthetician for guidance as to which skincare and professional treatments to use. At Skin & Sanctuary we offer a range of superficial peels and deep peels to help you achieve your skin goals, as well as retail products for home use. Although our physical clinic door is temporarily closed, we are very happy to offer online video consultations, or give you advice over the phone if we can, until we can safely offer our professional clinic treatments again (we are really really looking forward to that day!).