There are three major things you can do for your skin to keep it looking fresh. Cleanse, moisturize and exfoliate. I’ve been a fan of exfoliation since my teens, it’s the quickest get rid of those dead skin cells. However, many exfoliators can be quite harsh, and even damage your skin. I learned this during a facial, when I went in for microdermabrasion and the aesthetician recommended a lactic acid peel instead because I had a few broken capillaries. This opened the eyes to the whole world of peels. While doing peels at home is not recommended unless you know what you are doing, there are some home treatments you can do that are safe, easy and very effective.
Recently, I’ve been trying out peel pads, there are a few on the market, at first I tried Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Extra Strength Alpha Beta Peel which at $85 is cheaper than a facial, but still steep, and with a 2-step process, it can get complicated, but the results were wonderful. I loved how the peel pads made my skin feel.
When the Dr. Dennis Gross peel pads ran out, and not wanting to shell out another $85, I tried the Peter Thomas Roth ‘Un-Wrinkle’ Peel Pads at $45, it was nearly half the cost, and with 60 pads, they wold last twice as long. The Un-Wrinkle Pads contains 20% proprietary complex of alpha, beta and gamma exfoliators (including glycolic, salicylic, lactic and linoleic acids) and amino acids, which are the building blocks of peptides. I really wish I knew what all of that meant, but in reality, I could tell from using them for a few weeks that my skin softened up significantly. I didn’t notice any “un-wrinkling” but I did like the direction the texture of my skin was going. My teens and 20′s were plagued by pimples, and once that cleared up, my skin shows the aftermath of that with enlarged pores. The pads don’t erase the pores, but they do make them less of a nuisance.
How to use the Un-Wrinkle Peel Pads:
They’re relatively simple to use, after washing your face, take a pad out of the jar and gently apply to face and neck. Let it stand for up to 3 minutes, then rinse with water. I have found that you really have to rinse well, maybe even do a light second wash because the product is a bit sticky when it dries. I find the best time to use this is at night, because you can wash your face, apply the pads, brush your teeth, and then rinse it off. If you have dry skin, use 1-2 times, normal skin 3 times a week, and oily skin you can use daily.
In end, I found the peel pads to be an excellent way to exfoliate without irritating my sensitive skin, and definitely a part of my skin care regime.
