How to Start Chemical Peels Without Fear
“If peels scare you, you're exactly who this episode is for.”
Today, we're walking you through the best beginner-friendly peels and alternatives, such as the Dream Peel, Mandelic acid, and Acid Serums, so you can start resurfacing your skin safely, confidently, and without fear.
We have a lot of new customers and many who have been following us on Facebook and watching our videos, but they're just a little too nervous to dive in and do that first peel.
Right.
Let's discuss where they should start, the beginning peels, and what makes them nervous.
Yeah, I mean, obviously, it's a little bit scary if you're thinking about the whole process. I'm gonna put some acid on my face, it's gonna burn, it's gonna hurt, I'm gonna look terrible. They see all those photos online, but we don't have to do peels like that, right?
Right.
We can start simply with something gentle and a little tingly, which will give you some dryness, essentially no social downtime, right?
So, let's start there. You don't have to do a TCA peel right off the bat.
Right, for sure.
You don't have to, and you don't even have to do a peel. So, I just want to discuss that for a second. Even if you are really scared of using an acid and putting it on, you don't want to feel anything at all. You can use a daily, everyday acid, such as an acid cleanser, which is the easiest option, or our Serum 15, for example.
Serum 15 is perfect to use two or three times. If you can work your way up, add on days, it's a great way to start incorporating an acid.
So they're going to get the exfoliation.
They are going to get exfoliation from this, right? If you use this a few times a week, your face will feel smooth. You could start with something like this.
Right.
Doesn't have to be a peel. This is great. I find that, you know, we have different classes of acids, and we have, like, the hydroxy acids. You have alpha and beta hydroxy acids, and different ones are good for different things. I find that, you know, there's only one beta hydroxy really, and that's salicylic.
Right.
You can start with something really mild, like the 3% salicylic acid. This would be great for anyone prone to acne or oily skin. You can use this, you know, once or twice a week. And then, you know, other acids that I find even milder feeling like Mandelic.
Mandelic is actually my favorite.
It's a very big seller for us.
Because it's so good, it's suitable for everything. And anybody can start here. It won't cause redness. It won't cause extreme irritation. It's more of a tingly, maybe a warmth or a tingling, but something so tolerable.
You could almost forget it was on. You know, so you really want to actively time these and rinse them off. But I think Mandelic is probably the easiest.
Mandelic 22. Mandelic 40, I think, feels exactly the same, but a little bit more dryness.
Lactic is another one. So that's for people who don't want any social downtime at all. They're not even really going to get dry. It's just something that, over weeks of using it, helps to turn it over.
Let's discuss that. That's kind of the beauty of that peel.
Yes.
Usually, there's no visible peeling. Maybe some dry, a little bit of dryness, a little bit of flaking, maybe. But that is the great thing about these weekly peels.
Yeah.
There’s no downtime. And you're still getting collagen stimulating and all the good stuff happening beneath the surface of the skin.
Exactly. And they're, you know, so in order of how much flaking, oh, this is, I would say lactic. This is going to be a transition from zero to a slight dryness, right? This is the one where, if you have to go to work and you can't have any social downtime, grab your lactic.
If you can tolerate a slight dryness, I would recommend Mandelic.
Okay.
If you want a little more dryness, and I still don't mean a lot of dryness, you could move into glycolic, around 30% along those lines.
However, even then, none of these will give you aggressive results. So you don't have to worry about all that social downtime. I like to call that.
That's nice. Anybody could do these.
Anybody can do it. It's not just a matter of doing that one peel, either, though you will feel super smooth after rinsing it off. Immediately, you'll feel smooth, but it's a matter of doing a series of them. So, a peel series, consisting of six to eight peels in a row.
You want to do a peel. You can do this weekly, or if you prefer to use retinoids and other acids, every other week is probably the best approach to use these products and continue, resulting in beautiful, healthy, and glowing skin.
Absolutely. So, so what can they expect and how soon? They always want to know when I'll see results. I know you said six to eight peels.
Yeah. I think you see something. I think you're going to feel the difference in your skin before you see a difference in your skin, right? You know, that first week you peel the first week, you're going to feel smoother. Yeah. You might get dry, you know. The process involves applying the acid for about three to five days.
You're going to get a little bit dry. If you notice a flake or two, that's likely to come off when you wash your face with a washcloth. It's, it's going to be gone.
I think most people are done with any kind of dryness and flaking within the first six to seven days; you're done. You'll notice a couple of minor benefits, and perhaps a few surface marks will disappear.
Right.
Your skin might feel a little bit smoother and easier to hydrate because you've got all that dead skin coming off.
Your makeup may go on nicer.
Your makeup's going to go on nicer. I feel like you won't see massive changes, though. I always stayed for at least 60 to 90 days. So if you're doing two peels a month.
Right.
You know, you're going to get at least six peels under your belt before you really start seeing changes. That's why you should always take a photo, starting from the beginning, and take one on a monthly basis. And then you can start comparing them. Then you see those changes and just keep going.
Good. Excellent. So anybody can do it and..
Anybody.
You can find it right here on our website.
Anybody. And I just want to mention that, like anybody, like even the preteens.
Right.
You got somebody that's, you know, you know, things happen earlier nowadays. You know, you've got young ladies, maybe nine to 11 years old, that might be dealing with acne and hormonal issues.
You could do a Mandelic 22 on your daughter or your son if he's starting to experience acne. I think the Mandelic 22 or the Salicylic 3% is a super option. It's so tolerable.
They could simply use it in their T-zone, similar to a face toner, at a concentration of 3%. Correct?
Yeah, absolutely. Yep.
Moisturizing is also key for the younger ones.
Yeah. Yeah. I would always recommend like vitamin B complex for anybody dealing with acne.
Excellent. Perfect. Great advice.
Yeah.
Now, not all peels have to sting or burn when applied.
Right.
We have a very unique product. It's called the Dream Peel.
Yeah.
This was your beautiful creation, Jennifer.
Oh, yes.
Probably about what, five years ago now?
Yeah, it's been a little bit. It's been a little bit now.
Exciting times here at Platinum Skin Care. Let's take a deep dive into the Dream Peel and discuss how to apply it and what it's all about.
Yeah. So, this is probably not to say that any of these acids were extremely irritating, but this one causes zero irritation when applied. You apply this just like you would any other facial serum. The caveat is that it is a peel. Over the next few days, you will start to feel a little flaky and more sensitive.
Some people experience a slight warmth on their skin. It really depends on your sensitivity to retinoids, right? This is predominantly retinol, but it also contains some retinaldehyde and granactive retinoid. And a lot of vitamin C. This one tends to be particularly effective for addressing hyperpigmentation and overall anti-aging concerns, including fine lines and similar issues.
Doesn't burn when you apply it at all. It's just like that residual little bit of sensitivity and irritation for some people.
However, the cycle remains the same; you apply it multiple nights in a row. You can one night, two nights, three nights. If you're a long-term prescription retinoid user, you might need to put it on four nights, but most people, one or two nights. And just light, I don't know how to put it into words, it's very similar to a glycolic peel or something. It's dry, with tiny, tiny flakes.
I kind of feel like the only way to describe it is almost like face dandruff.
There you go.
You know what I mean?
It's like little tiny flakes, microscopic in size, but it has a pretty unique way of peeling.
Yeah. And it's not big flakes or anything like that. Super, super socially acceptable.
Right.
You know, just put on a lot of moisturizer and you're good to go. But this is another great alternative. There's no sensation when you put this on. And if you do, one night, you can only do this monthly, though, obviously, just once a month. Most people who start off using this definitely see a difference in their pigmentation. They see a difference in their fine lines.
And you know, do this just once a month. And they're like, ' This is a way to make your skin beautiful, healthy, and glowing. ' This is a perfect option if you're scared of acid.
Now, if you're just starting, it's best to begin with one night.
I would start with one night.
Yeah, I agree.
One night only. We do have some warnings on here, as your neck is a little more sensitive and reactive, as well as your decolletage.
So we're like, use extreme caution. And the same thing with your eyes. We actually provide you with a small tube of petroleum jelly so you can apply it around your lashes.
We don't want it to seep into your eye area, as that could cause dry eyes and other issues.
Right. Sensitive areas. Like I always put it around the corner of my nose and your lips. And don't skip that step because it can, like you said, seep a little bit.
Yeah, wherever you apply it, especially an oily serum, wherever you apply it, it's going to go further than where you intend. So you always want to have a barrier. And that's why we give you the barrier. You don't have to go to the store. It's right there in the box. You can apply it where needed. Put that on.
And I always suggest doing one pump. If you're going to do your neck too, consider doing two pumps the first time. But, you know, put it all on your hands. It's kind of like padded everywhere. Then, it's almost as if they're rubbing it in. Do you like maybe the tops of your eyes last?
Yeah.
Where do you get the littlest amount on your fingers? However, it's extremely easy to apply, much like a serum. And we call it the dream peel because, you know, the intent was to go to sleep with this on.
Some people are aggressive sleepers, right? So, if you're an aggressive sleeper and always tend to wipe things off or get stuff in your eye, you can use it during the daytime too. You know, it doesn't have to be nighttime. Leave it on, you know, four to six hours, something along those lines.
And something I've been thinking about recently, too, is that some people are really sensitive to retinoids, and that four to six hours is too much for them. So just put it on for less time. Perhaps leave it on for an hour or two, just to get some benefit.
Yeah. I am one of the ones who are more sensitive to retinoids. However, I absolutely love the Dream Peel. It does have a slightly delayed reaction. I am one of those who get that hot face feeling, as if I'll look like I was out in the sun the next day, with a little bit of a sunburn. And then a couple of days later, it will sneak up on you, and your skin will become sensitive for some.
Yeah. Like a little sunburn feeling.
Yeah. Like a little sunburn feeling. Use just healing and soothing products after.
I love the essential healing blend.
Yeah.
After that.
Super nice, right?
It feels even better than the emu oil. Like those are the two we always recommend. I like the Essential Healing Blend best with the Dream Peel. I feel like it's more soothing.
I enjoy the Nano Hyaluronic and the Regenerate as well. Because during the day, you know, you do get some of that mild flaking. So like here when we're, you know, running up and talking to customers up front and things, you know, you might glance into a mirror and go, oh gosh, you know, you looked fine three hours ago, but now you have all these little white kind of flakes on your face and you know, a little bit of Hyaluronic, a little bit of Regenerate.
Just to re-moisten it again.
Re-moistens it, and you can't tell.
I just want to make a point, just because this whole thing is about doing peels, that, you know, maybe you're scared. If you're afraid of the downtime, nobody is paying attention.
Yeah, true.
You're the only one that's paying attention. I can prove it. There are many times when I have walked into the front lobby, and I'm talking, if I've done a TCA peel and my face is all looking funky, and people don't look at you, they look through you, and they'll be like, ' Oh, your skin's so beautiful. ' I'm thinking, come on, come on, look.
It looks dry and flaky.
And I'm like, ' Please don't actually look at me, because you can see that I'm in the middle of doing a peel and my skin looks atrocious. ' And then they're like, oh yeah, like they didn't even notice. No one's even going to see if you have a little bit of flakiness, or you can go to work, and nobody cares. So don't let that stop you.
Yeah.
Don't let that stop you.
Absolutely.
Nobody is paying attention like you are.
Great advice. We're our worst critics, aren't we?
Yes, we are.
Okay. So, let's say you've been doing a series of these superficial light peels.
Yeah.
How do you know when you're ready to level up and go to the next step?
Most people could be very content just doing these. And I think it's just a matter of your goals as to when you want to change or feel the desire. If you're thinking, this is what usually happens.
Okay. I love this. They're going to do like three or four of these. And they're like, I want to do a strong one now. That's what happens is that they've done it. They've gotten over the fear factor. They put that acid on. They're like, well, that wasn't so bad.
Right.
They dealt with the little bit of dryness and flaking, and like, that's not so bad. I'm ready to do more. You know, they'll do a feel and they're like, I see some changes, but I want to see more, you know? And then, okay, well then that's the time to move up. But let's like, make sure that we're not jumping into something too strong.
So if you, you know, if you're dealing with hyperpigmentation and you've been using Mandelic or Lactic, okay. Move to Jessner, perhaps one layer at a time. So you can feel what that feels like.
Next time, do two layers. You can just keep moving up. And if you're, you know, working on anti-aging, things like that, you've been using either Mandelic or Glycolic, then move to the TCA.
And you can start with a seven.
Yeah. That's great advice.
I love the seven. Perhaps starting with two layers is a perfect step up from any of these peels.
Yeah.
You're going to get more dryness. You're going to get a little bit of flaking all over, but the seven makes it so much more manageable.
Right.
And then we always want you to work up in your layers. So, every time you do a peel, you can add another layer. So, in three, four, or five months, let's say you're doing four, five, or six layers, or even seven layers.
It doesn't matter. Then you can move up to the next percentage, if that's an option, such as the TCA 13 or a similar choice. But always just go slow.
Yes.
Don't rush, as there are numerous opportunities. There are opportunities to add on the Dream Peel. There are opportunities to do Jessner plus TCA. There are many things you can do moving forward, but you just have to make progress. Don't be in a rush.
Yes.
And take those pictures because you'll see the changes happening. They're going to happen.
Right.
You know, it's going to keep you excited, but just don't get so excited that you jump ahead and put on something that's far too strong.
Yeah.
And then that can take you backwards. And we don't want that. We don't want you to get hyperpigmentation and things.
Yes, it's definitely better to start slowly, really focusing on your application. Make sure to apply your prep solution first, removing any oils and residue from moisturizers. So when you do apply the peel, it's taking nice and evenly to your skin.
Yeah. Prep.
Yes. They can obviously follow right along with you on the videos.
Yep. That's the best way. If anybody is nervous, I always recommend finding the video.
Peel with Jen.
Peel with Jen.
Because I'm doing it, I'm also doing the peel at the same time.
Yeah.
And you can do any one of the hydroxy peels with me. I think it's Chemical Peel 101, and we just apply it together. I wash my face. You wash your face.
You know, we put, we strip the skin. We put the acid out. We time it together.
We rinse it. I'll tell you what to put on afterwards. I've done it. You can see what my face looks like.
I do the same thing with the Jessner. Same thing with the TCA. The same applies to all the peels. So it's not like you have to remember. I know I'm like that, too.
You know, you like to read the manual 50 times, and you're scared, and you pick it up, and you're scared. Like the first time I did a peel, I was like that. I must've read it 22 times.
Yeah.
But you could pause your video, do what you need to do, and then unpause it; we'll do it together. That's just, you don't have to think. You can just, just do it. And then you realize it's so simple.
Yeah. You're just like peeling with your buddy.
Yes
Awesome.
I'm there for you. So, let's say you're ready to get started, but maybe you're not sure because these acids are used for different purposes. Some, you know, they're all better for different things.
This is where you want to go, similar to the Peel Finder tool. And we have that on our website on every single page, you know, the front page, every page. Simply click the Peel Finder tool, and you can enter your information, whether you're a beginner or an advanced user, including your skin color and any specific concerns you may have.
You can select the picture, and it will tell you which acid is best for you, too. So you don't have to just read and read, and then guess and read some more. Instead, take the Peel Finder tool, and it will tell you exactly where to start. Like, and it will ask you too, like, are you comfortable with a lot of flaking? Are you okay with social downtime? Are you not? Will you say yes or no?
So if you're comfortable with social downtime, you don't mind it. It will provide you with a TCA or Jessner option. If it's like, no, I can't have any, well, that's going to put you into these assets. So, all of your selections will help you find the exact type of peel that works for you, at least for now, when you're doing those.
In the future, you can retake it and get completely different results, because you're ready to move on.
That's great advice because many customers do get overwhelmed. It's a lot of information. Our website is very educational, but you can spend a lot of time on it once you start clicking around, and you're like, ' Oh, I just had it. ' And then now you read something else and you're like, wait a minute, I like this, you know, and they're a little bit, you know, confused sometimes, and they're just overwhelmed. I think the Peel Finder tool is an excellent starting point for them.
Yes. And that was, you know, something that took a lot of thinking to ensure that we're presenting the correct information to you. So it's, it's highly intuitive. You know, with your answers, you're getting the, you're getting told like this acid, this percentage, this is where you should start.
So there's no guess. It eliminates the guesswork.
No guesswork. No guess. And then, of course, you want to do your prep and all those kinds of things. We recommend using acid-based cleansers. You want to use retinoids. You want your skin 100% prepared.
If you have darker skin, we recommend preparing with products like Fade Bright, which contain melanin inhibitors.
Yes.
We recommend using SPF 50 every single day and other similar products.
And if you don't have a good regimen, we also have the Regimen Builder tool. We have two tools for you. We can help you choose your peel and put your regimen together.
And it's not like you have to add whatever it says to the cart. It's nothing like that. You pick and choose what you want.
If you're already on a retinoid, you don't need to use it. You should follow the other recommendations, but the approach will depend on your skin type and the specific problems you're trying to address. And it's going to put you on a proper regimen.
Right.
And that regimen can be your forever regimen, but it's also a prep regimen for your peels and any other treatments you'll be undergoing. So that gets you 100% ready to go. You are prepped. You have the right acids, and it's just, it simplifies everything.
One thought I just had, if they are in the testing market, we do sell trial sizes.
Yes, we do.
Each and every acid. Almost. Well, besides the Dream Peel, that only comes in one size.
Yes.
But all of the boxed peels, all of the other acids, except for the Dream Peel, do, you know, come in the single trial.
Yeah. There are six bottles in here, each containing 5ml. And you have the opportunity to purchase one 5ml bottle. So, you might get a Mandelic 22, a Mandelic 40, a Glycolic 50, or whatever you're thinking of, and you can try them all. And each of those 5ml bottles will provide approximately three peels, I would say, or up to three layers if you're using a layerable peel.
Right.
So, they're so inexpensive. We're talking about between five and $10.
Right.
So, you can easily test out and see which one is best for you if you're really stuck.
It's a great way to go.
Or call us.
Or call. Yeah.
We can help you. We're here.
Absolutely. Absolutely. I love seeing those orders where they have maybe four or five of the little vials, and they're testing this and that. Because, you know, they just don't know. And everybody's skin reacts differently.
Yeah. And your skin changes.
True.
Sometimes you have different needs in the summertime versus the wintertime, you know.
Yeah. Often during the summertime, they switch to lighter peels.
Yes.
Wintertime, they go right at it. The monthly ones.
Yeah. That's when the peel starts.
Yes. Absolutely.
Peeling starts. Well, so obviously, if you're ready, go to the Peel Finder tool. Do your Regimen Builder. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.
1-800-917-3155.
Or you can email support@platinumskincare.com. Or visit us in our Facebook group, Platinum Skin Care Gurus. Join the 38,000-plus people who are asking the same questions as you. And we're on there answering every day.
Yeah. Perfect.
All right. Have a good one.
