4 New Skin Peels to Try This Fall
With the leaves falling and a slight nip in the air, fall is prime time for investing in some skin savior techniques. After summer days spent whiling under hot sunshine and before harsh winter sets in, fall is an ideal time to do some skin resurfacing and rehab. “Fall is great because we are typically out of the bright sun, which is better for recover, but any hyperpigmentation is still quite visible from the summer months and recent sun exposure,” says Manhattan dermatologist Dendy Engelman. These four new peels are noteworthy for their technology and results.
SkinCeuticals Advanced Corrective Peel ($250)
A common after-summer gripe, hyperpigmentation can be a beast to fix. The issues range from over-peeling to simple efficacy: Go too deep and you’ll end up with a red face for days, and go too light and you won’t see a difference. Enter this new SkinCeuticals contender. According to Engelman, the lactic acid, resorcinol, and salicylic acid solution is entirely customizable because it’s applied in up to four layers “to manage results and downtime.” Plus, Engelman points out that the clinical results prove its safe for all skin tones (which you can’t say the same for some lasers and light-based devices). Expect staying in (or wearing a very chic hat) for about three to seven days for recovery, but if you’ve done some serious damage, you can actually book the peel once a month for a series of four to six total visits for maximum results.
Though glycolic acid is still king in chemical peel-land — it’s wonderful at refining skin texture and dealing with some sunspots — NYC dermatologist Judith Hellman says it’s good to switch up your chemicals. That’s why she likes to alternate between glycolic and this newer option: Mandelic acid, which is derived from bitter almonds. “They both do similar things, but sometimes skin responds differently to different chemicals,” says Hellman. “Also, the skin is very smart. It gets used to the same type of stimulation so you don’t want to do the same thing over and over again.” You can actually find both glycolic and mandelic acid at-home peeling kits, but Hellman cautions to take it easy. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people coming in looking like over-cooked lobsters,” she says.
A chemical peel can transform your face. (PhotoL Getty Images)
If you’re a committed DIY-er, Hellman likes a new option from NeoStrata, which features a patented NeoGlucosamine formula. Called Exuviance Firm-NG6 Non-Acid Peel, it’s a good option for those sensitive to acids; the formula’s pH is neutral yet it manages to exfoliate — kind of like magic.
Fractora Radio Frequency Resurfacing ($500)
For more serious skin texture issues, sun damage, and hyperpigmentation cases, Dr. Hellman’s tool of choice is the Fractora device. It utilizes radio frequency and tiny pins to create micro-lesions, which then spurs healing. “You can really go deep if you have acne or acne scarring,” says Hellman says. “But you can also go very light with just a day or two of downtime.” Best of all, she sees noticeable overall improvement in “any yellowish look to the skin from sun damage and it smooths out pores.” And Hellman says it can be safely used on a variety of skin tones. But as with any treatment, she also advises to think beyond just the face. “People don’t see you just from the chin up,” she says. “The face, neck, and décolleté are all one unit. It’s also important to consider the hands. The skin there can be very revealing.”
Related:
Fall Cosmetic Treatments You Should Be Booking Now
