The peeling: why is everyone obsessing over this facial treatment

Peeling is going through a huge popularity, but what does the ecosystem think of our new face treatment obsession?

Among the most formulated requests in 2020 on Google, we find in fourth position The Ordinary Peeling. The AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution, one of the bestsellers of the Deciem group, rose to the top of sales following a real craze on TikTok. Is it the desire to get a new skin after these months of lockdown or the desire to fight the imperfections that have arisen under the mask? In any case, we will have to rely on the peeling this year. Mostly home peeling, since in 2020 we also learned to think about self-beauty when salons and dermatologists weren’t always available. 

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And that’s exactly how peeling started off with the aim of causing intense desquamation of the skin and, consequently, an acceleration of epidermal renewal. An act that could precisely disrupt the immunity of our skin, according to Michèle Sayag, allergist doctor and director of the Bioderma medical strategy: “It has in fact been shown that 40% or 60% trichloroacetic acid causes a temporary decrease in Langerhans cells, immune cells present in the epidermis. "

Fortunately, the cosmetic versions to apply at home, with lactic or glycolic acid, are much weaker than those made for the dermatologist which, for their part, require "very precise timing of the application and then the neutralization of the product". They are also subject to strict regulations on the dosage of acids. "As lactic acid will reacidify the pH of the skin, it is rather a good thing for the microbiota, which prefers a low pH," says Colette Haydon, founder of Lixirskin, a London-based brand which has just launched its Peel Express.

Clear skin instructions for use

You still have to use it correctly. Most peels are applied in the evening, the skin being more permeable, which promotes the penetration of active ingredients and cell renewal, especially as glycolic acid induces sensitivity to UVA. The Sébium Night Peel, just unveiled by the Bioderma brand, is applied as a four-week treatment. Dosed at 15% glycolic acid combined with soothing and repairing agents such as D-panthenol or vitamin B5, it can also prepare the skin before a dermatological peel. The goal? It reduces blemishes and scarring all the while restoring radiance by promoting skin renewal. Also, this product contains the Fluidactiv® patent that prevents the blockage of pores, therefore reducing the appearance of new blemishes and dark spots.

But the peel is not just for acne-prone skin. It also smoothes fine lines while providing radiance. “We often forget that the natural mechanism of hydration and skin exfoliation work together. With a peeling, we will encourage cell renewal, recalls Colette Haydon. And the less dead skin there is, the more the face can benefit from moisturizing active ingredients”. Hence the idea of developing Peel Express by Lixirskin in the form of an exfoliating and rehydrating mask: a waterless jelly designed to boost the ionic balance of the skin, which she recommends applying a maximum of twice a week, around twenty minutes. It is also in the form of a mask that Yon-Ka has imagined its Glyco-Night 10%, with anti-aging promises, which can be used as a cure or occasionally for a radiance effect. If you don't have sensitive skin!