With the rising trend of home-based treatments, the desire to perform advanced protocols on your own skin in the comfort of your own home has brought about the question of doing a chemical peel on your own skin.  Whilst applying a chemical peel to the skin may seem relatively straightforward, the world of peeling is a complex one and as such we need to ask the question, just how safe is it?

Chemical peels are regarded as higher strength exfoliators presenting with a lower pH, which, when applied to the skin, help to induce a skin shed response.  This shedding of the skin in turn encourages cellular renewal and promotes an improvement in skin texture and appearance. The degree of shedding will largely depend on the health of the skin being worked on, the actives contained within the peeling medium, as well as the strength of the considered actives.

Chemical peels come with many benefits, including deeper exfoliation, improvement of breakouts, refining of skin texture, softening of lines and wrinkles and potential improvement of Hyperpigmentation concerns. Whether a peel is regarded as being a light, or superficial peel, or something working much deeper in the skin, all peel mediums should be approached with caution.

For home-peeling purposes, the following points should always be factored in before considering this as an option.

• Is my skin suitably prepared for the peel?
• What can be used without risking too much?
• What will my downtime effects be?

DermaFix Skin Care Professional should be consulted as a matter of caution.

Preparing the skin for a peel:

Making sure the skin is ready for the peel starts long before the peel itself is applied.  At least one month prior to peeling, suitable home care should be incorporated to maximise the health of the skin and to help eliminate any potential risks that might occur as a result of peeling the skin.  Key products to consider introducing include:

• A DermaFix Cleanser suited to meet the individual needs of the skin. DermaFix Cleansers gently lift away surface impurities without stripping the skin of vital moisture.
• A Melanocyte control product, like the DermaFix MelanoDerm, is an essential across all skin types with a hyperpigmentation concern, as well as on darker Fitzpatrick skin types. See chart the skin type higher than III must exercise caution.
• A high protection, broad spectrum sunscreen like the DermaFix DermaShield SPF40/SPF50 provides essential protection against the harmful effects of the sun.

Ferulic + C + E applied before sunscreen application adds antioxidant benefits for up to 72 hours.

What can I use without risking too much?

Many skincare brands have formulated products that can be used for the purpose of home-peeling.  DermaFix DermaBright is a Mandelic AHA mini-peel that can be gradually incorporated into your home care routine for advanced resurfacing benefits.  Used at night only, start with 2 drops mixed into your recommended DermaFix Cleanser or DermaFix Moisturiser and avoid getting it in the eyes, water will soothe. DermaFix DermaBright encourages cellular turnover and rejuvenation, benefiting problematic skin types including breakout-prone, hyperpigmented and ageing skins.

The DermaFix Home-Peeling technique:

DermaFix DermaBright may be applied (maximum 1 even layer) underneath an application of DermaFix DermaPolish, an enzymatic exfoliator mixed with the addition of water to activate the enzymes. Leave on the skin for up to 10 minutes depending on skin tolerance.

What downtime can I expect from a home-peel?

Home-peeling with DermaFix DermaBright should induce dryness and potential tightness with potential slight shedding in areas. This response will differ from person to person, dependant on health of the skin and individual tolerance of AHA’s. While DermaFix DermaBright is regarded as a mini-peel, this does not mean that it can just be applied to any skin type. Caution should always be exercised when using this product and consultation with a qualified DermaFix Skin Care Professional should be considered when using this product.

For more information on the benefits of skin resurfacing and how this can be incorporated into your routine, contact the DermaFix Head office directly on 0861282323, or visit your nearest DermaFix stockist.  For more information on the above-mentioned DermaFix Cosmeceutical Skin Care products, visit www.dermafix.co.za