On Trial: The Peel Deal

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On Trial: The Peel Deal

Garnier Pure Anti-Imperfection Peel Kit, $16.99
Tester: Claire, beautyheaven co-ordinator
Skin type: blemish-prone
Kit contains: Skin wash and peel solution

I have mild acne on my face, which a normal cleansing routine just doesn’t budge, so I was looking forward to trying this peel. When I started using it I had a number of red, swollen pimples on my forehead as well as around my mouth and chin.

What I loved most about this peel was that it was so easy to use. I can be incredibly lazy when it comes to skin routines and often find anything more than a quick wash too much effort, but this peel was super quick. After cleansing your face normally, you simply apply the exfoliating cream, scrubbing the face gently for thirty seconds. After rinsing, apply the peel solution (which comes with a handy measure cap) and that’s it – you simply put it on and go to bed.

On the first morning, I washed the peel off and thought my skin felt cleaner and refined. After a month of twice-weekly treatments, my skin isn’t completely clear (unfortunately, I think it’s going to take more than just one product to do that for me), but the pimples around my forehead have gone and I’ve got only a few stubborn spots around my mouth. The only downside is that the smell of the peel is a bit overpowering, but I think the results are well worth it.

MD Formulations My Personal Peel System, $150
Tester: Laina, beautyheaven consultant
Skin type: oily
Kit contains: Power Peel Pads, a selection of Firming Anti-Wrinkle Booster, Extra Clear Booster and Brightening Booster creams to mix and match, plus a Post-Peel Restorer

Step one is the Power Peel Pads, which are smooth on one side, textured on the other, and soaked in a solution of 20 per cent glycolic acid, salicylic acid and soothing botanicals. I used the textured side on the congested areas of my cheeks, jaw and forehead and the smooth side on areas that are easily irritated, like my nose and chin.

Then, after letting the peel solution dry for a few seconds, I applied
Step Two, the boosters. I chose the Extra Clear Booster for all over my face and the Firming Anti Wrinkle Booster for the area under my eyes, followed by Step Three, the post-peel restorer.

A few days after the first peel, I developed a few surface spots, so, from week two onwards, I skipped the Post-Peel Restorer, which I felt was too occlusive for my pores (ingredients include avocado butter). Voila! The spots cleared up and my skin only got better from there.

Over the next two weeks I used the peel Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights, religiously. On occasion, I applied the Brightening Booster too, hoping to address the slight pigmentation on my forehead and the sides of my nose.

After a month my skin is actually glowing and my pores really do look less noticeable. The best part? Not once during the series of peels did I get any redness or flaking, which I have always experienced with other AHA and BHA-based peels.

Dr LeWinn’s Peel & Renew Skin Resurfacing Kit, $99.95
Tester: Beverley, beautyheaven tester
Skin type: mature, normal
Kit includes: six mini Resurfacing Gel tubes, Balancing Fluid and Finishing Cream

Using a peel system was completely new to me. I’m typically low maintenance when it comes to my face, using only a face scrub and the occasional dab of moisturiser.

However, after some practice, I got the hang of it. The first product applied, the Peel and Renew Resurfacing Gel, felt really sticky upon application and I could really feel it drying and tightening my face. Once it was dry, I found some areas of the product peeled off easily, but others took a bit longer to remove. The Balancing Fluid, however, removed the remaining traces of peel with ease. My favourite part was the final step, Finishing Cream – it’s velvety smooth and absorbed into my skin beautifully.

After the first use, my skin did feel softer, but it looked pretty much the same as before. Over the following three weeks, I used the system once a week, and the Night Cream every evening. Now at the end of the month, my dark olive skin looks a bit brighter and it definitely feels softer and smoother than before I started using the peel.

All in all, I found this regime too time consuming and fiddly for me to commit to regularly. I’ve got to master daily moisturising first! While it was a nice treat to spend time on myself and the peel made my face feel very soft, the system didn’t have the dramatic effect on my few wrinkles that I expected. Having said that, the lines on my face aren’t very pronounced anyway, so perhaps someone with a drier or a more wrinkled complexion would have noticed more improvement. I’m happy to have softer skin, though – and I will use the two tubes of Resurfacing Gel that I have left.

NeoStrata Citriate Solution, $75
Tester: Tracey, beautyheaven editor
Skin type: combination
Trial period: four weeks
Kit contains: Eight Citriate Solution Pads and sachets of Bionic Face Cream

My skin’s in pretty good nick, save the occasional blemish or two, but I began this peel hoping to nip fine lines in the bud before they turn into furrows. A month in, I’m not exactly being asked for ID at my local (oh, how I wish!), but I have noticed some improvement.

The biggest plus of this peel is that it makes serious skin treatment easy. The citriate-soaked pads measure out a precise dose of glycolic and citric acids; all I have to do is apply them to my clean, dry face and kick back with a book or movie (you can leave it on for up to three hours). There’s no mixing, no mess and, because of the formula’s gentle pH mantle, no tightness or irritation.

After thoroughly rinsing off the solution with water, I apply the antioxidant-loaded Bionic Face Cream, which itself feels nicely nourishing, and that’s that. However, I do support the weekly peel with diligent daily care and, because peels literally leave your fresh, new skin at the mercy of the elements, I don’t so much as look at a bright light without a generous dollop of factor 30.

I think the TLC has paid off. Over the past month, my skin has become brighter and breakouts are even fewer and farther between. I’m a little disappointed that the pores across the bridge of my nose have resisted refinement, but am confident that as I carry on with the course (four weeks to go), burgeoning wrinkles will continue to recede. I’m not saying I’ll ever reclaim my pre-twenties complexion, but I think I’ll at least delay serious wrinkles for a while. Is $75 and a few hours a week worth it? You betcha.

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