If you want smooth, clear and radiant skin (and who doesn’t?) then the classic chemical peel might be for you. They were once the gold-standard for skin rejuvenation – think back to the 1990s – but with the stratospheric rise of Botox and fillers, the peel has been relegated to the third spot on the most popular minimally invasive cosmetic procedures performed in the United States. But that’s still high on the list and there’s a good reason for its steady popularity: it works.
First off, what does a chemical peel do?
Results from a chemical peel can be immediate and in addition to radiant looking skin, a peel can also boost your own skin’s natural anti-aging powers. “As that topmost layer is shed, signals are sent to the living cells below to multiply and move up, to increase collagen production, to make more hyaluronic acid – to act younger,” David Bank, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Columbia told Allure Magazine. That sloughing off of dead skin will also help other skincare products work more efficiently because they will penetrate deeper – so that vitamin C serum or retinol doesn’t have to work as hard to do its job. Smoother skin also means makeup will look fresher and last longer.
