It's Peel Season!

Time to Get Tough on Facial Flaws.

Everybody knows how much I love peels. This versatile form of chemical exfoliation sloughs off dead skin while triggering new cell production. Why is this important? Because almost every facial flaw--from acne to congestion to wrinkles to pigmentation--is rooted in exfoliation. And now that summer is over, it's the perfect time to start sloughing!

I understand that the concept of a "peel" is a little foreboding. But there are so many wonderful options today that allow you to choose a pace that suits your lifestyle. You don't have to peel to get results. In most cases, you won't peel at all. And you definitely won't look like Samantha from Sex & the City.

Light Peels. These can be added on to a facial or received a la carte. We offer AHA (lactic/glycolic), BHA (salicylic), and pumpkin peel formulations to ensure the perfect fit for your skin type.

Medium-Depth Chemical Peels. These stronger lactic peels from industry-expert PCA Skin are a great choice when you want to get a little more aggressive. We offer both TCA and Jessner formulations that are completely customizable. They take a little at-home prep work, and work best when done in succession, but can dramatically improve your skin with little to no downtime.As an interesting side note: we get a lot of calls from people asking percentages on our peels. The strength of a peel has more to do with its ph level than the actual percentage. A 10% glycolic, for example, can be a lot stronger than a 30% glycolic if it is formulated with a lower ph. So if you are one of those people shopping for peels on Amazon, be very careful. These ph levels are rarely divulged so you don't know what you are really getting.

It's Peel Season

Exfoliation for Every Age

When I ask people to tell me about their skin care regimens, the step most often missing is exfoliation. Everybody understands the importance of cleansing, moisturizing, and sunscreening...but exfoliating? Why bother? Well, exfoliation is probably the most important thing that you can do to keep your skin healthy. And if you don't exfoliate at home, a monthly peel at the spa makes it easy.

Teens. When hormones start ramping up, both oil and cell turnover go into overdrive. And it takes time for the skin to figure out what the heck to do with it all. The result is a face full of oil trapped under layers and layers of dead skin cells, A.K.A a fun-fest of bumps, blackheads, and pimples. Exfoliation helps keep dead skin from building up so pores remain open, oil flows freely, and no bacteria can grow.

20s-30s. College, jobs, kids...the 20s and 30s truly define the term, "stress." And with stress comes hormonal fluctuations that create an unbalanced ecosystem of oil production alongside dehydration. Additionally, our busy lives often lead to a lack of self-preservation. Exfoliation can help our products penetrate better in order to protect healthy cells from environmental damage.

40s-50s. As our skin ages, cell turnover slows way down. What used to take 21 days now takes 35 days or more. Meanwhile, time has left lots of dead, damaged skin cells sitting around making pores look larger, sun spots darker, and fine lines less "fine." Just like a snake, we need to shed that outer layer to reveal the beautiful skin beneath. Exfoliation triggers the underlying tissues to produce new, healthy cells so that old, damaged cells will take a hike.

What are my exfo options? From at-home scrubs and enzymes to in-spa peels and microdermabrasion, there are many options to choose from. All options come in different formulations and intensities, so let your esthetician pick the best one for you. It just might be the answer you're looking for.