Peeling back the years (and anything else that gets in the way)

I long for the days when skin stayed smooth and bright, using the odd face scrub in the shower. Plump and smooth and light and fresh! Face scrubs just don’t do the job any more. They feel a bit harsh now and don’t make enough of a difference.

Chemical peels are the new face scrubs. I am scared of going for a chemical peel – scared I will come out with red, blotchy, flakey skin. I can’t afford to give eczema an in-road back to me skin. So, I thought I would try one of the home treatments that are not as potent as the ones you can get in a salon, plus if there is any skin irritation I can hide away at home until I am back to normal 🙂

After lots of research I found out that a blend of mandelic acid (derived from bitter almonds), glycolic acid (derived from sugar cane) and phytic acid (derived from nuts and grains) makes for a treatment that is gentle on sensitive skin and suitable for dark skins too. Philosophy’s microdelivery triple-acid brightening peel contains a blend of all 3 of these acids* in pre-saturated, individually-wrapped chemical peel pads. Very easy to use.

I’ve been using these peels for 5 weeks now and have seen a marked improvement in tone, texture and brightness of my skin. Plus the fine lines at the tops of my cheeks, near my eyes, have diminished considerably. My skin looks and feels smooth, there are fewer blackheads and breakouts. I am, quite literally, peeling back the years. My only watch out – don’t use more than once a week and always use a sunscreen or moisturiser with SPF 30. Acid based peels sensitise the skin to harmful rays so no point rubbing out fine lines, only to age skin through sun damage.

* I will hazard a guess that these are synthetically derived, although there is no mention on their website.