Glycolic facial Peel - my blog

[stilleto]

Oh cool! I was considering trying these peels as well so I'm really looking forward to this blog. Any updates? And you are far from hideous, Stilleto. In fact your skin looks pretty good, moreso considering the pic is enlarged about 10 times what we'd see in real life.

thank you.
so, i'm doing the peel on sunday, but i've been using the lower strength serum for 2 weeks now and it's GREAT. i went from always having some breakouts and needing to wear cover up constantly, to no new breakouts and everything heeling just fine. my skin is really clear.
i can't wait to see what the peel does, since i could still use some "refreshing". (i'm 42)

 

[BlueBird]

I assume the serum you're talking about is a retinol? And it looks like there's a Vit C element in there as well. You can also prep the skin with oral A and C. I started using Retin A at the end of 2008, added some DIY C-serum in late Jan of this year, and 4% hydroquinone about two months ago. I'm thinking this may be enough prep to attempt the peel in the near future.
I can hardly wait to hear your opinion and see your results, Stilleto!

If anyone's interested, the DIY c-serum is a recipe ( I don't even bother with the glycerin because my skin is already pretty oily) I got off of essentialdayspa.com from the poster, CareKate:

Homemade Vitamin C Serum:

• 1/4 teaspoon of Lysorbic Acid (Vit-C) powder or crysals
• 5 ml distilled water
• 5 ml of propylene glycol (glycerin can be used instead, but I'd only recommend it for those with dry skin!)
• small amber or dark blue glass bottle

Put all of the ingredients in the little blue or amber bottle (need to wash it out thoroughly each time before mixing a new batch), replace cap/lid, and shake vigorously then let sit for a couple of hours, coming back to shake the bottle again every hour or so because it can take a little while for the Vit-C to solubulize.

If you really want to make your Vit-C serum with glycerin, you can usually find small bottles of it in the first-aid section of most pharmacies or supermarkets. Personally, I prefer using the propylene glycol – the consistency of my serum turned out even *better* than the CSRx version!!! When I made the serum using glycerin instead of PG, I found it to be too “greasy” for my liking (remember, I have hyper-oily skin!) and it caused me to have to blot my face even more often than usual, but this new batch has left me having to blot LESS often that usual, so I definitely think I’ve got a winner here!!

 

[BlueBird]

You should substitute emo oil. Ask Stiletto, she has oily skin like me and doesn't have any "oily" issues as a result, only hydration as the oil completely penetrates all the layers of the skin. It the only naturally occuring substance that does.

Yep. I've heard loads of great things about emu oil. I may try an oil cleansing concoction which includes this as an ingredient.

 

[stilleto]

Update:
Last night I decided to do the peel. I had been using the glycolic serum for around 3 weeks and my skin has noticeably improved, just from that.
The Glycolic peel is the one of the more milder ones, and it says it's good for light acne, very minor wrinkles, and slight discoloration. at 42, i have all three.

First I washed my face. I made the mistake of using a facial scubber (buff puff), very lightly. more on that in a minute.
The directions for the peel said to go over your face with alcohol on a cotton ball. I realized that my alcohol was on the other side of the house, in my studio, so i used hydrogen peroxide.

Next came the peel. It came with a little cup, so i poured some in there, dipped a cotton ball in it, squeezed out the excess, and went over my face (first vertically, then horizontally).
sweet mother of baby jesus it stung for about 2 seconds. Then it was fine.
I realized that it stung the most in the places I had scrubbed my face just a little too hard. in fact, it almost looks like i have some scratches on my forehead or i was wearing a tight hat. It's very faint and my hair covers it, but next time i'm not using the scrubber first.

anyway, i left it on for 5 minutes, used the neutralizer, then washed it all over with cool water. My face was red for the next hour, but by this morning it looks fine. In fact, it looks clear and smooth.

bikinimom was kind enough to send me a sample of an emu oil after peel ointment. I told her i'd give her my honest opinion of it, so here it is:
I LOVE it.
I used it this morning and it goes on thick and stays on. it doesn't look like i have anything on, but i can feel it, which is good. After a peel, you want a really good, thick moisturizer and this is great. I didn't wear any makeup on my face today, and my skin looks healthy and normal. PLUS, it's super sensitive, and the after peel ointment isn't bothering my skin at all- which is amazing. emu oil never does and i have a real problem with most products (especially sun screen).

 

[stilleto]

*sigh of relief*

I'm glad that the product worked well for you. It took me nearly 2 years to find a product manufacturer that I WANTED to do business with. So far all the product samples that I have used or given to others for trial have delivered exactly as they were purported to work. That particular sample has only been offered in doctor's/aesthetician's offices before I came along and wanted to have it brought to the general public. They've been in business over 20 years.

I am very happy that the product didn't let you down. Makes me all the more proud to put my name on the product line.

i'm happy to give you a real testimonial/review if you want to use it.
i haven't reapplied the emu ointment, but i used it this morning and my skin felt very smooth for most of the day. It didn't go on shiny like vaseline, but it is thick and rich - which is perfect for after a peel. It's like if you had a sunburn. you'd want something very creamy that stayed on all day instead of drying out.
i'll use it again before bed.
i will probably do this peel every week or two (its very mild) but if i move to a stronger one, i would absolutely only use your product for the heeling.

 

[BlueBird]

Did you do your neck, too? I read a protocol posted on a skin forum where some members suggested using a fan brush dipped into the solution and then feather it along your jawline and into your neck area a wee bit.

All in all, it sounds like a cool experience. Do you have any peeling yet?

BTW,I hate using sunscreen as well but if I don't I turn beet red. I'm looking to find something not as chemically compromising as the Aveeno or Neutrogena I've been using.

 

[stilleto]

Did you do your neck, too? I read a protocol posted on a skin forum where some members suggested using a fan brush dipped into the solution and then feather it along your jawline and into your neck area a wee bit.

All in all, it sounds like a cool experience. Do you have any peeling yet?

BTW,I hate using sunscreen as well but if I don't I turn beet red. I'm looking to find something not as chemically compromising as the Aveeno or Neutrogena I've been using.

well i tend to break out on my jaw line a little so i didn't go onto my neck, but i did go along my jaw line and under my chin.
i didn't peel... i don't know if it's because i used such a low dose peel (glycolic 30%) or if it's from the emu ointment. apparently, part of the way it works is that your skin produces more collagen after the peel, so i don't know if my skin actually has to flake off or not.

yesterday, i used sunscreen, and sure enough- my nose is breaking out just a little today (not like a teenager, but i can feel it).
i'm going to do the peel sunday again.

 

[BlueBird]

well i tend to break out on my jaw line a little so i didn't go onto my neck, but i did go along my jaw line and under my chin.
i didn't peel... i don't know if it's because i used such a low dose peel (glycolic 30%) or if it's from the emu ointment. apparently, part of the way it works is that your skin produces more collagen after the peel, so i don't know if my skin actually has to flake off or not.

yesterday, i used sunscreen, and sure enough- my nose is breaking out just a little today (not like a teenager, but i can feel it).
i'm going to do the peel sunday again.

Ya, my understanding is that everyone's skin will react differently, so there's no real standard. Collagen should definitely be building, although a long process...I would wager you'll see spectacular differences in a couple months. As for the breakouts, I think the peel is just purging some impurities, so I wouldn't be too concerned, pretty soon you'll probably have none.

 

[~crissy~]

I've been wanting to try a peel for a long time now! Thanks for your thorough info and pics! I'm definitely going to look into this! Thanks