Do a Home Face Peel

Doing a home face peel to treat acne, uneven skin tone & fine lines can save hundreds of dollars over spa costs. Here’s how to do chemical peels, with video instruction.

Have you ever considered doing a face peel at home? A chemical peel is an amazing way to reduce wrinkles, treat acne and correct skin tone. Doing them at a salon can be expensive though. They typically run $100+ per treatment! Did you know that you can get all of the ingredients you need to do a chemical peel at home for less than $5 a peel?

There are different types of face peels, ranging from superficial to deep. These instructions are for a superficial peel, which is helpful to treat acne, improve skin tone and treat fine lines. Deep peels are used to treat deep wrinkles and even skin cancer (!), but are too dangerous to do at home. Deep peels require professional expertise, and should be done by a skilled dermatologist.

I’ve been doing face peels at home for about three years. I’ve noticed my skin tone is more even and bright when I do them consistently. I think it’s been an important part of keeping my skin looking young!

Here’s a video I did showing how I do the chemical peel process. I’ve also gone through the steps in more detail below, with links to the products I use.

Do a Home Face Peel

Start with clean dry skin. Use a hairband or bobby pins to keep your hair out of your face.

Note: It’s important to start with a test spot on your jaw or the back of your hand to see how your skin tolerates the facial peel solution.

Use a fan paint brush to brush 40% glycolic acid face peel on your face and neck in quick, even strokes. DO NOT get peel in your eyes. If you do, you should immediately flush your eyes with water and call Poison Control. Start with 30 seconds to see how your skin tolerates the peel. As your skin gets used to the facial peel solution, you can increase the duration by 30 second increments with a goal of 3-5 minutes. It’s really important to work up slowly so you don’t cause your skin to burn too much, which can lead to discoloration and scarring.

Immediately splash face peel neutralizer on your face and rinse off with water. You can buy peel neutralizer, or make your own at home:

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Post Chemical Face Peel Skin Care

After a face peel, your skin will be dry and flaky. This is completely normal. To minimize the appearance of flaky skin, it’s important to keep your skin moisturized after a peel. I’ve written extensively on how I keep my skin hydrated in this post. To summarize, I use an oil-based cleanser to add moisture when I wash my face. I try to do a hydrating face mask right after the peel and/or a day or two later. I also use a very thick moisturizing lotion that hydrates without making my skin greasy. Here are my favorite products:

// Oil-Based Facial Cleanser // Hydrating Face Mask // Moisturizing Face Lotion //

What do you think? Would you try a chemical facial peel at home? Let me know in the comments below.

Photos by Melissa de Mata
Disclaimer: I am a doctor, but I am not your doctor. Consult a physician before starting any facial peel treatment regimen.