Facial Peels for Acne

Is your skin plagued by mild to severe acne scars? Or does it need an advanced skin care solution to reduce pimples and acne breakouts, get rid of comedones, i.e., whiteheads and blackheads, or minimize the appearance of pigmentations, like freckles and dark spots?

Facial Peels for Acne are specially-formulated to address such recurring and complex skin care problems. With their high concentrations of alpha hydroxyl acids (AHA) and beta hydroxyl acids (BHA), they help to:

• Exfoliate the layers of dead or damaged skin cells, which lie on the skin’s surface, to permit the efficient regeneration of new skin cells and reduce the appearance of acne scars and pigmentations;

  
  

• Drastically clear the pores by dissolving the build-up of excess oils, dead skin cells, and other embedded impurities to prevent the recurrence of comedones and acne breakouts caused by clogged pores; and,

  
  

• Calm and soothe irritated and acne-prone skin with the help of salicylic acid’s anti-inflammatory action.

Skin Care Tips for At-Home Facial Peels.

Facial peels significantly help to prevent the recurrence of acne breakouts and restore and maintain the clarity and youthfulness of your skin.

But because they are specially-formulated with higher concentrations of acne-fighting ingredients than most over-the-counter anti-acne topical treatments, adhering to the following basic skin care steps are helpful in ensuring the safety of your skin, or preventing adverse skin reactions, like reddening, intensive flaking of the skin, or the worsening of your acne skin condition, in performing a facial peel on your own.

Prepare your skin for facial peel.

Facial peels basically exfoliate the layers of the dead and rough surface skin cells.

To help your skin prepare for the advanced exfoliation process of a facial peel, especially if it’s your first time to do this at home, follow an anti-acne skin care regimen, which helps to treat or diminish the size of existing acne breakouts, and enhance your skin’s natural exfoliation process, which helps to soften the layers of the dead skin cells and make them easier to remove with the facial peel solution.

Start using the facial peel solution with the lowest concentration of active ingredient and gradually advance to higher concentrations.

To be effective, facial peels for acne need to be performed as a series of skin care treatment and these facial peel solutions are developed with varying concentration of active ingredients, usually expressed in percentages, i.e., 0.25% or 0.50%, and which is designed for such purpose, as well as to provide the right solution for every skin type and acne skin condition.

As a tip: The higher the percentage or strength of the facial peel solution, the stronger is its capability to treat your acne-prone skin, and the more it can cause your skin to dry, as well as increase your skin’s sensitivity to sunlight and other skin care products and risk to damage.

To counter, make sure to help your skin adjust to the targeted skin care treatment of facial peels, especially if you have to use them in conjunction with other anti-acne products, by starting off with the facial peel solution with the lowest percentage, then slowly advancing to the facial peel solution with higher concentration to ensure gentle and effective skin caring.

Use your facial peel only as directed.

Facial peels can increase your skin’s sensitivity to light, including sunlight, and even fluorescent light, which makes it essential to protect your skin from the sun or use sunscreen after a facial peel treatment.

In the same way, do not apply more than its required dosage, or it can also cause the skin to burn and turn dark, dry and flake intensively, and worse, aggravate your acne skin condition.

Types of Facial Peels for Acne.

Facial peels for acne are basically available in two (2) types:

• Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA), which works on the epidermis or the surface of the skin only; and,
• Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA), which have the unique capability to penetrate into the pores and exfoliate the dead skin cells that lie along the walls of the pores.

Specific types of AHAs and BHAs and other types of facial peels that help in controlling or the treatment of acne or the elimination of acne scars include:

• Mandelic Acid. To inhibit the formation of brown spots and hyperpigmentations. Derived from the bitter almond, this AHA exfoliates the surface skin cells gently and with very little topical discomfort. Also heps to treat acne, melasma, sun-damaged skin, large pores, blackheads, wrinkles, dull, and sallow-skin.
  
  
• Lactic Acid. Ideal for reducing uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentations, especially for dry or oily skin types. This AHA from milk is milder than glycolic acid.
  
  
• Glycolic Acid. To rejuvenate the skin, address the problems of acne, acne scarring, wrinkles, and fine lines. This facial ingredient is derived from fruit extracts, and is considered as a good all-around facial peel ingredient for normal to oily skin types, though it acts stronger than lactic acid.
  
  
• Salicylic Acid. Oil-soluble acid that’s perfect for the deep pore-cleansing of oily and acne skin and for loosening blackheads and whiteheads. Use this as a first step when using AHA peels to remove all oils from the skin, or use alone 3 to 4 times a week for oil or blackhead control.
  
  
• Trichloracetic Acid (TCA). Excellent for the treatment of acne, hyperpigmentation, acne scars, stretch marks, lip lines, age spots, and general scarring. It penetrates up to the upper layers of the dermis, thus used extensively for medium depth peel. While it can be painful and lead the treated areas to become red or swollen, it offers longer lasting and more impressive skin results.
  
  
• Jessner’s Peel. For the treatment of cystic acne. This facial peel solution is layered until it frosts and contains both alpha and beta hydroxyl acids, alon with Resorcinol.
  
  
• Non-acid enzyme peels. For sensitive skin. This utilizes all-natural enzymes that safely dissolve the surface skin cells and leave the skin feeling soft, cleansed, and refreshed.
  
  

---

References:
¹How to choose the at home chemical peel that is right for you. http://www.makeupartistschoice.com/ Accessed: December 27, 2011.