Hi guys and girls,
We have decided to make the most of our time in our little quarantine bubble during these dare we say it, COVID-19 times!
I (Therapist in training Kat) am fortunate enough to be stuck at home with my friend, colleague and housemate Roxanne who is an Aesthetic Therapist and Facialist here at Young LDN and we came up with a fabulous way to pass our time. As people who are passionate about skincare, we thought now would be the best time to blog our experience with a first time resurfacing peel for Roxanne and in continuing treatments for me (a hardcore peeler!) Before we get started it’s useful for you all to know what type of skin we both have.
Roxanne, in the first image (on the left or top), has combination skin, this means it’s quite oily and prone to breakout and slight pigmentation. She wants to target the first signs of ageing, uneven skintone, oil control and also Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH).
I, on the other hand, have quite acneic dehydrated skin and also areas of pigmented acne scarring. I am keen to target acne breakouts, PIH, fine lines on my forehead and the early signs of ageing. I wouldn’t mind a little brightening as well, let's face it who wouldn’t!
Having looked at our different options, we decided that the best treatment to target our concerns would be the Circadia MandeliClear Peel which we have broken down for you below. It's packed full of amazing active ingredients that will help target both acne and PIH whilst brightening up the skin as well.
What follows is a day-by-day account of what happened after our peel. This gives you a good idea of what you can expect when having this sort of treatment. So here goes… wish us luck :) :
First we started with a 4 phase cleanse to prep the skin, it’s really important that the skin is thoroughly cleaned to get rid of any impurities on the skin's surface. We then applied the peel, 3 layers for Kat and 2 for Roxanne, waiting for 5 minutes between layers to observe the skin. We experienced a slight stinging and warm feeling but this subsided very quickly.
After doing this, it is really important to keep the skin dry for 8 hours before rinsing gently and then, apply a generous amount of Circadia Post-Peel Balm to soothe and hydrate the skin.
Now.. let the peeling begin. 💆💆🐍🐍🐛🦋
Today our skin is feeling tight, itchy and a little bit like mild sunburn. By the pm the first flake arrived! Let’s see what tomorrow has in store for us!
No words needed….
After slathering on Circadia’s Post-Peel Balm throughout the day, and lots of reminders to each other not to pick at our shedding skin, it’s times like this that we are more than happy to stay indoors away from the judging eyes of the world 👀!
I remember now why you should leave the peeling skin alone - ouch! Resist the urge, the temporary satisfaction IS NOT worth it. It’s nothing that a thick slathering of Post Peel Balm and iS Clinical Sheald Recovery Balm can't soothe and heal... but I have learned my lesson and will take the hands off approach from now on 🙈
Another day, another flaky face! I woke up today with fewer flakes than last night, however I am still peeling today and a little sore. After our morning workout, yes you can still workout, I keep my skincare routine very simple:
My face looks less red and little bits of fresh new baby skin are starting to peep through- yay! Hydrator on standby is pretty much still needed.
As our skin continues to gradually shed (unfortunately we have no more juicy peel pics as it looked the same over these few days) and the sensitivity has reduced, we now deem it safe to cleanse and exfoliate using iS Clinical Cleansing Complex. This contains botanically sourced acids that help to exfoliate the skin. It’s fantastic for gently removing the leftover flakiness. The after effect? Such a RELIEF to not look like a red snake anymore! Plus, even though our skin feels drier than the Sahara, we are already noticing a more even and clear complexion. At this point we are still sticking to a gentle cleanser, Post Peel Balm and Circadia Light Day Sunscreen, but over the next few days we should be able to finally go back to our beloved iS Clinical Pro-heal and Poly-Vitamin serums.
Over these past 2 days my skin has remained very similar to days 3 and 4. It has continued to peel on the forehead and now also under the eyes and cheeks. It feels very tight and extremely itchy but I am definitely embracing it! Oddly the more the skin seems to shed the more and more I want it to. I can't wait to reveal that fresh new skin 🤩
Working out every morning with Roxy has been a challenge (not just the exercise!) but also, to make sure that during any exercise the skin remains calm without becoming irritated due to things like heat and sweat. To combat this we have been putting on a small amount of iS Clinical Hydra Intensive Cooling Masque before the workouts which have helped soothe and keep our skin calm throughout. I have also started to now introduce Circadia’s Micro-Exfoliating Honey Cleanser back into my morning cleansing routine. I use this to gently cleanse using very light circular movements to help get rid of any skin ready to come off.
Really looking forward to seeing what my skin looks like in a few days time!
Wow day 7! The past few days have been very similar but today, nearly 1 week after the peel, my skin is finally beginning to reach the point of returning to normality... returning being the operative word - still not quite there! My skin still feels quite dry in all areas especially the forehead and cheeks which I’m still targeting with Circadia’s Post Peel Balm twice daily. Some congestion has started to return but the pigmentation caused by my acne has visibly reduced and any papules on my cheeks feel like they have reduced in size.
Today I’ve decreased the amount of Post Peel Balm used and also started to use Circadia’s slightly lighter Aquaporin Hydrating Cream to really boost hydration. Of course, I always finish with SPF.
My skin just continued to heal from day 7 through 9. Last of the flakes came off and any redness and soreness went away and now….. we have finally arrived on day 10! I had almost forgotten what normal skin should look and feel like, however it feels like it is back to its normal self. I am thrilled with the results 🙌. The little marks that were visible from any healing spots are gone, my skin looks clearer, more even and brighter. Also, my bothersome pores look much tighter. My skin should continue to improve over the next few weeks; so i cannot wait to see what the continued effects of this peel are.
I am also back to using all my dearly missed regular skincare products now as my skin has fully healed.
Would I do it again? Definitely! I think I am even ready for 3 layers next time, and I promise myself I will leave the peeling alone this time 🙈 Another month or two in isolation is the perfect time to treat yourself... so who knows, maybe peel #2 is on the menu for next month.
XOXO
It’s been a tough 10 days for me, not being able to use any cosmeceutical products, especially my favourite product right now, iS Clinical Active Serum. However, finally my skin is healing and I am able to introduce them back into my skincare routine slowly. The peeling has now stopped, redness reduced and the fine lines on my forehead have reduced slightly which I am of course delighted about-. All the pesky post inflammatory pigmentation marks on my forehead have also slightly reduced which has definitely made me a happy girl. However, when I agreed to be part of this peel journey with Roxy I promised myself to be absolutely transparent and completely honest with the results. Initially, it was very hard for me to even take photos to show to the web. So even though I am very pleased with the results, I am also slightly disappointed to see my acne returning as it did decrease during the snake peeling phase.
What’s my plan now? To do another one of these chemical peels in a few weeks time. However, I do also need to accept the fact that my acne is due to internal problems and that going forward this also must be addressed. Until then, as a true believer in advanced skincare, I will soldier on!
XOX
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