Knowledge Base

Yes, the peel is safe for all skin types, but you should do a small test application first. Apply for 30 seconds and rinse off. Wait one day, and if no excessive irritation exists, you’re free to resume. When selecting the test site, remember you don’t want to peel the same area twice, so choose somewhere different than where you would like to initially apply the peel. (For example, don’t test on your face if you want to peel your face).

Our peels are generally very well tolerated, much more so than other peels with a low pH and high percentage of acid. This low application intensity is due to their formulation. Most peel products are formulated with an acetone/alcohol base. This works effectively to dissolve the Glycolic acid, and alcohol has the advantage that it is readily available, and very cheap.

The problem with alcohol is that it is very harsh. Upon application it strips away the outer layers of skin, and sensitizes nerve endings causing a tingling sensation. When combined with a high concentration of Glycolic acid increases the application intensity even more. The alcohol and acetone solvents do drive the Glycolic acid more deeply into the skin, but I would not recommend this to be used on the face.

In formulating this product for the face, we wanted to create a peel treatment that would not be irritating to the skin. For this reason we could not use the alcohol which is normally used. Instead we dissolve the Glycolic acid in a gelled environment of propylene glycol. This is quite a bit more expensive, but it allows us to create something that can be left on the face for a much longer time, without sacrificing acid strength.