New Year New You - Chemical Peels

There's no time quite like the beginning of a bright and shiny new year to take a good long look in the mirror, run a little inventory on what we've got going on, and resolve to make some changes.
Most of us immediately start thinking about diets and exercise, maybe a change to the hairdo, and some additions to (or subtractions from!) the wardrobe as we make our way into the year ahead, seeking out the fabulous creature we know is hidden under the post holiday season fall out.

image by Jason Christopher

This year why not lean in to that mirror and have a closer look at your skin. The more we take care of our complexion, the more fresh and youthful we look and the less makeup we need on top.
There are plenty of steps that a girl can take towards improving her skin, and over the next few weeks we will be delving in to some of them, but today we are starting with some souped up exfoliation.

The chemical peel. Sounds scary, doesn't it?
There are actually several kinds of chemical peels and each of them is recommended to treat different skin concerns.
A Chemical Peel is a treatment that smooths skin,  thus enhancing its appearance. This procedure consists in applying a chemical solution that contains a small amount of acid on the skin, removing the damaged outer layers and essentially improving the smoothness and texture of the skin, leaving you looking fresh faced and youthful, and your skin bright and vibrant.

Chemical peels come in a variety of strengths, from the super mild, over the counter do it yourself at home peel, to the medium strengths of the in salon peels, to the hardcore doctor performed super strong peels. (Not for the faint of heart.)

Chemical peels take the exfoliation process to a whole new level. They are designed to

• reduce fine lines and wrinkles
• treat areas of dryness
• reduce uneven pigmentation
• aid in the control of acne
• smooth rough dry skin
• improve the texture of sun-damaged skin
• make your skin look and feel more vibrant

Personally I love Glycolic peels. My facialist Roxanne, at the Skin & Makeup Institute convinced me to try one a few months ago, and I now have them on a regular basis.
A Glycolic Peel is a light chemical peel done with an acid in the family of AHAs (also called fruit acids) called Glycolic Acid. (Glycolic  is one of the milder peels.) It will give you a bigger result than a regular exfoliation, but isn't so drastic that you get all red faced and scaly.
And its a  great way to say hello to a new year!