Glycolic Acid Vs. Retin-a?

I use retin-a but I find that my skin just looks drier, redder, and more irritated. There was a 6 month period where I did not use retin-a and was doing a series of 6 chemical peels (one a month). When I was doing this the flaky, dry skin was eliminated and my breakouts ceased. I started using retin-a again because I know it is good for my skin, but do regular chemical peels offer the same or better benefits than regular retin-a use? Thanks! :)