What kind of facial wash and lotion should I use after a chemical peel?

Chemical peels, even mild chemical peels take time to work and heal.  The peeling agent injures your skin and this stimulates skin turn over which is ultimately responsible for skin improvement.  It is important to avoid further injuring the skin after a chemical peel.  Keeping the skin moist helps it heal faster than if the skin is dry.  Moisturizer is not always adequate to this task.  If it is working for you, great.  If the skin still feels dry or tight with the moisturizer, consider using a light amount of Vasoline.  This product is petrolatum whipped with water.  It is effective for moisturizing.  It is not ideal because is can clog pores and cause acne.  Once the moisturizer is working this is more cosmetic product than Vasoline.  Immediately after a peel, avoid home skin care products that contain acidity which can be irritating.  Retin A should be avoided for about a week or so after the skin has healed.  A number skin care products contain alcohols that strip oil out of the skin and these should be avoided after a chemical peel of any strength.

Our treatments use combination therapy to improve the epidermis and dermis for most deep scars. The options available for acne scars depend on the character of your scars, in terms of topography and contour. We see atrophic and hypertrophic acne scars, as well as scars that have hypo and hyperpigmentation. We begin each scar evaluation with an assessment of scar quality and subtype. Our main concern is rebuilding collagen and that is why we use a HIDEF protocol that includes combination therapy. Morpheus 8, scar subcision, fibrous release, fractional laser, CO2 laser, Thulium laser, PDL Vbeam laser, and fractional resurfacing can be used in addition to TCA Cross and chemical peels to further improve skin. Patients should start Melarase AM and Melarase PM for active hyperpigmentation. Always begin with a consultation to decide whether early subcision should be started.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Hello,

Thank you for your question. It is best to be gentle with the skin after a chemical peel. Use a mild cleanser, and if you want a light moisturizer. You should wash and moisturize in the morning and before bed. Try not to be aggressive in either direction. Don't avoid moisture and don't over moisturize, just keep everything very mild and let your skin take its natural course. Good luck!

Each peel comes with its own specific post care instructions so I would advise you to call and ask the medical office that you had the procedure performed in. However, I can tell you that with most peels you do need to use only a gentle wash that is chemical free for the first week followed by a broad spectrum sunscreen. Depending on what peel you had done will determine when you would start using a moisturizer. Is some cases, a moisturizer can slow down or stunt the actual peeling process. You should allow approximately three to four days for the peeling process to start. It is very important that you do not pick or pull at any of the skin it should naturally slough off.  

Thank you for your message! After a chemical peel you can expect your skin to peel or flake off. During this period you will want to use a gentle cleanser in the morning and at night, something like a Cerave or Cetaphil. You will want to use gentle moisturizers such as Aquaphor as well. You should avoid exfoliating products, Retinols/Retin-A, and the sun! We generally recommend using a sunscreen throughout the day and keeping sun exposure to a minimum.