3 Favorite Peels + Exfoliants

It seems like whatever time of the year it is, I’m always blaming my skin problems on the weather.

“Oh! This winter weather! My skin is like a desert! And my sad, chapped lips. BAH!” 

“UGH the change in seasons! My skin is so dull!” 

“SUMMER! I think all this sunscreen is making me break out!” 

Seriously, get with the program Jessica, you just did NOT win the skin lottery, no matter what the weather is like!

Truth be told, my skin issues have gotten SO much better recently, but I’ve never had dewy, glowing, perfectly smooth, break-out free, and poreless skin. (Make up helps A LOT, but yeah.)

However–these mysterious “peels”? I discovered them recently, and they WORK.

Maybe because I’m still puzzled as to how something can be a “peel” that isn’t applied at a spa or at your dermatologists office, however, upon further research, it seems that a “peel” is simply something that simply removes a layer of skin, promoting new skin growth! Clearly I’ve been missing that ENTIRE section of Sephora over the past 28+ years.

Anyway, let me tell you how I first stumbled onto the whole “peel” thing.

First, the back story…

It was the morning of my engagement party back in October, and I had just started a new prescription acne regimen. (I did a whole post on that over here.)

Well, see, the thing is–prior to this, I had forgotten it in a hotel over the summer and there was about a month and a half in between where I wasn’t using it. Then, when I finally got replacement product, I started off the bat using the same dosage I had been using before–way too much–because my skin wasn’t used to it any longer, and while it cleared up my breakouts, it essentially fried my skin.

Long story short, I woke up and my WHOLE face was peeling off. (My skin looked good other than the fact that it was falling off my face. Gross.)

Tons of lotion? Didn’t work. Sonic face brush? Didn’t work. In a panic, I threw my hands up went to Sephora, and this sweet girl named Kai gave me a giant sample of Peter Thomas Roth’s peeling gel exfoliant. (Which I promptly ordered TWO full bottles of the next day.)

Peter Thomas Roth “FirmX” Peeling Gel

How it works: You apply it to dry skin, like a face-wash, and massage it in a circular motion. This is gross, but it literally balls up all the dead skin cells on your face. It also uses a pineapple enzyme–not a chemical–so it’s gentle on your face. (Unless you use it 5 times in one sitting. See below.)

I went home and applied it, washed it off, and applied it again (I think I did this about 5 times over the course of an hour before I put makeup on. Probably not recommended, but it did the trick!) My skin was so smooth, several people even commented on how good my makeup looked that night, totally unaware of the day’s prior events.

I typically now apply this once or twice per week, depending on how my skin is behaving, or right before a big event because it makes your foundation look so much better! It makes my skin noticeably smoother, and shrinks and tightens pores.

Okay, and on to the next peel.

Caudalie Glycolic Peeling Mask

I recently placed an order from Bluemercury (love that place!) and they let you pick 3 really high-value samples with each order. I saw this mask from Caudalie (also available at Nordstrom and Sephora) as one of the options (it’s a HUGE sample! Is it even considered a sample size? I don’t know) but I thought to myself, “Hey! A peel! I like those!” and decided to give it a try.

I love it! I’ve been doing it a couple times per week as well, and my skin is noticeably brighter and more even. I definitely feel like the acne scars on the sides of my face are far less prominent.

Then, there’s this new scrub that has become a new obsession…

MAC’s “Lip Scrubtious”

Winter is always insanely harsh on my lips. (See? There we go again). They get chapped, dry, rough, you name it–it’s HOT. This is especially problematic for a flawless lipstick application.

But the girl at the MAC counter gave me a sample of this lip scrub to prep my lips before I put on their RetroMatte Liquid Lipstick, and I was hooked! It’s a sugar scrub and it dissolves as you rub it into your lips–no washing off necessary. (And it tastes so good!) Best exfoliant ever!

What is your experience with peels and exfoliators? Do you have any favorites?