Chemical vs. Enzymatic Peels: What’s Right for Your Skin?
Fall is often associated with changing routines, cooler weather and a return to more intentional skincare. It also happens to be a great time to start thinking about professional exfoliation.
At Antoine du Chez Salon & Spa in Centennial, we’re featuring our professional IMAGE Skincare peel treatments this season, including both enzymatic and chemical options. And if the word peel immediately makes you picture red, shedding skin, there’s a lot more to the category than you may realize.
First, What Does a Peel Actually Do?
At its core, a professional peel is designed to help remove buildup of dull, dead surface cells and support smoother, brighter-looking skin.
IMAGE offers a range of professional treatments that can be customized based on concerns ranging from rough texture and dehydration to breakouts, discoloration and signs of aging. The right treatment depends on your skin, your goals and how aggressively your esthetician wants to approach exfoliation.
And importantly, not every peel is a chemical peel.
Enzymatic Peels: A Gentler Place to Start
Enzyme treatments use ingredients such as fruit enzymes to help loosen and remove dead surface cells. They tend to offer gentler exfoliation and can be a great introduction to professional peel treatments.
IMAGE classifies several of its professional treatments as enzymatic, including:
The Signature Facelift®
An enzyme treatment featuring vitamin C and hyaluronic acid designed to brighten, hydrate and soothe the skin. IMAGE’s professional formula combines fruit enzymes with hydroxy acids and antioxidants for gentle exfoliation and hydration.
ORMEDIC® Lift
A multi-fruit enzyme peel intended to brighten, balance and revitalize dull-looking skin.
O₂ Lift®
An enzymatic and oxygenating treatment created to refresh, brighten and revitalize dull skin.
For someone who is new to peels, looking for more radiance, or not ready for a more intensive treatment, an enzyme peel may be a great place to begin.
Chemical Peels: More Targeted Exfoliation
Chemical peels use acids and other professional exfoliating ingredients to create a more targeted resurfacing treatment.
Within the IMAGE professional line, chemical peel options include treatments designed around specific concerns:
Acne Lift® and Advanced BHA Lift focus on blemishes, congestion and clogged pores using ingredients including AHAs and BHAs.
Wrinkle Lift® and Wrinkle Lift® Forte use glycolic-based exfoliation to address the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and uneven texture.
Lightening Lift® and Lightening Lift® Forte are formulated to target dullness and the appearance of discoloration.
Perfection Lift and Perfection Lift Forte combine multiple exfoliating ingredients for more advanced concerns involving texture, signs of aging and blemishes.
Chemical peels can vary significantly in strength, which is why choosing a peel should be less about picking a treatment name and more about working with your esthetician to determine what makes sense for your skin.
Will My Skin Actually Peel?
Not necessarily.
Visible flaking or shedding can occur after some chemical peels, but the amount of peeling you see is not a measurement of whether a treatment “worked.” Enzymatic treatments, in particular, may provide exfoliation and radiance without the visible peeling people often associate with the word.
Your esthetician will also walk you through appropriate pre- and post-treatment care. IMAGE recommends avoiding ingredients such as retinol, AHAs, BHAs and other aggressive exfoliants before a chemical peel, then keeping post-treatment skincare gentle and being diligent about sun protection afterward.
One Peel or a Series?
A single peel can be a great way to refresh the skin or experience professional exfoliation for the first time. For more specific or ongoing concerns, consistency can make a difference.
IMAGE recommends a customized approach over time, noting that a series of treatments can help target longer-term skin goals while allowing your skincare professional to adjust treatments as your skin changes.
At Antoine du Chez, guests can currently experience a single introductory IMAGE peel for $89 or purchase a series of four peels for $330.
Finding the Right Peel for Your Skin
There isn’t one “best” peel, and that’s exactly why we like having both enzymatic and chemical options available.
Someone looking for hydration and glow may need something very different from a guest concerned about congestion, pigmentation or uneven texture. Your esthetician can evaluate your skin, talk through your goals and recommend the IMAGE treatment that makes the most sense for where your skin is today.
Ready to explore professional peels? Book an IMAGE peel at Antoine du Chez Salon & Spa in Centennial, Colorado, or ask your esthetician which treatment may be right for your skin!