The at-home peel business is booming, with Dr. Dennis Gross’s Alpha Beta Peel leading the pack, Dr. Shani Darden’s kit offering strength, and Summer Fridays pads leaning into convenience. Chemical peels clear away dead skin cells and product build-up that interfere with the absorption of other active skincare ingredients. But the question is: How strong and how deep can you go before irritating the skin and compromising the barrier function? We asked cosmetic chemist Javon Ford to dig in.—Linda Wells
An at-home peel is not comparable to the one you’d get from a salon or med spa. That doesn’t mean they’re ineffective. For one, your skin should not actually peel if you’re using any of the at-home products. With the traditional chemical peels you get in a spa environment, your skin actually starts to peel over the next week. At-home peels should be weaker and more subtle; they’re not going as deep into the skin.
