When I first qualified as an aesthetician, one of the treatments I was most excited about were skin peels.
Growing up I’d seen them on shows like 10 Years Younger and How to Look Good Naked (what a throwback!) and was convinced they were the secret to the best skin of your life.
What Are Skin Peels and How Do They Work?
The idea is that you coat the skin in super strong acids so they can dissolve the damaged layers and completely renew the surface.
And for some of my clients, they were nothing short of life-changing.
However, they do come with significant recovery time that leaves your skin, quite literally, shedding like a snake (see image below!!).
This means professional guidance is essential, and I’d only ever use them in extreme cases like cystic acne, stubborn pigmentation, or sun damage that just wouldn’t shift any other way.
The Rise of At-Home Skin Peels
So when Vogue recently shared an article about DIY peels at home, it just didn’t sit quite right with me.
I know the benefits (and savings) sound tempting, but outside of a clinic setting, it’s rarely that simple.
Strong acids can strip not just the dead cells you don’t need, but also your skin barrier - leaving you red, bumpy, peeling and sensitive.
You end up in a cycle of overdoing it, then trying to recover, before overdoing it again.
Why Gentle, Consistent Exfoliation Wins Every Time
That’s why for most of us, who are simply striving to keep our skin healthy and youthful, I believe in a gentler approach.
Think of the tortoise and the hare.
The hare charges ahead with drama, like a harsh at-home peel, but quickly burns out.
The tortoise takes things slowly and steadily, like gentle daily exfoliation, and gets to the finish line without the stress.
A Gentle Alternative That Actually Works
And that’s the idea behind my microdosing philosophy with BASE. Rather than hitting your skin with intense acids, it’s about giving it small, consistent doses that quietly sweep away dull, dead skin cells.
This way your skin becomes clearer, smoother and more youthful in a way you can easily maintain.
In fact, that’s exactly why the Overnight Glow Drops is such an important step in The 5 Minute Kit. It’s like a mini skin peel in a bottle.
Because the acids inside the formula are super gentle, you can use it every night for renewed and retextured skin - without any recovery time at all. Which may explain why they’ve become known as “golden drops of wonder” 😍
The Final Word: Leave the Peels to the Pros
Of course, if you're struggling with extreme skin concerns like the ones I mentioned earlier, in-clinic peels are certainly worth exploring and can offer phenomenal results.
Just don’t be tempted by the at-home versions…No matter what Vogue may say 😉
