Superficial peels, a patch test first: mandelic £85, glycolic and salicylic £95
Chemical peels
Superficial peels for pigmentation, dullness, congestion and early fine lines, applied in layers and judged by your skin, not a timer: a gentle mandelic peel at £85 for sensitive and darker skin, and a glycolic and salicylic peel at £95. A free patch test at least 48 hours before the first.
A chemical peel is an acid solution that loosens the outermost layer of dead skin cells so that they shed faster and evenly. Done well, superficial peels brighten dull skin, fade some pigmentation over a course and clear congestion. Done badly, they burn, and darker skin can mark. The difference is the choice of acid, the preparation and the person applying it.
We use superficial peels only: mandelic acid, a large molecule that works slowly and suits sensitive and darker skin, and a glycolic and salicylic combination for oilier skin and stubborn dullness. Medium and deep peels belong in a medical setting, and we do not offer them.
A patch test comes first, at least 48 hours before the first peel, behind the ear or on the jaw. Retinoids and exfoliating acids stop five days before each peel; so does waxing or threading on the face. On the day the peel goes on in layers, and we watch the skin rather than a clock: a little tingling is normal, more is our cue to neutralise it.
Most people see brighter skin within a week of the first peel. Pigmentation takes a course, usually six peels two weeks apart, and daily SPF 50 for the rest of your life, because the sun undoes the work in a weekend. Some flaking for two to five days is normal; peeling sheets of skin is not what superficial peels do.
What is included
- A free patch test, 48 hours before
- Preparation advice: what to stop and when
- The acid chosen for your skin type
- Applied in layers and watched, not timed
- Neutralised, calmed and protected with SPF
- Aftercare written down and emailed
What it costs
Mandelic peel £85; glycolic and salicylic peel £95. Patch test free. Usually a course of three to six, two weeks apart. The prices page works out any course of one, three or six; the skin-goal finder suggests the course for your concern and skin type.
Questions about chemical peels
Will I peel?
Usually a little flaking for two to five days, more around the mouth and nose, and often nothing visible at all. Superficial peels work under the surface; they do not leave you shedding sheets of skin.
Can I have a peel if I have darker skin?
Yes, with the right acid and preparation. Mandelic acid is gentler on darker skin, and we sometimes prepare the skin for two weeks first to lower the risk of marks. The consultation decides.
Your course, priced before you book.
Start with the skin consultation: thirty minutes, the skin scan, a written plan with the sessions and the price, and £35 taken off your first course. Or book a facial, which needs no consultation, from every free hour on the book page.