It has now been a little over two weeks since I went for a Rejuvenize peel from La Papillon Spa. The Rejuvenize peel is a medical grade chemical peel from SkinMedica and is only performed in doctor's offices or by trained professionals at medi-spas. This type of chemical peel requires several days of downtime, where you won't want people who don't live in your house to see you. I got my peel right before the largest snow storm in Maryland history hit, but had I not been snowbound, I would have been homebound for three or four full days. This peel is normally prescribed in a series of three.
To recap, this peel doesn't hurt, but does tingle when it is applied. It also can feel like you have a sunburn from time to time. Essentially, you are putting a controlled chemical on your skin to remove several surface layers of skin, so you should expect a small amount of discomfort. However, it the amount of "uncomfortable-ness" isn't anything that would make me hesitant to do this again. You can read everything that happened during my peel here, or keep reading for the results.
Here is where I started, at the beginning of my quest for perfect skin, or at least, as perfect as my skin can be. I have obvious melasma on my forehead and cheeks. My skin has an overall darker yellow-ish tone to it in some areas. I had seen some improvement with topical creams and basic spa peels, but still had a lot of melasma to contend with, especially on my forehead, cheeks and chin.Under a Woods Lamp, which highlights sun damage, here is what I looked like pre-peel:I was able to go to work for the first twenty-four hours. I started peeling dramatically around hour thirty-six.
To recap, this peel doesn't hurt, but does tingle when it is applied. It also can feel like you have a sunburn from time to time. Essentially, you are putting a controlled chemical on your skin to remove several surface layers of skin, so you should expect a small amount of discomfort. However, it the amount of "uncomfortable-ness" isn't anything that would make me hesitant to do this again. You can read everything that happened during my peel here, or keep reading for the results.
Seventy-two hours into the peel, my face looked like this (above.)While you are in the peeling process, you can't use any of your regular skin care. No eye creams, no serums, no moisturizers. Once I was cleared for returning to my usual routine (around day 8), I needed a little help. Without the use of my normal products, my skin needed a little boost to get back into the swing of things. To get my skin into its most glowing condition possible post-peel, I used SkinCeuticals Rextexturizing Serum. This product claims to surpass the results of using a 20% glycolic acid daily. It also helps boost hydration and helped my skin continue to look even more radiant and luminous post peel.When my skin seemed to be dehydrated in the week following the peel, Madeleine suggested I switch from my Kate Somerville Quench to something a little stronger. She suggested I use SkinCeuticals B-5 Gel, which is like a tall drink of water for your skin. Once I used the B-5 a few times, I noticed a distinct improvement in my skin's hydration levels.
On day eight, when I had a little bit of peeling left around the hairline, I also opted to use an accelerator product by Jan Marini. Clean Zyme and Skin Zyme are two products that work together to remove dead skin cells. These two products use proteolytic enzymes that have the ability to digest dead skin cells without harming sensitive or irritated tissues. Using Clean Zyme and Skin Zyme got rid of the last trace of skin that had been peeling. It almost worked like a gentle eraser to get rid of the skin that was sticking around beyond its welcome.And here is what I look like two weeks after having the Rejuvenize Peel:
Before & After
While the angles aren't quite perfect (it's hard taking photos of your own head in the dark with your eyes closed), you can see where my melasma has been slightly diminished. The area between my brows looks much more clear. My nasolabial folds, where I experienced quite a bit of peeling, looks much more clear and is probably the area where I am seeing the most results. The center of my forehead also looks much lighter and while not perfect, is well on its way!The biggest improvement, I think, is in the overall texture of my skin. My skin had a slightly rough texture that normal exfoliation wasn't fixing. Now, the texture of my skin is much more smooth and my skin looks luminous and healthier.So what does this look like without any makeup and with a light, sheer foundation in natural light?
(Here is another shot of my skin in different lighting that really shows the improved texture of my skin.)(Me the night before the peel and two weeks after the peel. I am not wearing any makeup, except clear lip balm. Click on the photos to enlarge them.)
(Minimal foundation and concealer only under my eyes.)
Want a Rejuvenize peel for yourself? Visit the SkinMedica website to find licensed professionals. In Maryland? Call La Papillon at 410.252.1400 or visit them at www.lapapillonspa.com. This peel was provided for the purposes of review. Products were also partially furnished by Jan Marini and SkinCeuticals for the purposes of review.Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement.Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews & more! Copyright 2010,Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.
