I’m not sure about you guys but these past couple months have been extremely busy so it has been a while since I have posted! Between work, home, family, and sports sometimes It’s okay to just step back and take a breather to reset. I have been working on finding balance in my life with taking time out for me and what brings joy and positivity in my life. I have found it is impossible to do everything and have everything perfect without the stress settling in. Yoga and enjoying the best time of year here in upstate New York has taken up much of my free time which I usually use to write. That doesn’t mean I am not constantly trying new skin care routines and products to share with you all! The ZO 3 Step peel is the latest treatment I had the pleasure of experiencing and I think you will love the results!
Peels what are they and why would they benefit you? Chemical peels have been around for many years from enzyme peels with light stimulation to High level TCA peels with weeks of downtime. What’s the difference and how do you determine what is best for you. The level and type of peel is determined by a skin care professional such as your esthetician or doctor. At home peels will exfoliate however, not as well or advanced as professional peels. Lighter or surface peels are great for promoting healthy skin, brighter and smoother or for someone who has never had a peel because of the customization. This targets the surface layer of the epidermis and can help with acne, lines wrinkles, texture and overall brightness. No peeling or shedding with these and can take multiple treatments to see visible changes in the skin. Think of these types of peels at skin maintenance these should be done about every 4-6 weeks for optimal skin health and rejuvenation usually paired with dermaplaning, microdermabrasion, and hydrafacial.
About a month ago I experienced the ZO skin health 3 step peel as I do with all peels that I perform. I want to know exactly how it works what it feels like to better serve my clients. I have tried all peels that we carry and any new treatments that compete with our brands or possible new lines to bring on. It is so important as an esthetician to continue to try new products and services to compare and grow as a practice. This 3 step peel is no joke! This is an aggressive peel with about 5-7 days downtime sometimes up to 10 days. Once you are finished peeling the skin looks amazing and truly flawless! Like most medium or aggressive peels you can expect a textbook peeling process. You have the peel in office and can expect to peel about 2 days peeling will start and can last for about 3-5 days. In very rare cases little to no peeling can occur or a longer shed time all dependant on the individual and skin type/condition. Most patients have sheeting or shedding of the epidermal layers helping with pores, tecture, breakouts, and discoloration. Multiple treatments or a series may be recommended for deeper concerns such as melasma, deep lines and wrinkles and post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
3 Step Peel Active ingredients
- 17% salicylic acid
- !0% TCA
- 5% Lactic acid
- 6% retinol
Benefits
- Improves acne, melasma, sun damage, fine line, texture, roughness (crepe skin), large pores and dullness.
- Restores hydration
- Includes antioxidants for cell renewal
- Reduces wrinkles, firms and soothes skin
- Easy and safe peel with results for all skin types
- supports skin barrier function
- Improves skin’s ability to repair and renew itself
For this peel and many deep peels it is important to pre condition and is a must before this peel. A retinol should be used for at least one month prior as well and a sunscreen, If you follow the preconditioning with ZO skin cleanser, complexion pads, exfoliant and retinol it will prepare and ensure you have a good outcome. It is important that you stop your retinol at least 3-5 days prior to the peel and at least 1-2 weeks after (I would say 2)
The steps and what to expect
- Cleanse
- Degrease with a 70% alcohol
- Exfoliate, Apply peeling solution (entire vial is applied and some frosting can occur due to the salicylic acid)
- Stimulate, Retinol creme applied
- Hydration+Calming, Reviatrol Creme complex applied and send home with aftercare instructions
- Optional sunscreen
As the peel is applied the skin can heat up and feel a tingling burning sensation depending on the patient, tolerance will be varied. The smell is medicinal and has a banana scent to it. Frosting is expected. When the retinol is applied the heat will intensify and a fan is recommended to ease the patient. Once the Revitatrol is applied it will immediately calm and soothe the skin and it is common to have a yellow tint to the skin using gauze to blend out the edges will help it from looking so noticable. It is not recommended to wear makeup the first day and important to wait to wash your face until the morning.
The day after treatment
In your take home box you will have your aftercare instructions a packet of retinol and your revitatrol moisturizer. After washing your face in the morning you will then apply the entire packet of retinol and apply the reviatrol and a sunscreen. You may notice a yellow tint to the skin after applying the retinol like the first day. I wore my jane iredale pressed powder and PCA tinted sunscreen. Makeup is fine but better if it is a lighter foundation or powder. The skin may have a tacky feel early on in the day but will absorb.
In 2-3 days
The skin will begin to feel dry and very tight and on about that second day it will start to crack around the mouth area and then continue to peel and shed around the middle of the face going outwards. The skin will have a sheeting effect and can peel quite a bit. It is extremely important not to pick pull or manually peel that off. If the pieces get to big you can trim with small brow scissors. Premature exfoliation can lead to hyperpigmentation and irritated damaged skin. Skin can appear darker and you may see some pigmentation or sun damage come to the surface which will flake off which is normal. I personally noticed a slight purging with many of my blackheads and clogging come right up and out of the skin in the second day and it really cleared and smoothed out.
Aftercare
The most important is following after care instruction which will come inside the box along with the Revitatrol creme to be used the best 5-7 days. Many companies give you post instructions, but ZO makes it so simple it all comes in your take home box and included in the cost.
- Treat your skin like a sunburn anything you wouldn’t do to an extreme sunburn you will not want to do during the peeling process.
- Avoiding strenuous exercise, and overheating or raising your body temperature, no sauna, steam room, extreme hot showers.
- Skin care treatments such as facials, peels, microderms, microneedling, lasers etc should be avoided for at least 2-4 weeks until the skin is healed.
- Wear sunscreen daily and avoid manipulating the skin to prevent premature exfoliation which can cause damage to the skin.
- Avoid any kind of home care products that have AHA, BHA, retinols, and any other exfoliators. Using a gentle cleanser, your take home revitatrol and your favorite sunscreen is all that is recommended for about a week.
Contraindications
- Pregnancy or lactating.
- Herpes simplex (Active).
- Allergies to salicylates.
- Open wounds or sunburn in treatment area.
- Cancer, or Autoimmune disease.
If you want to know more or schedule an appointment
Call the office at SPA ONE (518)944-2096
Beautiful skin starts here 