Aftercare 101
Protect Your Skin. Support Your Results.
A professional chemical peel works by creating controlled exfoliation to encourage smoother, brighter, more refined-looking skin. Your skin may be temporarily more sensitive following treatment, making proper aftercare essential.
How much you peel—or whether you visibly peel at all—can vary depending on the peel performed, your skin, and the depth of treatment. Visible peeling is not required for a successful treatment.
Always follow the personalized instructions provided by your esthetician, as they take priority over these general guidelines.
This guide applies when a professional chemical peel is performed as a standalone treatment or incorporated into an appropriate customized facial or corrective treatment.
Chemical exfoliation may be selected to help improve the appearance of:
The specific peel, strength, number of layers and treatment plan will be selected based on your skin and professional assessment.
Your skin has just undergone controlled professional exfoliation. Treat it gently.
Some clients notice very little immediately after their peel. Others experience more noticeable dryness or flaking over the following several days.
For the rest of today:
During this period, focus on protecting, hydrating and calming your skin.
Whenever possible, keep the skin makeup-free for the remainder of the day.
If makeup is necessary after the initial post-treatment period, only apply it if your skin feels comfortable and intact. Use clean applicators and avoid heavily fragranced or irritating products.
This is when you may notice more visible post-peel changes.
Keep your routine simple:
Cleanse. Hydrate. Moisturize. Protect.
Do not attempt to speed up the peeling process.
Do not automatically restart active ingredients just because a certain number of days has passed.
Retinoids, AHAs, BHAs, exfoliating toners, benzoyl peroxide, strong vitamin C products and other potentially irritating actives should only be gradually reintroduced once your skin is fully healed and back to its normal baseline with no active peeling, unusual redness, tenderness, burning or sensitivity.
For many superficial peels this may be around 5–7 days, but some treatments require a longer pause.
Follow the personalized timeline provided by your esthetician.
Avoid waxing, depilatory creams and other potentially irritating hair-removal methods on treated skin until it is completely recovered. Your esthetician can advise you on when it is appropriate to resume based on the peel performed.
Your response will depend on the peel performed and your individual skin.
It can be normal to experience:
Peeling may begin a few days after treatment rather than immediately.
Remember:
More peeling does not mean better results.
Some professional peels produce very little visible shedding while still providing effective exfoliation.
Never pick or pull at peeling skin—even when it is tempting.
Please contact Complexion Co. Skin Studio if you experience symptoms that seem significantly different from the expected response discussed during your appointment, including:
If you’re unsure whether something you’re experiencing is normal, contact us before applying additional products or attempting to treat it yourself.
Call 911 or seek emergency medical care for severe symptoms.
Questions about your aftercare? Reach out — we’d rather you ask.
Your peel is one part of your overall skin plan.
Wear broad-spectrum SPF 30+ every day, reapplying regularly, and limit unnecessary direct sun exposure. Sun protection is particularly important following chemical exfoliation and when working to improve discoloration.
Once your skin has fully recovered, return to the personalized routine recommended by your esthetician.
Your routine may include:
A cleanser appropriate for your skin type and current condition.
Targeted products selected for your individual concerns.
Ingredients that help maintain hydration and support skin comfort.
Barrier-supporting moisture appropriate for your skin.
Broad-spectrum SPF 30+ every morning.
Avoid jumping between products, over-exfoliating or trying to accelerate your results with aggressive at-home treatments.
Controlled + consistent beats aggressive.
Your post-peel routine should be intentionally simple.
Your esthetician may recommend targeted products for concerns such as:
Always follow your personalized home-care recommendations. Do not introduce a new corrective active immediately following your peel unless specifically instructed to do so.
Chemical peels are most effective when performed intentionally—not excessively.
For many superficial professional peels, treatments may be performed approximately every 4–6 weeks, depending on the peel used, your skin’s response and your treatment goals.
Some peel protocols may use a different schedule.
Your esthetician will determine the appropriate treatment interval based on:
Never schedule another peel simply because your skin has stopped flaking. Your skin should be properly recovered before receiving additional professional exfoliation.
One Peel Can Refresh. A Plan Can Transform.
For concerns like pigmentation, acne, post-breakout marks, uneven texture and visible signs of aging, meaningful improvement often requires consistency.
Our facial packages allow us to create a structured series based on your skin rather than treating each appointment as an isolated service.
A treatment package can help you:
Your Skin Deserves a Plan, Not a Quick Fix.
Explore Corrective Skin PackagesNot sure where to begin?
Book a Skin Consultation
We’ll assess your skin, discuss your goals and determine whether chemical peels—and which treatment plan—are appropriate for you.
Questions about your aftercare? Reach out — we’d rather you ask.
