Maximize Your Beauty Sleep: Overnight Peels

While overnight peels continue to make their way to the top of skin care trends lists, the concept has actually been around for centuries. Even Cleopatra used a version of an overnight peel to achieve softer, younger-looking skin by sunrise.

What is an Overnight Peel?

Overnight peels gently exfoliate the top layer of dead skin cells by loosening the binds that hold dead skin cells to the surface of the skin, making them easier to lift away. This helps to reduce the look of fine lines, wrinkles and age spots while also smoothing the skin’s texture.

Why overnight? While you sleep, your skin repairs and replenishes itself so a facial peel is actually the perfect time to get the most out of your beauty sleep.

The Peel Revealed

The key ingredients in most overnight peels are alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) such as glycolic acid or lactic acid. Glycolic acid, derived from sugar cane, is made of small molecules that penetrate deep into skin’s surface. Lactic acid , derived from sour milk, helps to hydrate skin.

Overnight peels are often confused with at-home microdermabrasion treatments. Microdermabrasion treatments feature a mechanical skin-exfoliating process with the aid of an electronic device or facial scrub. An overnight peel, on the other hand, gets its exfoliating power from its active ingredients (AHAs) and takes little effort beyond applying to the skin.

How to Apply an Overnight Peel

● Each night, after cleansing face and neck, apply a thin, even layer of an overnight peel.

● Peels already hydrates your skin so no need for an additional nighttime moisturizer.

● In the morning, wash your face and neck as usual and apply a moisturizer with broad spectrum protection of SPF 15 or higher.

It is important to use a sunscreen while using an AHA lotion because of increased skin sensitivity to sun.

● Apply makeup as normal and instantly notice the smoother texture and reduced appearance of fine lines.