i bought the lactic acid....

Lifestyle Wedding, Fashion & Beauty
21

Re: i bought the lactic acid…

Stopit: Regarding the comment nadz made…I went back and looked at the ingredients of that cream. That cream has silicones listed under their ingredients (Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone). Silicones are what gives products that smooth, sikly texture and MANY make-up/skincare products contain it. However, I guess based on the amount in the product…some people with acne prone skin can’t handle it.

For example: Smashbox Photofinish primer is silicone based and breaks me out. I got a sample of it and wore it 1 day. The next day I had quite a few little pink bumps all over my face. The same exact thing has happened to me the day after my bridal MU trial. :bummer: She used Kryolan products as primer and those are silicone based too. BUT…then again NARS Sheer Glow also has silicones but my skin handles that fine! :confused: So that makes me think that perhaps it depends on the amount of silicones in it.

I’ve used Alpha Hydroxy 12% Glycolic Souffle which doesn’t have any silicones listed in it. Reviva is another brand that has silicone free 10% glycolic cream. If you’re unable to find any creams available in the UK without silicones…then I don’t think there’s any harm to try out this cream. But just keep in mind that IF she breaks out…it’s not the “glycolic cream” but the “silicones” in the glycolic cream. :slight_smile:

Also on a side note: if your sister’s skin won’t handle this cream…the results will be the same whether she uses it BEFORE or AFTER doing peels. If its going to break her out…it’ll do it regardless of when she uses it.

22

Re: i bought the lactic acid....

Thanks Paheli, will keep that in mind. She's never broken out coz of any product, so hopefully it should be fine. It will be a good time to test it now as she doesn't have many active spots.. mostly just hyperpig.

I'll see if any of those products are available here tho.

23

Re: i bought the lactic acid....

Yep....if the spot test went well.....do the full face tonight. Leave it on as long as you can handle the stinging and the skin isn't way too red and there are no signs of whilte (frosting). Look forward to hearing how it goes! :)

24

Re: i bought the lactic acid....

Hey katti, do try rosehip oil for your son's eczema. User Colourful_Eyes said it helped her nephew a lot. I also gave it some to my cousin about 2 months back and she said her eczema has improved a lot.

25

Re: i bought the lactic acid....

Can you use this stuff even if your skin is fine (i.e. no acne or severe marks)?
I just have uneven skin tone and dark circles, so I'm not sure if this stuff would work?

26

Re: i bought the lactic acid…

I don’t really know too much about Salicylic peels. I tried it once almost 4 years ago and gave myself really bad frosting that took almost 3 weeks to heal. :bummer: Since it was such a long time ago…I don’t even remember where I got that peel (I started buying MUAC peels 2 years ago) OR what % is it. All I remember is that the minute I applied the peel, a quarter size area on my right cheek immediately turned stark white. :smack: That incident scared me enough to make me stay away from salicylic peels. And in the last 2 years or so…my skin has become more combination (not super oily/not tons of acne) so I’ve leaned more towards glycolic/lactic.

All that being said (my disclaimer!)…here are my thoughts on the link: Reviews are good. However, unless I’m missing something…there’s no pH listed. pH of the peel makes a difference on how strong or week the peel is. For example: a 20% Lactic Acid peel with a pH of 1.0 will be stronger than a 30% Glycolic Peel with a pH of of 3.0 (even though lactic acid is more gentle than glycolic!). I know the 15% Salicylic Acid sold by MUAC has a pH of 2.3. So how “strong” this 20% is depends on the pH. You can e-mail the seller to ask the pH of this peel b/c if the pH is high…then it’s not a strong product. But then again, if the pH is low…then it MIGHT be too strong for a 1st time peel.

$$ wise…the link is charging almost $19 for 1oz (plus shipping if you don’t purchase $25 worth of “super saver” products). MUAC has a 15% salicylic peel…1/2 oz for $11 (free shipping). Even thought $19 isn’t “expensive”…I would try to find a cheaper/smaller size as a “starter”. B/C if the product doesn’t work or it’s too strong…its not like you can return it.

Have you used salicylic acid before? If so, at what %? Salicylic is not gentle like Lactic. B/C of that…just like glycolic, I would prep the skin with a serum or cream with a lower % (8-10) before doing a peel (just like what I mentioned for Stopit’s sister).

So basically if you really want to buy the peel on your link…find out the pH first. If its low…then I’d say use another serum or something else to prep your skin for a 20% peel. If the pH is high…it means the peel may not be as strong…which means your skin will handle it but the results MIGHT not be as dramatic. I’m not worried about the latter. :slight_smile: A peel being “too weak” is never a problem b/c you can move upto a higher %. But using something too strong can take weeks to heal (trust me…I know!), and potentially can scar you if its not treated property afterwards.

27

Re: i bought the lactic acid....

Chemical peels are NOT for dark circles. They should NEVER be applied that close to the eyes.

For un even skin tone....you can do either lactic or glycolic. Here's the basics on the different types of peels from the MUAC site.

**Lactic acid: **Derived from milk, milder than glycolic acid, and typically better for working on hyperpigmentation problems. Our formulation contains licorice extract, an effective skin lightening additive. Appropriate for dry skin or oily skin. An alpha hydroxy, this peel penetrates the epidermis-only. A great "first peel" for oily, dry, normal and sensitive skin types. The inherent properties of this peel make it ideal for clients with uneven skin tones and general hyperpigmentation.

**Glycolic acid: **A bit more aggressive than lactic acids, this is also an alpha hydroxy peel and will penetrate the epidermis. Glycolic acid is a good all-around acid for normal-oily skin types to exfoliate and rejuvenate the skin, as well as addressing the issues of acne, acne scarring, wrinkles and fine lines.

**Salicylic Acid (beta hydroxy): **Oil soluble, thus making these acids perfect for oily/acne skin that needs deep pore cleansing and loosening of blackheads. A beta-hydroxy, this acid penetrates the upper layers of the epidermis only.

**TCA: **Deeper peeling class of acids excellent for acne, lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, acne scars, stretch marks, sun damage, lip lines, age spots and general scarring. Longer lasting results, more intensive. This peel penetrates the epidermis, into the upper layers of the dermis, thus producing a more effective peeling experience.

28

Re: i bought the lactic acid....

OOoooh thanks! I wouldn't dream of applying it to my eyes, don't worry, my skin's too sensitive in that area! I only said that to give an idea of my skin.

Thanks for the info!

29

Re: i bought the lactic acid....

AFTER using lactic acide 50percent for say 2 weeks, so 2 peels, can i try the glycolic.....

30

Re: i bought the lactic acid…

Thank you SO much for the detailed reply Paheli, you’re awesome! you seem to have enough knowledge about this to do it professionally! :slight_smile: i’ll try contacting the seller and finding out the pH level. The reason i’m leaning towards this (or any peels from Amazon) is because I have Amazon credit, so I thought what the heck, why not try one from there. I was actually searching today and they have lots of different ones including glycolic, TCA, etc. I’ve been using a salicylic acid face wash for a couple of years now so I think my skin will be able to handle it…however I do plan to test it out before I apply it over my whole face. I don’t mind trying out the glycolic acid one either. I’ve used DDF’s glycolic toner for a while and loved how it made my skin feel. Thanks again for all your help!

31

Re: i bought the lactic acid....

You're welcome! I'm happy to help. I learned what I know through my personal experience and also from reading tons of reviews/opinions online. So I'm happy to pass on the knowledge. :) LOL @ Amazon credit! My fiance is totally addicted to that site!

Let me ask you......what makes you choose salicylic over glycolic (salicylic is stronger than glycolic btw)? Is your skin super oily or do you have severe acne issues? I see they also have a 35% glycolic peel.

I don't think there's anything wrong with buying peels from other sources as long as they have good reviews (which this seller seems to have) and you do your own research (ie. in this case find out the pH of the product). MUAC has the pH for all their peels listed so when you find out that info. from this seller....just compare it to MUAC's. There numbers should not be too far apart. And yes, before doing any peels....please test a quarter sized area by your ear to make sure the skin doesn't have a bad reaction. TCA is amazing! But only go onto that after you've gained some experience with peels and also have 1-2 weeks of downtime for it. :)

32

Re: i bought the lactic acid....

Lol i'm beginning to get addicted to Amazon too! I recently sold a bunch of old textbooks back to Amazon and got a decent chunk of money, from which i'm getting that acne spray I showed you, and some peels and random things. I don't necessarily prefer salicylic over glycolic, both are great, and I plan to use both eventually but from what i've heard salicylic is better for acne prone skin, oily skin etc. My skin is super oily, and thanks to my salicylic face wash and retin-a my acne is finally under control and clearing up....but from what i've experienced...no acne cream on its own works on me UNLESS I use my salyclic face wash twice a day. It really just makes my skin feel clean and prevents pimples. Otherwise, each morning when I use to wakeup I used to have like 4-5 scratch off pimples...the kind that are tiny that you can just scrape off with your nail. Using the salicylic face wash keeps those from forming. From the reviews i've read about the salicylic peel and others is that frosting is crucial. If the peel frosts that usually means it's "working". The idea of having white spots appear kind of freaks me out...is it something that peels off right away or goes away in a few days or right after neutralizing?

33

Re: i bought the lactic acid....

Ok I have a question:

Why switch between peels, ie lactic and glycolic? Why not stick to one?

34

Re: i bought the lactic acid…

Its this statement that makes me scared for you…lol. :slight_smile: Firstly, frosting is not “crucial” for peels to work. In fact, with lactic and glycolic, most likely you will not get frosting and peel like a snake. I do 40% glycolics and 55% lactic and my skin barely flakes these days. But that doesn’t mean that the acid didn’t do anything to the skin b/c I definately notice a difference.

Now onto frosting: this usually is expected with TCA and of course, salicylic. Remember that frosting I got from salicylic peel took 3 weeks to heal b/c it went so deep. I did a 12.5%, 2 layer TCA peel over Christmas and it took my face literally 1 week to heal. You see hints of whilte on the skin. As soon as the hints of appear…frosting has started. You need to neutralize while there is plenty of pink still showing through. You don’t want the skin to be stark white. Yes, the “whitish areas” disspear after 30 minutes or so. But within the next few days…the skin will turn brown/leathery, and literally scab over. You’ll need to completely leave the skin alone and allow it to heal on its own. The frosting basically burned off the top layer. It will scab and peel like snake skin on its own. You can not apply any other acids, or RA while its healing. Going outside, you need to completely slather your skin in sunscreen.

The only thing you can do while the skin is healing is keep it moisturized. If the frosting is deep enough…you may even need to apply neosporin to keep it from getting infected. If you physically peel the skin off (instead of allowing it to peel on its own)…you risk hyperpigmentation. As I mentioned…frosting basically means you burned the top layer of skin and want it to fall off, and reveal new “baby skin”. Depending on the level of frosting…healing can take 1 week to several weeks. So if you’re planning on allowing your skin to frost…make sure you have the downtime to heal (ie. I’m assuming you won’t want to go to work or school looking like a burn victim). Plus to be totally honest…when the skin is peeling for a few days…it looks nasty.

The link below will show you some peeling pics of an arm. Now let me state that her claim that these pics are from a 50% TCA seems ridiculous to me. 50% TCA is not safe. And when I did 12.5% TCA…my skin got more brown/leathery than what’s shown on this pic. To anyone reading this, please don’t even consider doing a 50% TCA! But nevertheless…this will give you a good idea on what your face will look like for 1-2 weeks if you frost. And I will repeat again…you can’t “speed up” the healing after a frost b/c it increases the chances of hyperpigmentation big time (again, think healing from a burn).

Chemical Peels for Acne and Anti Aging: TCA 50% Chemical peel - before and after pictures

Oh…as for the face washes you use…I assume it probably has 2% salicylic acid. Believe me…2% is NOTHING when it comes to SA compared to 20%. If you’re comfortable dealing with frosting and have the downtime, then go for it. But I think it might be a lot less hassle for you if you started off with like 40% glycolic peel…and used a lesser % salicylic in the routine. I know MUAC has a 8% salicylic serum that you can keep on for upto 8 minutes before rinsing off (kinda like a mini-peel). You may want to find something like that…where the product has more than what a face wash or toner has. You can use that 2-3 times a week to keep the pores unclogged. And meanwhile do the glycolic peel once every 1 or 2 weeks. Actually, if the current salicylic face wash and RA is doing a good job at controlling the acne…then I think you can even go with just doing glycolic.

Oh also…since you’re using RA…the first 1 or 2 times you do a peel…stop using the RA 2-3 days before the peel. RA makes the skin more sensitive so don’t use it like the day before or something until you learn how your skin handles the peel. And IF you frost, you can not use RA until skin is 100% healed.

On a side note…LOL…yep…fiance has also sold many of his(and my!) books on Amazon. :slight_smile:

35

Re: i bought the lactic acid....

Here are the reasons I personally switch:

Lactic gives my face a brightening effect that I don't get from glycolic (again, this is just how MY skin reacts). Both the peels help even out my skin tone and make it look smoother......but lactic gives me a brightening effect.

In addition, over time I've learned that with lactic peel....my skin can handle Retin A even the day before and after the peel (ie. I don't have to stop using it b/c of the peel). But with glycolic, at least with my skin....I can't use RA at least for 2 days before and 2 days after the peel (skin gets irritated if I do). Same with my vitamin C serum.....I can't use it the day before and the day after glycolic peels.

This is why I alternate so my RA/Vit. C serum usage isn't interrupted too often. I see my glycolic peels as actually doing the job of helping with fine lines, hyperpigmentation etc.......and the lactic peel as "maintenance" in between the glycolic peels. And since the cost is cheap.....it doesn't bother me to just have both. :)

With stronger peels like TCA....its probably best to have "maintenance" peels like lactic or glycoilc in between. But with glycolic and lactic....there really isn't a "reason" behind alternating except personal preferance.

36

Re: i bought the lactic acid....

^I see. Thanks for the detailed reply. :)

37

Re: i bought the lactic acid....

Oh wow Paheli your mashallah very knowledged about this. Well I've got a few questions for you aswell. So like when I use my peel, and rinse it off afterwards, my skin feels a lil oily and no matter how much I rinse off I feel that the Peel Gel is still there. I usually wash my face with a light facewash like 10mins after because I get scared that the peel might still be there and I don't want to have an irritated red face. What do you do about that? Another question, How much pH neutralizer are we suppose to use after the peel? and after how long?1-5mins?

38

Re: i bought the lactic acid…

You are officially the peel queen :hehe:

And now that i’ve taken Frosting 101 i’ve decided that I don’t want my face to frost. I don’t want the chemical to go in so deep that I frost, scab and flake off. Picturing all that sounds terrifying to me and my mom will freak out even more than I will lol. If peels “work” and improve the condition of the skin overtime even if they don’t frost, then i’d rather keep them on for a shorter amount of time and not let them frost. I’d rather use them for a longer period of time but I don’t want to risk frosting because i’m afraid of damaging my skin. I’ll consider the glycolic ones as per your suggestion if they’re a bit milder. I used to use DDF’s toner that had 10% glycolic acid and I liked it…so i’m curious to see what a higher percentage of GA will do for my skin. However, that too i’m going to look for on Amazon lol! I will probably order from the MUAC website also after I figure out how to work with these things. Again, thank you so much for your detailed reply!

39

Re: i bought the lactic acid....

Thanks! I don't use any ph neutralizer. When I'm ready to neutralize, I pat my face with cold water. Then I pat baking soda where the acid was applied. Immediately you should feel stinging/mild burning sensation (depending on how sensitive the skin is). That's what lets you know that the acid is being neutralized. When the stinging/burning goes away completely (usually less than minute), then I wash face with cold water only. Pat dry with towel and apply moisturizer.

Yes my face does still feel like there's something on it (it does not feel squeky clean). But the acid has been neutralized and I don't use any face washes right afterwards.

** I prefer to wet the face and pat on dry baking soda to neutralize. But I've read online that others prefer to have a little bowl where they mix baking with with a little water and use that to wash face. Either is fine. Its just personal preferance. I know "ph neutralizers" are sold but never bought it b/c baking soda will also neutralize the acid and it's MUCH cheaper. :)

40

Re: i bought the lactic acid…

Hahahaha…yea…its easy to get the skin to frost but it’s the healing that’s a total pain. Most people don’t realize how much self-control/“downtime”/care it takes to get the skin to heal properly. If not healed property, you can end up with hyperpigmentation. And yes, if you live with parents or husband, they will freak out at your appearance (my guy kept asking me when it will be “done”!). Frosting definately gets your more dramatic results faster…but it also takes more time/a lot of patience. :slight_smile:

If your skin is used to 10% glycolic…then give 40% glycolic peel a try. If 1 layer of 40% goes well…then you can leave it longer the 2nd time and/or try layering it. Here’s one I saw at Amazon (find out ph 1st though…MUAC’s 40% has pH of 2.4):

Amazon.com: (1 oz / 30 ml) GLYCOLIC Acid 40% Skin Chemical Peel - Unbuffered - Alpha Hydroxy (AHA) For Acne, Oily Skin, Wrinkles, Blackheads, Large Pores & More (from Skin Beauty Solutions): Beauty

Good luck!