All About Peels: What Estheticians Need to Know

As professional estheticians, we know you are dedicated to providing the very best care for your clients. You’ve probably seen the results of chemical peels gone wrong on Instagram and TikTok, tragic cases of people who are permanently scarred from having procedures done incorrectly by inexperienced providers in illegal settings. The prevention for this is proper education, which is the foundation of Repêchage professional skin care.

As with everything, the chemical peel landscape is changing, and professionals need to constantly update their information base to make sure they are providing their clients with the best solutions for their skin care needs, as well as keeping them safe. To do this, Repêchage CEO and Founder Lydia Sarfati, CIDESCO diplomat, partnered with Dr. Natalya Fazylova DNP, Doctor of Nursing Practice and an Associate Professor at the City University of New York as well as co-founder of NYC’s ReBalance Aesthetics & Wellness Medical Center for a online Master Class, All About Peels.

In this article, we will discuss the key points of the science about chemical peels—from medical-grade to professional exfoliating peels— what they are, how they work, and how modern peel protocols are evolving to meet today’s consumer needs.

Chemical Peels: Keep Yourself and Your Client Safe

Chemical peels remain one of the most misunderstood treatments in the industry. From confusion around pH and concentration to unsafe training promoted on social media—what Dr. Fazylova calls “TikTok University,” misinformation can put both clients and practitioners at risk through malpractice. Watching a procedure online does not replace qualified education, certification, or hands-on training. Skin professionals carry a responsibility: once you touch someone’s face, you are accountable for their safety and long-term skin health. Education, science, and proper training are essential to delivering results safely. “People today are looking for glowing skin and for wonderful results without the down time,” says Sarfati. When used correctly, they can improve tone, texture, acne, and hyperpigmentation. When used incorrectly, they can cause burns, scarring, pigmentation disorders, and permanent damage.
Before even starting to use chemical peels, Sarfati advises key steps to assuring the safety of your client and your business.

Malpractice Insurance

Practitioners should carry malpractice insurance, and understand legal and professional risks. “If you don’t have malpractice insurance and you are sued, your clients can go after your income, after your house, after your business,” says Sarfati.

Proper Education

Proper, qualified education is essential; learning from social media alone is unsafe. Knowledge gaps can lead to permanent skin damage and lawsuits.

Regulation and Product Safety

It is essential that you partner with reputable companies that provide products that are FDA-compliant, GMP-certified, and produced in ISO-9001:2015 certified facilities. Repêchage is ISO certified, FDA compliant, and GMP certified for quality assurance. In addition, estheticians must understand what is legally allowed and request certification from manufacturers.

Know Your Products

Fully understanding the chemical peels you use in your business, the pH of the product as well as the concentration, as well as the legal parameters of what can be performed in a salon setting vs. a medical setting is of the utmost importance. Lack of knowledge means damage to the client and your business.

How Peels Work On the Skin

To understand chemical peels, it is first important to understand how chemical peels
work on the skin.

The skin is composed of three primary layers—the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis (subcutaneous layer)—which together protect the body, regulate temperature, and enable touch. The epidermis is the outer protective barrier, the dermis provides structure and strength, and the hypodermis acts as a cushioned, insulating fat layer. The pH of our skin and the cells of our body is usually a neutral pH which is 7- 7.5 scale. pH stands for potential hydrogen and is a unit of measurement that indicates whether a substance is acidic, neutral or alkaline. Chemical peels contain ingredients that come in different variations and combinations and different percentages. To work, they usually have lower pH than our natural pH. The lower the pH, the higher the degree of penetration of a chemical peel. The lower the acidic pH, the more damage is caused to the skin.

All Peels Are Not Created Equal

Chemical peels are divided into three categories, depending on the depth of the wound created by the peel. Superficial peels penetrate the epidermis only, medium-depth peels affect the entire epidermis and papillary dermis, and deep peels allow for controlled tissue injury to the level of the midreticular dermis (and sometimes subcutis, if not used properly). The depth of the peel is dictated by several factors, including type of caustic chemical, concentration, number of applications, skin type, and the dermatologic condition being treated.

Deep Chemical Peels

Deep peels, such as phenol peels, penetrate into the reticular dermis and remove multiple skin layers. These procedures carry significant medical risks, including cardiac
and kidney toxicity, and must only be performed by board-certified physicians under medical supervision. “Estheticians are not allowed to perform this procedure, but it’s good to have the knowledge about these peels so that if a client comes in asking question, you have the proper information to respond,” says Dr. Fazylova. “You can also refer them to a proper, licensed medical provider to perform the treatment safely.”

Initial recovery takes about 1-2 weeks, during which the skin will be red, swollen and crusty. Patients need to stay in their homes and cannot walk outside. After the initial period, they will need to use a high level of SPF for many months anytime they are outside to prevent hyperpigmentation, so it is best if not done during the summer. Full healing can take several months, during which the new skin will gradually mature and the redness will fade. Complications may include permanent scarring or pigment changes.

Medium Chemical Peels

Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) is the most commonly used chemical for medium peels, typically in concentrations of 20-35%. Glycolic acid is sometimes used in medium peels, often in combination with other acids. The chemical solution is applied to the skin, usually for a few minutes. The client may feel a stinging or burning sensation. Depending on the peel, a neutralizing solution may be applied or the chemical might be self-neutralizing. Medium chemical peels penetrate the entire epidermis to reach within the papillary dermis. These sometimes have stronger concentration, or sometimes a lower pH. They will penetrate much deeper into the layers of the skin, and can be adjusted or maintained by applying more layers of the chemical peel. Based on the type of license you have, and depending on state, there are certain restrictions on what degree of medium or superficial chemical peel estheticians can perform.

Whether it’s TCA based peels, glycolic acid peels, Jesser peel or other variations, it is key that the esthetician is knowledgeable about the products and the client. The client must be in the correct FitzPatrick scale—2 or above, for example. There is a lot of details that we need to be aware of, such as how many layers of the peel you will be applying.

The recovery for this peeling would be 5-7 day. With most of these peels, the effect will take place on day two or day three when they start peeling, and then depending on the layers of the peel applied, it could be 5-7 days but can be up to 2 weeks. While this is much less compared to deep peels, so is a bit more tolerable, there will be a down time so we do not recommend patients do it a week before an event. We recommend they do at least a month in advance, give them a chance to heal and for the skin to recover.

During the time of peeling, which can last for about 5-7 days, the skin is highly sensitive to the sun and needs to be kept protected and moisturized. Sun exposure should be minimized.

Safety: The Non-Negotiables

Clients should never use strong chemical peels at home. The FDA has issued warnings against unsupervised chemical peel products sold online and in beauty stores due to the risk of chemical burns and permanent injury. The FDA further states that consumers should only consider using chemical peel products under the supervision of a dermatologist or licensed and trained practitioner.

“Using products that contain high concentrations of these acids may lead to serious injury from chemical burns. The concentration, number of applications, and length of time a chemical peel product is left on the skin all influence how deeply it can penetrate skin layers and potentially lead to chemical burns. These products remove layers of skin to varying depths and may cause severe chemical burns, pain, swelling, infection, skin color changes, and disfiguring scars. These injuries may even require emergency care or specialty care from a dermatologist or surgeon.” Dr. Fazylova further states that the companies who produce the chemical peels need to be FDA registered, with certification, and produced in a GMP certified facility. “You need to know your product and ask the companies that you work with to provide you with an FDA certificate showing you that that product is legally allowed to be used in the US to begin with,” says Dr. Fazylova.

And other things to consider when you are reading the labels besides all the certification: the product must have the right ingredients and be qualified to be used on the particular client.
According to Sarfati, four things must be considered when apprising a product for use at home: frequency, ingredients, concentration of acids and pH.

• The client or consumer should not use chemical peels all the time. Each product
  has a parameter for amount of usage and needs to follow a protocol to allow the
  skin to rejuvenate.
• Maximum percentage for Salicylic Acid cannot exceed 2%, which a pH of 7.
  Alpha Hydroxy Acids should not exceed more than 8%, but some countries do
  not allow more than 5-6%. pH cannot be lower than 3.5.“Always be the smart consumer and provider in your field,” says Sarfati. The first question you must ask your professional skin care provider is if they are FDA compliant to not only your state, but your country. For example, because Repechage is sold in over 55 countries, the company must comply with FDA regulations in each of these countries. According to Sarfati, “ I think what many estheticians don’t realize is that high phenol peels, while they make the skin feel like its tighter and has more collagen in it, actually wipes out all of the elastin. Also, if you perform several TCA peels on one client, you will get the same result…you’re going to wipe out the elastin after several TCA peels.”

New Look at Peels

To meet today’s consumers’ needs, modern clients want effective treatments with little downtime that fits into their busy lifestyles. Superficial or light chemical peels do not penetrate the skin on a deeper level but work on the epidermis or superficial layer of the skin. When the chemical peel is absorbed into the skin, it will cause lysis of the skin cell(the disintegration or breaking down of a
cell through the disruption of its outer membrane, leading to the release of its contents and subsequent cell death) because it changes the pH of the skin by osmosis. The superficial layer of the skin gets damaged, and the body will naturally slough it off.

Now the trend is to go with a lighter peel with more sessions but less down time. With this, you are boosting collagen production without causing damage to the top layer of the skin. This will allow you to see more results and a better progression of skin texture over a period of time. This has led to a shift away from aggressive, repetitive peels toward gentler, layered protocols that focus on long-term skin integrity.

Modern peel strategies emphasize:

Customized peels are contingent on skin analysis adapted to skin type, ethnicity and lifestyle. It is from here that customized acid combinations can be done in the salon or spa. “Constantly peeling the skin off its not the way to go to regenerate and rejuvenate the skin,” says Dr. Fazylova. “Skin still needs nourishment as well. I am a great believer of building the skin from inside out and rejuvenating it from inside out rather than always peeling the skin off. “

Natural and “Clean” Ingredient Peels

Great, non-invasive peel options include:

Biolight® Luminex Mask (pH 3.5-3.9 20% acid)
This luxurious pearlescent creamy mask is a 15-minute express treatment that
exfoliates and renews all skin types. This can be used alone, or added on to other
Repêchage® facials. An entirely new concept in professional facial treatment, it is a
hybrid peel fortified with Glycolic Acid (AHA), Multi-Fruit Complex, and Laminaria
Digitata Seaweed Filtrate. Kaolin Clay deep cleanses while sloughing off dry skin.
Biolight® Glyco-Sea® Glycolic Peel (30% acid, pH 3.5)
Here we have also a combination of multi fruit acids, that include AHA’s and glycolic fruit
acids and licorice root extract, which is brightening and lightening.

Vita Cura® Enzymatic Micropeel (papain enzyme, pH 7)
This peel is for the client with sensitive skin. Based on Papain, the proteolytic enzyme
derived from the latex of the green Papaya (Carica Papaya) fruit, this will literally digest
accumulated dead skin cells. It contains no acid, and has a pH 7, so the client have
less tingling. This is a great option for double peeling, done after dermaplaning or
Luminex.
Safety Note: One thing to keep in mind, if you are combining chemical peels with any
other procedures such as dermaplaning, when you are scraping off the top layer of
dead skin cells, or microneedling, when you are creating channels into the skin:
penetration of a chemical peel or any other product will be much deeper. The possibility

of results can be higher, but so can potential damage the skin, which can lead to longer
downtime and possibly permanent scarring of the skin.

Rapidex® Marine Exfoliator (8% acid, pH 3.5)
This 14-day exfoliation program rids skin of dead skin cells, revealing younger brighter
more even texture and skin tone while helping to diminish the appearance of fine lines.
It uses marine exfoliators as well as four types of seaweeds, multi-fruit acids, glycolic
acids, malic (apple) acid and lactic acids to gently exfoliate while nourishing the skin.
This is a great follow up program to recommend to clients to do at home in-between
services.

Granular Exfoliation Options:

Hydra Refine® Clarifying Mask

This is a deep cleansing mask that absorbs oil without drying. It also brightens and
improves skin clarity and color. Key ingredients include Rice Bran Wax, which are
biodegradable and gentle on the skin. It also uses Laminaria Saccharina, Cucumber,
Licorice Root extract, Kojic Acid, Lactic Acid, Farnesol and Kaolin, to give a gentle
exfoliation while removing surface oils and deep cleansing the pores. This is especially
good for men to prevent ingrown facial hairs, as well as women on the bikini line.

Honey and Almond Scrub

This classic scrub includes pure, food-grade Honey, Oatmeal and Almond Meal to help
purify and deep cleanse, leaving skin super clean and smooth.
Mechanical Exfoliation and Tools
Ultrasonic Skin Spatula For Micro Exfoliation and Deep Cleansing
This device utilizes ultrasonic waves at 24000 Hz per second that work to gently remove
excess dirt and debris while it stimulates and massages the surface layers of the skin. It
is deep cleansing, unclogs pores, diminishes excess oil, lessens the appearance of
problem skin, and removes dry flaky skin. It has three different modes of operation to
effortlessly address skin concerns.

LED Radio Frequency & EMS Skin Tightening Machine

This is a non-invasive alternative to costly machines. LED stands for Light Emitting
Diode, which is a tiny computer chip encased in glass. Each LED wavelength or color
of light provides a unique benefit to the skin. LED treatments can minimize the look of
fine lines and wrinkles, help reduce the appearance of dark spots and the visible
appearance of sun damage and stretch marks, and reduce the appearance of redness and irritation from aggressive skin treatments as well as help improve the appearance of oily, problem skin.

Kansa Wand

This tool is crafted from the sacred metal alloy Kansa – a blend of pure copper and tin.
It also has a wooden, hand-carved handle that makes using moderate pressure,
delicate stroking or rapid friction easy on the face, shoulders, and neck areas.
Benefits include revitalization of face, shoulder, and neck muscles, gentle lifting of facial
skin, reduction of face pain, head pain and tension, reduces acidity on the skin and
detoxification.
This tool provides non-irritating massage to help reduce redness, and calm irritation of
the skin and can be used when clients have masks on to administer a trapezius or
decollete massage.

Silver Ball Massager

This Silver Ball Massager is made of high quality 316 grade stainless steel. When used
in conjunction with the facial massage, it stays cool to the touch while providing
consistently correct pressure. This provides a non-irritating massage, reducing the
appearance of redness and helping to calm the appearance of skin irritation.
Essential Finishes

Algo Mist® Hydrating Seaweed Facial Spray

Restoring the skin’s proper pH is essential after chemical peels. Toners such as Algo
Mist help to restore skin with rich seaweed extracts that also restores hydration and
neutralizes free radicals. You can then follow with a skin-appropriate moisturizer.
Mineral Face Shield®
The client’s skin protection is compromised by chemical peels, so it is essential to apply
protection before they leave the spa or salon, and to be sure they apply skin protection
religiously at home. Mineral Face Shield® is a skin-friendly formula with zinc oxide that
provides physical protection from the environment yet is gentle even on the most
sensitive skin types.

Recommendations:

Be sure to advise your clients to go home with skin protection, as well as a proper skin care regimen to help rebuild the skin barrier, restore hydration and skin’s microbiome. For this, Dr. Fazylova recommends the new Repêchage Triple Action Lift Peptide Collection, the Biolight® Collection and Hydra 4® Red-Out Collection.

To see step by step instructions on how to perform these peels, as well as further information about important chemical peel topics, such as pigmentation issues in different Fitzpatrick types, treating Melasma and PIH, acne and acne scarring and further information on medical grade peels such as Jessner, watch the full Master Class, All About Peels.

Furthering your education on important topics such as chemical peels are key to your business, as well as your client’s safety. See all of the Master Classes to enhance your skills here.