So, I survived the Refine Peel! My experience over the last two days is a little different than Aimee's. I'm not sure why. But, one of my guesses is where we fall on the Fitzpatrick Scale. Aimee is more fair complected than I am. She is most likely a 2 on the Fitzpatrick Scale. Being, a combination of Italian & Portuguese on my dad's side, I'm a 3. To find out your complexion click HERE.
The image above is right before the peel process. I'm anxiously awaiting to "feel the burn".
We started with double cleansing the skin. Aimee's fingers were fast and furious as she got to work removing my make-up.
My skin has been thoroughly cleansed and prepped. The Refine Peel System has a special prepping solution. It's rather strong stuff!
Next, the peel was applied to my skin. It didn't immediately sting. But, by the time she finished the first pass I was feeling it. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being as painful as back labor without an epidural. Yes, been there and done that!). I was at about a 2 on the pain scale.
The stinging increased to a level 3. About 3 minutes in, after the first pass it went back down to a 2. I did fan myself to help ease the stinging. The second pass seemed to be slightly less intense for me. Again, after about 3 minutes the stinging decreased into an itchy sensation. This was the lesser intense part of the peel for me. However, Aimee experienced more discomfort during this stage of the process.
After two passes of the peel solution the retinol activator was applied. For me this was the most intense part of the process. I was experiencing a level of discomfort that reached about a 4. I had my fan going full speed! This only lasted for about 2-3 minutes. Aimee on the other hand, said that this was the less intense part for her.
The image above was taken right after the peel. As you can see, I have no redness. I had slightly pink blotches around my mouth, but that is it.
Today my skin feels dry and tight, like I've spent a day at the beach and got a little sun & salt on my face. The top of my nose has a few small bumps. And that is it. I still have not experienced any redness or further discomfort.
I am washing my face with Age Intervention Gentle Cleanser twice a day. Then I apply C-esta Serum and Transformation Cream morning and night. And of course, a layer of sun protection during the day. I did put on more C-esta and Transformation Cream around noon today, because my skin felt so dry.