Chemical peels are some of the most desired skin resurfacing and rejuvenating treatments. But this procedure often leaves the skin stressed, irritated, red or dry. So it is important to know a proper chemical peel aftercare that includes applying healing and moisturizing agents, avoiding sun exposure and wearing broad spectrum sunscreen. In this post we’ll take a look at the best moisturizer after chemical peel for different skin types, and review some of the most effective soothing, healing and hydrating ingredients.
At a glance:
- Best affordable cream: Andalou Naturals Peptide Perfecting Cream
- Overall best: REN Evercalm Overnight Recovery Balm
- Best luxury moisturizer: SkinMedica TNS Ceramide Treatment Cream
Best Moisturizer After Chemical Peel
Skin repair moisturizers help heal skin faster after exfoliating procedures like chemical peels, microdermabrasion and scrubs. Overall, it is recommended to moisturize skin more often after any type of exfoliation. Whether it’s a done at home with , or , or in-office – your will need a boost of hydration. Also, a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ moisturizer is a must during the day to protect your skin.
Check out our review of 10 best moisturizers that deliver instant relief to irritated skin, sooth and calm redness, repair skin barrier, and help with the overall recovery after chemical peels.
REN Evercalm Overnight Recovery Balm
This oil-based, rich and nourishing night moisturizer helps speed up skin’s natural regeneration and recovery process. It’s made with calming beta-glucans and activated oil complex that includes borage, olive, jojoba, sunflower, almond, linseed oils. Also, the melting texture of this recovery balm adopts to the temperature and absorbs deeper and easier into the skin.
Overall, this is a great cream to use after chemical peel as it calms irritated and red skin, soothes inflammation, repairs skin barrier, and relieves skin tightness and dryness. Not only it is formulated for all skin types, but also it can be used on face, lips and body parts if needed.
Best moisturizer after chemical peel for sensitive and irritated skin.
Biossance Squalane Omega Repair Cream
Rich, vegan, all natural, fragrance free, essential oils free, and EWG verified face moisturizer. It is packed with plant based nourishing ingredients that deeply moisturize, restore skin’s natural moisture barrier, visibly plump and hydrate.
For example, some of the main active components include squalane derived from sugarcane, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, shea butter, omega fatty acids, and plant sterols. Even though this moisturizer is heavy, it has non-greasy texture and absorbs quickly.
Best moisturizer after chemical peel for all skin types.
Andalou Naturals Age Defying Goji Peptide Perfecting Cream
This age defying and hypoallergenic moisturizer is a great budget option to use after resurfacing procedure like chemical peel. Made with all natural and organic ingredients, it’s infused with fruit stem cell and Bioactive berry complex that support cell turnover, renew skin, and increase collagen and elastin production. Moreover, this cream also contains glycopeptides, resveratrol, CoQ10, vitamin C, nourishing oil blend and other powerful antioxidants that improve skin texture and tone, and support skin’s vitality and youthfulness.
Best moisturizer after chemical peel for dry, dehydrated and aging skin.
SkinMedica TNS Ceramide Treatment Cream
This advanced face moisturizer has powerful healing properties and works great for post-procedure skin. For example, it helps restore skin barrier, sooth and heal damaged and distressed skin, supports natural rejuvenation, provides hydration, and stimulates collagen production. And the ingredient list includes potent agents like multi-peptides, ceramides, TNS growth factor, beta-glucan, squalane, oil blend, oat extract, hyaluronic acid, vitamin A.
Best moisturizer for post-procedure and dry skin.
Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid Peptide Cream
Deeply hydrating moisturizer formulated specifically for restoring and strengthening skin barrier, as well as minimizing skin redness and sensitivity. It has an interesting list of concentrated ingredients including patented 3% triple lipid complex, 3% nutri-peptide blend, hyaluronic acid, lily root extract, rice bran, shea butter, oil blend, and others. All in all, this nourishing face cream does a great job in repairing damaged and flaky skin leaving it well hydrated, soft and radiant.
Best moisturizer after chemical peel for normal, dry, dehydrated and sensitive skin.
EltaMD Skin AM Therapy Facial Moisturizer
This lightweight day cream is perfect option for those with combo, acne-prone and oily skin. Not only it’s oil free and non-comedogenic, but also it’s fragrance free and safe for sensitive skin. Some of the active ingredients include niacinamide (vitamin B3), hyaluronic acid, willow bark, vitamin C, caffeine, and other antioxidants.
This moisturizer will work well after chemical peel as it stimulates cell turn over, reduces redness, restores suppleness, hydrates, brightens, and improves skin tone and texture.
Best moisturizer after chemical peel for normal, combination and acne-prone skin.
Eminence Organics Calm Skin Chamomile Moisturizer
Formulated specifically for irritated, dry and sensitive skin, this organic moisturizer is packed with soothing, healing and hydrating ingredients. In addition to skin calming plants like chamomile, calendula and arnica flower, it also includes rejuvenating oils, shea butter, pro-vitamin B5, vitamin C, antioxidants, and other hydrating and brightening components. Overall, it’s an excellent organic option to use after chemical peels to sooth irritated skin, reduce swelling, address uneven skin tone, hydrate and repair damaged skin.
Best moisturizer for sensitive, irritated, normal and dry skin.
Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream
Known for its high quality and nutrient dense formulations, Tatcha offers Japanese inspired luxurious anti aging skincare. The Dewy Skin cream is packed with antioxidants and anti aging complex including Japanese purple rice, hyaluronic acid, red algae, fermented green tea, squalane, nourishing oils, gold and botanical extracts.
Overall, it is a heavy moisturizer with rich texture, but non-greasy feel. In addition to being ultra hydrating and plumping, it also helps restore skin, improve skin texture, tone and radiance, and reveal healthy glow.
Best moisturizer after chemical peel for dry, normal and combination skin.
Mad Hippie Face Cream
If you are looking for a high quality all-natural product on the budget – this is it. This affordable vegan moisturizer includes 12 active ingredients and antioxidants like advanced peptides, CoQ10, niacinamide, resveratrol, vitamin E, aloe, white and green tea, argan oil, and others. In addition to powerful anti aging properties, it also rejuvenates, soothes and protects skin. Even though it is designed for all skin types, it might be too heavy for oily or combination skin.
Budget friendly best moisturizer after chemical peel for all skin types.
Weleda Renewing Night Cream
This rich and nourishing moisturizer restores, softens and deeply hydrates your skin while you are sleeping. It is made with natural ingredients that promote skin renewal like wild rose seed and sweet almond oils, peach and olive fruit oils, beeswax as well as other botanicals. Also, this bedtime cream is NATRUE certified.
Affordable best moisturizer after chemical peel for normal, dry and thirsty skin.
Related: Best chemical peel for hyperpigmentation
Chemical Peel After Care
In general, exfoliating or resurfacing with or is considered safe. This type of exfoliation works better for people with fair and light skin, and is not an option for those with sensitive or dark skin type. That being said, superficial peels with lower concentration of acids have fewer side effects, while medium peels and deep chemical peels cause more skin injury and require longer recovery.
Even though chemical peels are considered safe, most people experience temporary side effects such as redness, tingling or burning sensation, skin peeling or frosting, and sensitivity to the sun.
In addition, depending on the intensity of the peel, post-treatment care might be required. For example, some of the after-peel care might include cold compress to lessen pain or burning sensation, applying generous amount of heavy moisturizer, avoiding makeup for few days, and applying a broad spectrum sunscreen. Also, avoid excess sweating like working out or swimming for 1-2 days after, and avoid using other exfoliating products for 5-7 days.
- Cold compress
- Heavy moisturizer
- Avoid make-up
- Use gentle cleanser
- Apply sunscreen
Drink plenty of water
How To Heal Skin Faster?
Since treated skin can temporarily get red, irritated and dry after the chemical peel procedure, it needs some extra care. In fact, you can speed up skin healing and overall recovery time by applying skin care products like hydrating face serum, soothing sheet mask or heavy moisturizer. For example, look for ingredients with soothing and regenerating properties as well as water-attracting agents (humectants).
Skin soothing and healing agents: stem cells, ceramides, peptides, growth factor, hyaluronic acid, CoQ10, beta-glucan, oat extract, vitamin C, vitamin E, ferulic acid, squalane, green tea extract, niacinamide (vitamin B3), aloe vera, calendula, and chamomile.
Most effective and safe humectants include: hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, glycerin, panthenol (provitamin B5), gelatin, rice proteins, sorbitol and honey.
Barrier-repairing oils: evening primrose, borage, sea buckthorn, argan, grape seed, jojoba, rose hip, oilve oil and shea butter.
Why Should You Get A ?
also known chemo exfoliation is a non-invasive cosmetic procedure that helps to resurface and rejuvenate the . It is done by applying a chemical solution containing acids (AHA’s and BHA’s), which remove and the outer layer of the .
Overall, remains one of the most desired cosmetic procedures since it treats variety of concerns. For example, it can address , , , , , , , and improve overall .
All in all, this rejuvenating procedure can be done professionally in-office, or at home using gentle over-the-counter chemical peels with lower acid concentration. In fact, there are three types of chemical peels based on the depth of penetration. The light peel, also known as superficial or lunchtime peel, can be done at home or in-office, and require little to no recovery time. On the other hand, medium peel and deep peel penetrate much deeper into the and can only be administered by professionals.
Read more about chemical peels.
Sources:
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“Chemical peel and microdermabrasion for skin of color.” Skin Experts, Vol.2, No. 2
“Chemical peels: overview.” American Academy of Dermatology
Loesch MM, Somani AK, Kingsley MM, Travers JB, Spandau DF. “Skin resurfacing procedures: new and emerging options.” Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, Aug. 2014, Vol. 7
O’Connor A, Lowe P.M, Shumack S, Lim A.C. “Chemical peels: a review of current practice.” Australasian Journal of Dermatology, Aug. 2018, Vol. 59, Issue 3
Rendon, M. I., Berson, D. S., Cohen, J. L., Roberts, W. E., Starker, I., Wang, B. “Evidence and considerations in the application of chemical peels in skin disorders and aesthetic resurfacing.” The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, Jul. 2010, Vol. 3, Issue 7
Soleymani T, Lanoue J, Rahman Z. “A practical approach to chemical peels: a review of fundamentals and step-by-step algorithmic protocol for treatment.” Journal of Clinical And Aesthetic Dermatology, Aug. 2018, Vol. 11, Issue 8
Tran D, Townley J, Barnes T, Greive K. “An antiaging skincare system containing alpha hydroxy acids and vitamins improves the biomechanical parameters of facial skin.” Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2015, Issue 8
