Supercharge Your Brightening Regimen with a Peel

There’s no quick fix for fading dark spots or excess pigmentation, but a peel will definitely give your results a rapid-fire boost. A medium-depth peel will bring the most dramatic effects, but it comes with some recovery time. For instant gratification, with just a bit less drama, we like acid peels. You can get one this afternoon at your aesthetician’s office and be back to business tomorrow.

How Do Acid Peels Work?

Alpha hydroxy acids work in the top layers of skin to dissolve the cellular glue binding dead skin cells. They create exfoliation, which breaks up pigmented cells, sloughs off the epidermal layer, and encourages fresh new cells to rise to the surface. In higher concentrations, they create a peeling rather than a flaking effect to accelerate results.

The intensity of the peel is determined by the concentration of the acid. The higher the concentration, the more intense the peeling will be. But too high a concentration can cause irritation. Vivant uses percentages designed to bring transformative results with minimal disruption.

Which Acid is Right for You?

Glycolic acid (GA), found in sugarcane, is a naturally occurring alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) that spurs cell turnover, disperses basal layer melanin, and increases dermal collagen synthesis. As the smallest (molecularly) of the AHAs, this high performance acid is the most deeply and rapidly penetrating, so its effects are quick and transformative. GA also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Getting a megadose of this A-list acid brings smoother, clearer, brighter skin to the surface rapidly. Glycolic acid is a good choice for lighter skin tones not prone to reactive inflammation.

The peel can be repeated once every 15 days for 4–6 months until your desired result is achieved. With regular use, the GA peel improves skin texture and tone, fades irregular pigmentation, eliminates blotchiness, and brightens dull skin. It will also reduce the appearance of shallow acne scars, normalize oil production, minimize the appearance of pores, reduce the appearance of fine lines, and produce a radiant glow.

Before getting a glycolic acid peel, you’ll need to be pre-conditioning your skin with an at-home regimen that includes a brightening cleanser, glycolic acid toner, Vitamin A corrective serum, and daily SPF. Need help customizing your brightening regimen? Unlock your personalized system here.

Mandelic acid offers a more gentle approach for dark or sensitive skin prone to hyperpigmentation while still being aggressive enough to speed your progress toward even tone.

Because mandelic acid has a larger molecular structure than glycolic acid, it penetrates skin more slowly, and therefore, with less irritation. It won’t trigger an inflammatory response that can stimulate melanocytes, but it will rapidly lift dead cells and reach into the deeper layers of the dermis to work its magic.

For treating discoloration, mandelic acid has a bonus. Unlike other acids, mandelic is a melanin inhibitor, so it targets excess pigment both above and below the surface of the skin to help prevent future pigmentation. Melasma, hyperpigmentation, age spots, and acne scarring all improve when treated with mandelic acid.

Along with its micro-exfoliating properties, mandelic acid is antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory making it a potent acne fighter.

Mandelic acid has excellent benefits for aging skin as well. It accelerates cell renewal making skin appear lighter, brighter, firmer, and smoother. At the same time, mandelic acid promotes collagen production to increase skin’s elasticity and youthful appearance.

Before getting a mandelic acid peel, you’ll need to be pre-conditioning your skin with an at-home regimen that includes a mandelic acid cleanser, toner, and corrective serum, plus daily SPF. Need help customizing your brightening regimen? Unlock your personalized system here.

Both glycolic and mandelic peels give a boost to any even-tone regimen bringing brighter tone and fading dark spots, acne scars, and discoloration. Improvements in texture and radiance are bonuses.

Choose your supercharger for a luminous, healthy complexion. Vivant’s 20% Glycolic Acid Peel and a 30% Mandelic Acid Peel are available through select aestheticians and med spas. Find a skin care professional near you.