Regular readers of my blog will know that, as a skincare lover, I am a particularly big fan of exfoliating products and at-home skin peels. I have mentioned a number of different skin peels on my blog in the past so I thought it might be helpful to talk about the difference between my favourite ones and why I like them for different reasons. Whilst they are all ‘peels’, they are very different products in my opinion.
PIXI Peel & Polish – £26
Pixi’s Peel and Polish was one of the first ‘at-home’ peels that I tried. It is marketed as a ‘Radiance Enzyme Peel’ as it contains natural fruit enzymes that exfoliate and polish the skin.
The product itself has very fine exfoliating particles in it, which usually I don’t like as they can be too abrasive on my skin, but these pretty much dissolve as you massage it in. To me it smells very much like cucumber. The packaging is a pretty pastel peach colour and it comes in a convenient plastic tube that you can easily squeeze the product out of.
Whilst the peel feels quite abrasive on the skin it is gentle enough to use up to three times per week. I like to apply it to my face and let it sit for a minute or two before really massaging it in for about 30 seconds. I then just rinse it off with warm water and a facecloth.
After using this peel my face feels incredibly clean and smooth. It really feels like the dead skin has been lifted off and my skin feels healthier and looks brighter.
I think this is a really great at home peel. It is quick and easy to use and it delivers immediate results. I do, however, think that it is a little overpriced compared to Pixi’s other products as well as compared to some of the other peels in this blog post.
| Pixi Peel and Polish | |
| Product (texture / scent / application) | 8/10 |
| Packaging | 10/10 |
| Result on skin | 8/10 |
| Price | 7/10 |
| Total | 33/40 |
You can read my earlier review of this product here!
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask
The Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask was one that was massively hyped when it first came out (in fact there is still major hype over it). It is quite unlike any other product I have ever tried.
Whilst it is an exfoliating product that contains alpha-hydroxy acids, the product itself doesn’t have an abrasive texture, and it doesn’t contain any exfoliating beads or anything like that. It has a smooth gel consistency and feels very cool and refreshing when it is applied to my face thanks to the addition of the hydrating ingredients; watermelon and hyaluronic acid.
The product comes in a very luxurious feeling glass pot with a pretty pink lid. It even comes with its own spatula for scooping the product out. Whilst the packaging looks very pretty it really isn’t that convenient to use. The texture of the product is quite slimy and gooey which makes it difficult to scoop out of the jar.
You can either use this mask as a wash off mask, or you can apply it as the last step of your skincare routine and wear it overnight, which is how I like to use this mask. Not only is it quicker and easier than applying it and washing it off but I don’t understand why anyone would wash of all of those nice ingredients, especially given that this mask costs an eye watering £40!!!
Whilst the product seems like an extortionate price, a little really goes a long way so it will last for a very long time. I usually apply 2 scoops (bearing in mind the spatula that comes with it is absolutely tiny) to my face before bed. It smells just like watermelon and makes my skin feel powdery and silky once it has dried in. You would never guess from the texture and scent of this product that it could exfoliate your skin overnight, but thats exactly what it does!!
In the morning my skin feels silky smooth and I can see where there are little bits of peeling skin. This really is such an unusual product and unlike anything I have ever tired. I love how gentle it feels on my skin whilst delivering highly effective results. It clarifies and boosts my skin whilst I sleep and I have the result of exfoliated skin without having to scrub at my face.
I really do love this product but I hate the price of it. I think because there isn’t anything else quite like it then perhaps the price is justified a little more, but at the end of the day there are other products that will exfoliate your skin at a fraction of the price if the end result is the only bit you care about (i.e. if you are willing to use a scrub with exfoliating beads or if you are happy to apply a product that you need to wash off etc).
| Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask | |
| Product (texture / scent / application) | 9/10 |
| Packaging | 9/10 |
| Result on skin | 9/10 |
| Price | 5/10 |
| Total | 32/40 |
You can read my earlier blog post about this product here!
The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Revealing Liquid Peel – £18
If you are the type if person that likes instant gratification from skincare products (who doesn’t?!), then The Body Shop’s Vitamin C Glow Revealing Liquid Peel is without a doubt the peel for you! This stuff is incredible!!
The product has a smooth gel like texture and when you start to massage it into your skin all of the dead skin literally starts to roll up and peel of your face. I know it sounds disgusting but the first time I did it I was genuinely shocked! I LOVE being able to actually see and feel the product working!
This peel targets pollutants that are left sitting on the skin at the end of the day, and uses transforming gel-to-peel technology to gently peel impurities and dead skin cells off.
I usually take two pumps of the product and then massage it onto dry, cleansed skin. Once I start to rub it in I can physically feel little clumps of dead skin on my fingertips. I keep massaging it in until until I feel like it has picked up all of the dead skin that it can. You can always kind of tell when this happens as the clumps stop forming. Once I get to that point I take a warm facecloth and wipe it all off. At this stage my face literally feels soft as a babies bottom and looks healthy and bright!! It’s unbelievable.
I have a love hate relationship with the packaging of this product. I love that it has a pump, as that makes it hygienic and convenient, but I think it looks so ugly lol I hate the bright orange colour and the black lid.
This peel costs £18 and I think it is worth every penny! It gives unbelievable results without making your skin feel like you have scrubbed it with sandpaper!
| The Body Shop Vitamin C Liquid Peel | |
| Product (texture / scent / application) | 9/10 |
| Packaging | 7/10 |
| Result on skin | 9/10 |
| Price | 9/10 |
| Total | 34/40 |
The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution
Last but certainly not least is The Ordinary’s AHA +BHA Peeling Solution. I’m not going to go into too much detail on this one as it featured in one of my most recent blog posts (you can read about it here), but it more than deserves to feature in this blog post about my favourite peels.
This peel is definitely the most ‘aggressive’ feeling peel on my skin and it is also a terrifying blood red colour lol. I apply a thin layer to clean and dry skin and leave it on for a maximum of 10 minutes. The first couple of times I used this it felt very stingy on my face, but I think my skin is adapting better to it now after a number of uses.
The product has a sticky serum like texture but spreads very easily across my face. The packaging is simple, hygienic and convenient. It comes in a small glass bottle and has a little dropper as the lid.
With this peel I don’t see any physical peeling of my skin at the time of using it, but I can definitely feel it going to work. I mostly get little patches of dry and flakey skin on my face for a couple of days after using this. However, after washing this one off, my skin feels silky smooth and it improves the texture of my skin almost immediately. This peel contains ingredients that are usually only found in very high end, expensive skincare products and the best part about it is that it costs only £6.30!!! I would pay double that and more for this product as it genuinely gives incredible results!
For the price list and the ingredients list this one really cannot be beaten!
| The Ordinary AHA + BHA Peeling Solution | |
| Product (texture / scent / application) | 9/10 |
| Packaging | 9/10 |
| Result on skin | 9/10 |
| Price | 10/10 |
| Total | 37/40 |
So that’s it for my review of my four favourite skin peels. As I mentioned, I love every one of these peels for different reasons. If you are after something super affordable but effective, go for The Ordinary’s Peeling Solution. If you would prefer something more luxurious and easy to use then the Glow Recipe Sleeping Mask is a beautiful and effective product. If you want something in-between affordable and luxurious then The Body Shop Vitamin C peel and the Pixi Peel and Polish are both great options.
Like I said, all four of these peels are very different in terms of texture, scent, packaging, cost and how to use them, but the results are similar. It really depends on your personal preference and wether you want something that is easy to use, smells and looks nice or if you just want something that is cheap but gets the job done.
Even though these products can all be used 2-3 times per week I generally like to pick one and just stick with that one for a week instead of chopping and changing. I find the results are better that way and its less confusing for my skin.
It is best to use these products in the evening time but please always remember to use an SPF the following days!
If you have very sensitive skin then I wouldn’t recommend using any form of skin peel really as they will make your skin even more sensitive.
I hope that was helpful to anyone who is interested in purchasing an at home skin peel. Please let me know if you have tried any of these (or any other skin peels) or if you have any questions on the ones that I mentioned :).
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