Why every woman in their thirties needs a chemical peel

Your skin changes when you reach your thirties, but it's not all downhill! A chemical peel can really help with 30-something skin issues.

Aisling is our Beauty Editor and a woman in her thirties. As she realised her skin was changing - as it does for everyone - she knew she needed some skincare help from the pros. Last week, at her initial consultation, she learned about the skincare ingredients women in their thirties should use. For Aisling, the next step in her most recent skincare journey was a skin peel.

Read Aisling's 'Clear Skin' skin journey here.

After learning about the ingredients I need in my skincare routine, my therapist at River Medical,  Valerie decided that I the Glow Peel was the best one for my skin type.

The Glow Peel removes dead skin cells and any roughness on the skin and helps the skin to rejuvenate itself. It also encourages products to work on a deeper level and penetrate the skin.

The first step is a simple cleanse to the skin which is done twice. Once your skin is clean and clear, a combination of acids is applied: lactic acid, salicylic acid and resorcinol. This basically creates a multipurpose resurfacing solution effect in minimizing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation, discolouration or uneven skin tone.

River Medical uses Alumier MD products which are specially used for specific skin concerns. The best thing about Alumier peels is that they are not a one fits all service. There are different levels of potency that suits different skin types. So, if you are very sensitive or have finer skin, the peel used is customized to be lower in strength to suit your skin type.

The whole process lasts about 45 minutes and the peel feels slightly tingly when it is applied. It's just the same as having a facial but it's doing a lot more for your skin.

There is a common misconception that if you have a chemical peel you will be left luminous red for a month like Samantha from Sex in the City, and unable to leave your house. That is not what a modern-day peel will do to you. If anything, my skin was slightly pink for about 20 minutes after and then went back to normal. There was absolutely no pain or discomfort at all.

The main thing to take note of is that you have got to wear an SPF after having a peel as your skin will be more sensitive to UVA and UVB light and also to discolouration (but you should be wearing an SPF every day regardless).

After the peel, Valerie sat down and went through my new skincare routine. Tune in next time to find out all about it.

Ideally, to see the best results possible, a course of three treatments will give you the best results and lucky for you the price will reduce when you buy in bulk at River Medical. 

At River Medical, it is €160 per treatment but if you book a course the price will be reduced.