Over the years I haven’t been so kind to my skin and the damage has started to show. If I look closely I can see large pores and wrinkles and my skin texture itself is not quite as it refined as it was. This is probably due to too much fun in the sun, air pollution (I’ve always lived in the city), a few acne breakouts from time to time, and just generally getting a bit older - I’m in my late 40s now.
Try as I might, it doesn’t seem to matter how much water I drink or how many colourful fruit and vegetables I add to my diet, the effects of the years are just not going away.
My skin looks fine (but just okay) when I have my makeup on, with my favourite primer as a base, but what if I want to go bare-faced and not layer on the makeup? This no-makeup look makes me feel self-conscious and I’ve been thinking about possible solutions for some time.
There are such a variety of beauty and medispa treatments to choose from that offer anti-ageing and skin refining properties, and a Chemical Peel was high on the list of the treatments I’d thought about to get some glow back to my skin, so I was really excited to try the Obagi Blue Radiance Peel at Nativis at their Hampton Hill salon this week.
So what actually happens during the treatment?
Firstly Natty cleansed my skin with Obagi Medical Foaming Gel cleanser to ensure
there were no traces of makeup left before she applied the peel.
After a thorough cleansing, barrier cream is applied to sensitive areas to stop irritation around the eyes/nose/mouth and then the Obagi Prep Solution is applied to the skin.
Once the preparation is complete Natty applies the Blue Radiance Chemical Peel with a gauze, this is left on the skin for a few minutes, this is dependent on your skin type. If you have problem areas, like my chin, a second application may be required. During this application, the skin feels a bit tingly and warm but I didn’t experience any discomfort at all, I was just excited to see the new skin revealed by the peel!
After the prescribed time on the skin, the peel is gently removed and Obagi Hydrate Moisturiser is applied, followed by Obagi Sun Shield SPF 50 - it’s super important to wear your SPF following a chemical peel treatment of any kind. And of course, continue with this daily as part of your skincare routine.
Downtime?
Personally I had no downtime experience, I work from home so I had the peel at lunchtime and simply cleansed and moisturised my face as normal before going to bed. The next day I woke up and felt fabulous when I looked in the mirror, I definitely had a more flawless appearance, which made me so happy! That evening I went out for dinner with friends and they all remarked about how my skin looked great, really glowy and even my teenage son said Mum your face looks lovely. I am chuffed to bits with the result and looking forward to my next treatment already.
I have fairly oily/combination skin but apparently, if you have more sensitive skin you may experience dry patches after the treatment, so apply a good quality moisturiser if that happens for you.
The one thing that’s so important is that you wear your SPF 50 every day to ensure your skin is well protected from the elements, and yes that’s important all year round!
Overall Opinion
The Obagi Blue Peel is a superficial salicylic acid-based facial chemical peel that exfoliates and helps improve overall complexion, and I can definitely support it’s claim to provide firmer, smoother, brighter-looking skin after just 1 use! The whole treatment took around 30 minutes and I was thrilled after I left the salon - the texture of my skin had changed considerably, the pores on my chin (the problem area for me) had definitely reduced in size and the appearance of my complexion was certainly quite different, it had a more flawless quality, even without my makeup.
It is recommended that you have a course of 4 - 6 treatments to see the full benefits, I can’t wait to continue my course to see the full effects.
All products are also available directly through Nativis.
The "before and after" shot. It's very plain to see the reduction in the line from my nose. Also, my self-tan has come clean away.
I can't wait until after the lockdown to continue with this treatment, it really does work!
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