I wanted to share my latest finding in the world of skincare, a Medical Peel Treatment I had at SkinLab the Medical Spa at Wheelock Place. The last two months have been full of work, stress and my new circuit training routine outdoors. What does this translate to? Battered skin. Yes even this makeup artist suffers from the occasional blemish and lots of open pores (especially living in humid Singapore).

When I arrived at SkinLab the Medical Spa, a good analysis and chat about my skin ensued – always a good sign of a good spa! My makeup was removed, face cleansed and my therapist walked me through the entire process step by step, she also warned me about how it might feel (she was very honest). I never had any form of peel before so this was a first. The truth is, my skin really was ripe for it, I had spots all over, hadn’t gone to a facial in about two months. Some friendly advice, NEVER plan a peel or a facial the day before a major event or if you know you’ll be wearing makeup, give yourself at least one week after your treatment. Going to get this facial was a planned event, I knew ahead of time I was going to take a break from makeup to let my skin breathe and recover.

After the skin is cleansed, a pre-peel solution micropoint facial massage with ampoules follows. Immediately after the glycolic peel is painted onto the skin, like a mask. It is left on for 1 minute and then cleansed off. While it is a mildly uncomfortable procedure, you will feel a prickling sensation, this goes by fast. My therapist used rose water and an iced compress to soothe irritation and itching. What is happening in a peel is literally sloughing off the surface dead skin cells. The facial lasted for about 90 minutes total, after the peel an anti-acne facial mask is applied followed by a head, neck and shoulder massage. Bliss, I feel asleep for at least 20 minutes, it was so soothing.

Now comes the truth as well – your face will be sensitive the first day and more than likely you will break out for a few days, that is exactly what happened to me. I was well aware of it though, it always happens when I get facials, it is part of the process. After 2-3 days I noticed some skin flaking as the treatment makes the dead cells slough off (I used loads of rose water toner and exfoliated too). The plus side? My skin feels brighter and smooth this was about five days after, and I love it.

Would I recommend it? YES. Would I do it again? MOST DEFINITELY. The benefits? From encouraging new cell regeneration and help improve skin tone, peels aid in reducing mild acne scars and fine lines and can help unclog pores, resulting in less breakouts.