Philosophy

I always like to include a peel product in my skincare regime, and lately, I’ve been using the Philosophy The Microdelivery Overnight Peel. I like the results of peels from the salon, with at-home kits, as they are much gentler. I’ve been trialing with different brands, and so far I like the Philosophy the most (the result is nearly on par my favorite the La Prairie Cellular 3 Minute Peel), but based on result vs. value, this is a good option.

Why Peel?

As mentioned in my previous skincare posts, once you’ve passed the age of 28, your skin metabolism rate goes down by a lot. A normal skin renewal cycle is probably 14 days, but my skin is acting sluggish and hardly does any self-renewal. Peel is for peeling the dead skin cells in a more intensive way than an exfoliator, so it reveals newer skin hence it makes your skin appear smoother and with finer pores. It is also great for fading superficial pigmentations at the top debris layer.

How to Use

The overnight kit includes a liquid peel solution as step 1, and a night gel as step 2, with a small bag of cotton pads. For the application, you saturate the pads with the solution and wipe it on your face in a circular motion then leave it for 2 minutes. Then you apply a thick layer of the night gel which is a hydrating leave-in sleeping mask. The peel solution contains alpha/beta hydroxy acid and feels quite gentle and doesn’t sting nor irritate my skin. The night gel has a jelly-like texture, and it is designed to hydrate, soothe and restore your skin from potential irritation that may occur from the peel overnight. You can also add your preferred moisturizer on top.

The Result

As with most at-home peels I have used, the only noticeable result is having the skin look more smooth, glowing and luminous the next day. Peel is used for long-term results, as it helps to renew the skin at a quicker pace. I am more than half way through this kit, and overall the texture of my skin appeared more refined, even and clarified, with less congestion and more clean pores.

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Labels: Philosophy • SKINCARE

After days of being sick my skin is dull and parched. I am in desperate need of some extra help other than a moisturizer to revive my skin . The first thing that came to my mind was the Philosophy Microdelivery Peel. This is my first at home peel kit. Prior to that I used to get a professional peel at the beauty salon (not the invasive one though..anyway that’s another story) and I loved the way my skin looked and felt after the treatment – a result that can hardly be achieved at home. Good things don’t come cheap, the peel cost me $250 per treatment so I decided to try out an At-home peel kit. There are so many brands to choose from – I opted for this one because I have had good results using Philosophy’s other home kits.

It is a 2 step peel system that claims to replenish your skin to make it more smooth and hydrating. It includes:

– a jar of vitamin C peptide resurfacing crystals as the physical exfoliation. It contains micro crystals which help to resurface, rejuvenate and revitalize the skin.

– a bottle of lactic and salicylic acid activating gel as the chemical exfoliation. It helps to infuse the skin with vitamin c and peptides, as well as minimizing the appearance of pores, lines and wrinkles.

The whole process only takes about 5 minutes. I just gently massage the crystals in for 1 minute, then apply the gel on top of the crystals to activate. It will start to foam up. Rinse it off after 3 minutes.

Tested on half of my hand

MY THOUGHTS:

What I like about it:

It is an easy and very gentle peel that can be used at home. There wasn’t any sting sensation. I have even left it on for 10 minutes (just to see what will happen haha..:-P) and it didn’t cause any bad reaction to the skin.

It made my skin incredibly soft and smooth.

It improves the overall clarity of the skin, my complexion is brightened up with a nice glow.

My t-zone is less decongested and it certainly reduces the appearance of my pores. I think if I use it regularly there will certainly be an improvement in the reduction of black heads in the long run.

I didn’t notice that my skin was more hydrated after use but I felt the skincare products I used later on absorbed into my skin better.

What I don’t like about it:

It didn’t get rid off the flakes around the edge of my nose.

The overall result doesn’t really wow me. Having said that I do have a VERY high standard because as I said earlier I am used to the professional result of a salon peel.

The result is hard to capture by the camera. I hope you can see the area where I applied it that has a more even skintone and brightness. In reality the result is more noticeable.

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Labels: Philosophy • SKINCARE