Our skin cells renew themselves constantly – after about 28 days our skin is almost like new. With a peeling you can help this process a little and already dead skin cells remove. This stimulates the blood circulation and the gray veil disappears – the skin can shine again.
Of course you can also do a peeling yourself. It is important that the ingredients match your skin type and that the abrasive particles are not too coarse. Otherwise, small wounds can occur, which can lead to inflammation. We have the best recipes for you to do your peeling with:
Make peelings yourself – without microplastics!
- avocado is perfect for dry skin due to the high fat content.
- Healing earth is good for skin problems.
- Dairy products how Yogurt, curd cheese, milk or buttermilk are mild, donate and bind moisture in the skin. For mixing you can e.g. Use bran or chopped almonds (the classic almond peeling).
- honey is also good for the skin, it supplies it with proteins, trace elements and vitamins that support the skin cells and prevent premature skin aging.
- For the body peeling, the ingredients can be a little stronger:
- For a Salt peeling e.g. Mix olive oil with coarse-grained salt and use it to rub your feet, elbows and knees.
- Also a Sugar scrub as a shower scrub you can quickly make yourself. Simply replace the salt with sugar – done!
- Ideal to boost blood flow to the thighs and get rid of cellulite is a simple one Coffee peeling. And so you mix it yourself: 3 tablespoons of ground coffee, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (almond, olive or coconut oil). Apply in a circular motion and rinse with lukewarm water.
- Anyone fresh Citrus peeling If you want to give away, you can try this recipe: 200 g brown sugar, 40 ml coconut oil and 20 ml olive oil. The grated zest of a fresh organic lemon. Mix well and pour into a pretty glass. Use within three months.
Here are the best DIY recipes for exfoliation on the face and bodythat are easy to make – and inexpensive on top of that.
Professional peels even promise improved complexion and a rejuvenated appearance. But according to American studies, peeling leads to frequent premature skin aging. Because the old skin cells are rubbed off, our cells have to divide faster than usual. However, the division cannot be carried out as often as the cells can only divide to a limited extent. And this can lead to premature skin aging.
Here we explain what you should consider when exfoliating and how often you should do one:
1. How often should you exfoliate your face?
It is a common misconception that exfoliating daily makes the skin particularly soft. On the contrary: if you rub your skin too often, you risk removing too much of the upper horny layer. Irritation and redness as well as premature aging of the skin can result. You shouldn't exfoliate healthy, normal skin more than 1 to 2 times a week.
2. Which peeling suits which skin type?
Basically: The drier and finer the skin, the greater the distance between uses. In addition to the individual skin type, it also depends on the type of peeling.
As a rule of thumb, the skin should feel pleasantly refreshed after peeling. If this is not the case, the peeling is not suitable for the skin type. Anyone who is unsure should ask the cosmetics institute or the dermatologist what their own skin needs.
And a Shower scrub, Sugar scrub or Salt peeling should only be applied to the body and not to the more sensitive face. For optimal preparation for the body peeling, a steam bath or hammam visit is suitable in advance.
3. Can you use a normal cream after peeling?
After a facial peel, the skin needs one thing above all: moisture. Even if you use very gentle natural peelings like an almond peel. But also other creams, e.g. with anti-aging ingredients and a serum, you can apply well after treatment, as the skin is now particularly receptive and the ingredients can penetrate deeply.
4. How does a mechanical peel work?
Mechanical peels use small beads to remove debris and calluses. They either consist of natural substances such as ground apricot kernels or from synthetic granules. The latter are criticized because they are partly made from polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP), i.e. from microplastics. These microplastic beads pose a problem for the environment because they can enter rivers, lakes, seas, and groundwater through wastewater. If possible, microplastics in the peeling should therefore be largely avoided. We have already introduced you to DIY peeling recipes above.
Natural abrasive particles can sometimes be quite coarse – these Peels are well suited for the treatment of horny areas such as Elbows or knees. If you have very sensitive skin, you should better look for products with wax beads. They are nice to the skin and dissolve completely.
5. What is an enzyme peel?
Enzyme peels use the cleaning power of natural enzymes found in fruits. Protein building blocks are split or expressed more simply: dead skin cells are separated from the intact skin. A mild enzyme peeling is applied to the skin, massaged in and then washed off again. Since there are no abrasive particles, they are particularly gentle and mild on the skin.
DIY tip: Do not throw away the peel of papaya or pineapple. Rub elbows and knees with it shortly before showering – this will make these areas soft to the touch.
6. What are chemical peels?
A chemical peel contains glycolic acid or better known as alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), some of which come from fruits, which is why one speaks of a peeling with fruit acid. The fruit acids remove the top layers of the epidermis and are said to improve the surface structure. A low-dose fruit acid peeling with glycolic acid can be used at home – in cosmetic institutes, fruit acid is also used, for example, for acne, rosacea or pigmentation spots to deliberately make the skin peel.
Peels with salicylic acid, i.e. BHA (beta-hydroxy acid), are not quite as irritating as products with alpha-hydroxy acids. Because BHAs are fat-soluble and penetrate the pores, BHA peels are mainly used to treat acne and blemished skin. After a chemical peel, a neutralizer that raises the pH of the skin and neutralizes the acid is indispensable.
Since chemical peels with fruit acids make the skin more sensitive to light, UV protection is essential after a treatment.
Peels with phenol penetrate the skin a step further. Phenol peels cause a deep peeling of the skin and are an alternative to laser peels. However, phenol peeling is rarely offered in Germany.
7. Next stage "microdermabrasion"?
Many beauticians also offer "microdermabrasion" as a treatment method. The skin quasi "sandblasted" with the finest crystals and rubbed off the top layer of skin. It doesn't hurt and the skin is only slightly red afterwards. This method is now available for at home to get rid of unwanted calluses and corneas powdered aluminum beads, quartz crystals or diamond dust sand down. The skin should then look softer, rosier and finer. After treatment, the skin absorbs nourishing and healing agents much better.
Sensitive skin can even become less sensitive due to the type of peeling. The treatment should best be carried out in the dark season, since the sensitivity to light increases after each treatment. In addition, stronger sun protection should be used.
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