This peel is at the other end of the SkinCeuticals professional treatment portfolio spectrum: deeper penetrating peel, which combines brightening and anti-inflammatory agents with a peeling solution to target hyperpigmentation, improve photodamaged skin and treat melasma and acne.

For concerns around pigmentation, the simple ‘stretch test’ can be used as an initial indicator of pigmentation depth – using the fingers to stretch a small area of skin. If the pigmentation goes lighter, the pigment is located at the epidermal skin layer, or if there is no change, the pigmentation is located more deeply in the dermal skin layer. This helps determine what level of peel is required to treat effectively.

Pigment Balancing Peel contains 40% Glycolic Acid, 10% Citric Acid, 27% Vitamin C and 4% Emblica and with a pH of 1.6 will penetrate the skin more deeply. Again, Emmalee recommends booking a series of six treatments, spaced 10-14 days apart for maximal results.

Emmalee will first prepare the skin (cleansing, degreasing and protecting sensitive areas) before applying the Pigment Balancing Peel for 2-4 minutes or until erythema (redness) becomes visible, at which point the peel is neutralised with sodium bicarbonate solution (SkinCeuticals Peel Neutralizer).

Post peel, an antioxidant treatment (such as C E Ferulic) followed by a lipid barrier repair cream to replace lost ceramides and cholesterol (such as Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2) are recommended for regular use. Once again, a high quality, broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen is essential to protect the skin and Emmalee recommends leaving it a few days until full skin recovery before resuming the use of active exfoliant skincare (e.g. containing salicylic acid, glycolic acid or retinoids etc.).