Last week I did a [skincare 101] post on exfoliation and I thought that this would follow on brilliantly. Sarah from Renew Clinic kindly invited me to come in for a chemical peel and experience her lovely aesthetic clinic. Oh my word, I was so excited!

Renew Clinic Bryanston

Renew Clinic is tucked away in a medical centre in Bryanston, Johannesburg and is exactly what you would expect from an aesthetic clinic – clean, high tech and professional.

Renew specialises in offering “walk in, walk out”, cutting-edge aesthetic treatments and they offer a huge variety: chemical peels, IPL skin restoration and tightening treatments, laser hair removal, VelaShape cellulite treatment, DermaRoller treatments and Microdermabrasion. They also offer facials, waxing, nail care and massage.

Renew Clinic has an aesthetic doctor who consults for them and is available to do fillers and Botox – this really is your aesthetic one-stop shop!

My Experience

I had a course of chemical peels a few years ago and I saw a massive change in my skin – especially my acne scarring which was my main concern. Although I don’t have any huge concerns with my skin right now, it’s definitely dehydrated and I have my normal congestion along the jawline and so when Sarah said that this would definitely help, I wasn’t about to say no.

skin analysis

One of my favourite parts of the treatment was the skin analysis. I had a Visia analysis done for the first time. What an incredible device! A dermal depth photograph is taken of each side as well as the front of your face. You can then see exactly what is lurking beneath the surface of your skin.

I was so nervous and really expected the worst but I was really surprised! What’s even better is that when you go back, you take new photographs and can see what has improved in your skin – I’m going back in two weeks and can’t wait to see!

The Visia measures quite a few different conditions: brown spots, pores, porphyrins (bacteria on the skin), red areas, spots, texture, UV spots and wrinkles. The results are also calculated in percentages on a separate sidebar.

the chemical peel

Right, onto the main event – the chemical peel. First of all, let me quickly explain what a chemical peel is and why going for one might be a good idea for you.

What is a chemical peel?

A chemical peel is just that – it’s a specific chemical that causes a certain amount of skin to peel away for new skin to grow in its place using the body’s natural ability to regenerate.

Sounds a bit hectic, I know but this kind of treatment is brilliant for achieving visible results on the skin, especially for concerns that are quite difficult to correct, like pigmentation.

There are many other conditions besides pigmentation that chemical peels can help with: acne, scarring, ageing, and improving texture and complexion.

Renew Clinic 15% Beta chemical peel

We decided that the best option for me would be a 15% Beta chemical peel from Lamelle, the key ingredient being salicylic acid. The Beta peel is specifically for pigmentation, acne and congestion – perfect for me!

Normally you would go for a course of peels and you would slowly increase the percentage of the peel should you need to. Although there is no downtime after the peel (you may just be a bit red for the rest of the day), you may experience some peeling on day 3 for a few days – this is completely normal.

The Beta peel is also available in 20% and 30%. The 30% peel is medical grade and needs to be conducted by an aesthetic doctor.

After thoroughly cleansing and toning my skin, my therapist Agnes applied the peel. Look, it wasn’t sensation-free, it was definitely a stinging, hot, itchy feeling but nothing that made me want to jump off the bed or scratch off my face in agony. It was uncomfortable but bearable.

Agnes put a fan over my face which really helped and after about 3 minutes I could feel it start to self-neutralise. After double cleansing to make sure there was no residue left on my skin, Agnes ended off by applying a moisturiser and most importantly, an SPF.

Chemical Peel Care

A few important things to remember after you’ve had your peel are:

• Avoid direct sunlight.
• Always wear a broad-spectrum SPF.
• Do not exfoliate for 10 days after your peel.
• Do not pull the peeling skin off, just continue to moisturise.
• Apply a hydrating moisturiser twice a day or as often as you feel necessary.

My post-treatment experience

After my treatment, my skin felt amazing – clean, smooth and soft! It was quite warm for about 30min afterwards, but that subsided very quickly and I do have quite a reactive skin.

48 hours later, my skin still feels great! I haven’t experienced any peeling yet but that may still be coming.

Both Sarah and Agnes advised that I come back in two weeks for a session of microdermabrasion, before having another peel again two weeks after that.

I honestly cannot wait to go back! A massive thank you to Sarah for inviting me to experience such a great treatment at her lovely aesthetic clinic.

If you are looking for a professional staff that know what they are doing, to help you combat your skin conditions, get hold of the ladies at Renew Clinic, they are incredible! And this is coming from someone who has walked out of countless skin centres because of incompetent therapists (I really need to work on that, sigh…).

I’m going to update you next week on how my skin is looking and then again after my microdermabrasion – fingers crossed for amazing results!

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