Chemical peel aftercare, day by day

What does a light peel look like each day?

1. 1Day 0, the day of the peelExpect redness. The AAD says makeup is usually fine right away or the next day after a light peel. Put on the lotion or cream you were given, and plan an evening indoors.
2. 2Days 1 to 2Skin can feel dry. Keep applying moisturizer whenever it does. Skip scrubs, brushes and any product that stings. The AAD's rule for darker skin is simple: if it burns or stings, stop.
3. 3Days 3 to 7Once the redness fades, scaling may start and last 3 to 7 days. This is the stage that tempts people to peel the flakes. Do not. The AAD links picking and scratching to infection and scarring.
4. 4About day 7Most light peels have healed somewhere between day 1 and day 7. Skin looks smoother and more even. From here, sunscreen every single day is the main job.
5. 5Weeks 2 to 5If you are doing a series, the AAD says light peels are often repeated every 2 to 5 weeks, for 3 to 5 peels in total. Your provider sets the gap based on how your skin handled the last one.

How long does a chemical peel take to heal, by depth?

Light peels are the ones done in a facial. Medium and deep peels belong to a dermatologist and come with a stricter routine.

From the AAD's chemical peels FAQs, read October 29, 2026.

What should you not do after a chemical peel?

• Do not pick, peel or scratch. The AAD says most serious problems after a peel come from not following instructions: sun, picking, or makeup before the skin has healed.
• Do not tan. No beach afternoon, no tanning bed. Cleveland Clinic advises avoiding sun exposure while you heal.
• Do not restart strong actives on your own. Cleveland Clinic advises stopping retinoids such as tretinoin one to two weeks before a peel. Kay's usual gap before retinol or acids go back on is 48 to 72 hours, and 3 to 5 days for some skin. Ask your provider for yours.
• Do not ignore warning signs. Contact your provider if the skin burns, itches or swells, per the AAD. If you get cold sores, Cleveland Clinic notes a peel can bring one back.

Healing a peel under Florida sun

Newly peeled skin and Space Coast sun do not mix, and clouds are not the shield they seem. The EPA says broken clouds still let about 73% of UV through, and even an overcast sky lets through about 31%. The EPA's UV guide adds that sand reflects about 15% of UV and water about 10%, so a shaded spot on the beach still sends some back up at your face.

In practice, plan the peel for a week without beach days, boating or outdoor sports. Run errands early or late. Peeling before a wedding or a big event? Work back from the date with the facial before your wedding timeline. Once healed, choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher, and a wide-brimmed hat when you are outdoors for long.

If you have darker skin

Cleveland Clinic notes that light peels can be used on all skin types, but darker skin carries a greater risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, dark marks that appear after irritation. A 2023 review in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology lists that kind of darkening among the most common side effects of superficial peels in skin types III to VI, and notes it resolved over time.

Aftercare is where you lower that risk. Keep the skin calm, never pick, and use a tinted sunscreen with iron oxide, which the AAD recommends for darker skin because it also blocks visible light. If a brown patch shows up during healing, tell your provider instead of scrubbing at it.