A reader asked about peels so I thought I’d elaborate because I’ve really seen a difference in my skin since starting one. A peel isn’t as scary or as invasive as it sounds. Usually, its pad like those old fashioned Clearasil pads, that’s soaked in alpha hydroxy acid and beta hydroxy acid, your derm may have his own line or you can buy one online, at Bliss or at your drugstore. Dr. Gross’s peel is MD Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel, it’s a combination of both alpha and beta hydroxy acid that makes your skin shine by gently sloughing off dead skin, dissolving the yucky stuff in clogged pores and builds collagen so you skin looks firmer. According to Dr. Gross skincare products with several different kinds of acids (AHA and BHA) are the most effective and least irritating, because when many acids are combined, the peel contains a milder concentration of each so you get a little bit of the good stuff, without irritating you skin. Your face will look a little red after and you absolutely have to wear sunblock when you are using a peel.

I’ve also heard good things about Earthen Instapeel which is face and body peel but it’s a gel that you use in the shower. Bliss sells it. But be careful because they also sell an Earthen kit with a French blackhead extractor which is a recipe for disaster. Even the most disciplined beauty lover can’t resist letting her inner-aesthetician use that tool to pluck blackheads. I’ll admit an extractor is extremely satisfying when it works, but it’s also dangerous because it practically eggs you on to dig just a tad too deep and end up with a huge zit that then becomes a pock that heals into a life-long scar.  Beauty treatments can turn ugly so fast.

And lastly, just yesterday I was at CVS and noticed this product: Medical University Face Lift Wrinkle-Free Kit. Granted the name sounds like a total fraud and the site is very much in the infomercial genre. Think the Ginsu of beauty brands. But the products use serious ingredients: GABA (which instantly plumps) and hyluronic acid, which brings moisture to your skin, even though they don’t explain its benefit very well. According to some Walmart shopper reviews their products work—especially the University Medical Face Lift 20 Minute Wrinkle Free Eyes. It got 5 stars and women said they saw a difference right away.