At-Home Beauty Secret for Radiant Skin

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Welcome to the ultimate beauty secrets deep dive! Every time I reveal my age (45), people want to know what I include in my skincare routine. Luckily, at The Good Simple Life, there’s no gatekeeping. Here is the tea on how I rejuvenate my skin in the comfort of home with Perfect Image, specialists in chemical peels.

Do you ever feel like your skin is holding you back from being your most confident self? I totally get it. For most of my teenage and adult life, I struggled with severe acne. When I turned 45 and took a stroll down memory lane, going through old photo albums with my family, I was shocked to there was only one photo of me at 16. My acne scars made me want to hide from the world. 16-year-old me would have never imagined that one day I would find the freedom to leave the house without any makeup, let alone show up online bare-faced.

Enter Perfect Image, a brand specializing in at-home chemical peels. Thanks to their amazing products, I now enjoy the freedom to present my face to the world without a mask of makeup. It’s a wonderful feeling that I want everyone struggling with acne blemishes or hyperpigmentation to experience.

In one of my 45-plus beauty secrets social media posts, I featured the Perfect Image peels I use in rotation to combat skin congestion and post-acne hyperpigmentation. After tagging Perfect Image in the post, they reached out to collaborate on content creation. While this is a sponsored post, I want to make it clear that I’ve been a loyal customer for many years. Thanks to consistent use of their peels, I now enjoy clearer and smoother skin.

Perfect Image Skincare – Medical-Grade At-Home Chemical Peels

Perfect Image gifted me their Tone Bundle, which includes:

  • Lactic 30% Gel Peel
  • Hydro-Glo™ Skin Brightening Cleanser
  • Hydra-repair™ Wrinkle Cream

Hands down, my favourite product is the Hydro-Glo™ Skin Brightening Cleanser. This powerful and effective combination of lactic, mandelic, and kojic acids, along with arbutin, a skin brightening agent, is suitable for all skin types to address dull skin, uneven texture, enlarged pores and hyperpigmentation. It’s not recommended for daily use because it’s so potent and effective, making it better suited as a pre-peel primer that lightly exfoliates the skin.

I was also gifted the TCA 15% Skin Peel, part of their Age line. TCA, or trichloroacetic acid, breaks down the keratin (a protein) in the skin, causing the top layers of the epidermis to separate and peel off. A 15% concentration is in the lower range and is effective on hyperpigmentation, the main issue I face in the acne healing phase.

Some tips to safely perform a chemical peel at home…

For well over a decade, I’ve been doing my own regular, affordable, at-home chemical peels. It’s crucial to follow the instructions that come with the products. Read them carefully and follow them strictly. I’ve never had any negative experiences because I stick to the instructions, use a timer to monitor the duration of the peel, and stick to low concentration acids. You may react differently than I did, which is why the patch test is a must-do. If you feel any apprehension or have highly sensitive skin, the at-home, DIY approach may not be for you.

The winter months are perfect for chemical peels because there’s less sunlight, especially here in the UK. Regular chemical peels will make your skin more susceptible to sun damage. Avoiding direct sun post-peel is crucial, as well as using SPF 30 or higher broad-spectrum sunscreen.

In the days leading up to the peel, I use the Hydro-Glo™ Skin Brightening Cleanser to prime the skin. 48 hours before the peel, I avoid any products containing alpha hydroxy or beta hydroxy acids.

My video review and peel demo on TikTok and Instagram are linked below:

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNdN5dH7t

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHo9ZjuoEn5/?igsh=MTlkOWJkYXVwaGpwNA==

It takes about 10 days for the mild skin flaking I experience to stop. I do not experience a dramatic peel. This might seem like a long time, but it tends to happen in different sections across the face over that period. Once it’s all done, the resulting glow and smoothness are amazing.

A cost-effective solution for dull, congested skin…

On average, I get about 20 peels per bottle, which works out to about £1.25 per peel. At a licensed clinic, the cost per peel is well over £100, attributed to the service of a licensed aesthetician. My recommendation for Perfect Image as an affordable option to access medical-grade at-home chemical peels comes with the caveat: you must follow the instructions provided with the products.

Thank you to the Perfect Image team for the opportunity to collaborate.

Disclaimer: I have personally tested the gifted products in this review in addition to having been a Perfect Image customer for many years. The opinions communicated in this blog post are based on my own experience of consistent product use. Each skin type may react differently, so please perform a patch test and seek professional advice. This blog post is intended for informational purposes only.

Self-care and pampering at Skinsmiths

Cotton tote from Skinsmiths

I’m currently between contracts and have a week off to rest and regroup before starting a new job. For someone who doesn’t shy away from hard work and firmly believes in making the most of the time you have, this is a challenge. There was little to no planning for this free time but I know that I need rest. I sustained a severe eye injury last November and rest is important for these final stages of healing. My dear Aunt back in Dominica advised me to pamper myself. Pampering? Ok. Yeah. I could do a little bit of that. Self-love and self-care. Inspired by Aubrey Daquinag, @theloveassembly on Instagram, I booked myself a facial at Skinsmiths in Belgravia.

Skinsmiths starter kit: SPF 30 Sunscreen, Gel Cleanser and Dual Cleansing Brush. Unfortunately, they were out of the regular size cleanser so this is the travel size.
https://www.skinsmiths.com

The Skinsmiths story starts over 20 years ago with co-founder Jackie Smith setting on a mission to help people achieve skin confidence with regular, membership-based skin clinic visits. Fortune would have it that Skinsmiths are celebrating their first birthday in London this month and the Signature Detox Facial was on offer for £30 (regular price £68). Membership makes consistent treatment more affordable and visible results something you can achieve in months.

SPF30 Sunscreen: delightfully light, scent-free and easily absorbed into the skin.

The interior of the clinic is gorgeous; peachy pink tones, with pine, gold, white and grey accents immediately relax and soften your mood upon entry. The lovely and friendly Michelle greets me, takes my medical history and runs an in depth consultation where I share my skin concerns and learn which memberships would work the best for my needs. Once all the formalities are complete, my facialist, Courtney, escorts me to the treatment room. Let the pampering begin.

The Cleansing Gel does a good job of removing makeup.
https://www.skinsmiths.com/skincare/gel-cleanser

First off, remove the war paint. Yes, I love my makeup and Courtney needs to do a double cleanse. Why doesn’t it feel this good when I wash my face? I must be doing it all wrong! Courtney’s hands sweep
across my face with well-trained effortless fluidity. I won’t be a PYT forever so I should adopt this more gentle approach to face washing.

Dual Cleansing Brush… the surprise favourite! https://www.skinsmiths.com/skincare/dual-cleansing-brush

Makeup removed and the microdermabrasion begins. Courtney uses an aqua-dermabrasion system with combines a diamond tip exfoliating head, a jet of serum and suction. It feels cool and comfortable on the skin, much nicer that the old school jet of crystal powder and suction I’m accustomed to. Courtney answers all my questions and has just the right balance of knowledge and suggestion in her responses.

Close-up of the lovely brush handle: made for you… thanks!

Next comes the most interesting part of the facial: thermal laser. This is intended to stimulate collagen and elastin in the dermis, the deeper layer of our skin. Goggles are required to protect my eyes and my big, ole hair is doing battle with the goggles strap. I can honestly say I’ve never experienced a sensation like this. Yes, it’s warm as the name suggests, but it also feels like micro bolts of lightning striking into your skin. Not angry, Thor type lightning, mind you, but a mild, neighbourly zippy zap.

Densely packed fine bristles for deeper cleaning. Feels fantastic.

The treatment ends with serum and a slathering of SPF 30 cream. I look in the mirror and I’m relieved there is no redness. Fresh, dewy skin and a smile. I’m offered and excellent treatment program to battle the skin concerns which hinder full skin confidence. My goal is to be makeup free. Something tells me Skinsmiths will be able to deliver. I will keep you posted, but in the meantime, check them out!

Exfoliating side: fairly flexible rubbery surface. Surprised by how soft skin feels after using this. Good massage too.