Photo Credit Jarek Zok

For the northern hemisphere, the season has definitely entered the true winter months. Apart from guarding your skin against the cold, dry air, this is also the ideal time for a number of Alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) peels. Behind this complex (and somewhat intimidating) name lies a very natural and ordinary thing – fruits. Alpha hydroxy acids come from the sugars that are an integral component of many fruits, including sugar canes or tomato juice (scientifically speaking, tomatoes are also fruit), but can also be found in things like sour milk. Because of their accessibility, DIY AHA chemical peels are very common and can be made in a very quick and easy manner.

When it comes to chemical peels, an AHA peel is one of the mildest treatments out there. But, it still serves the same purpose as any other peel, and that is to clear a layer of the skin and with it speed up the process called epithelialization (the regrowth of the Epithelium, or the outer skin layer).

It was proven to be useful for a number of reasons, but people mostly use it as a treatment for newly formed and finer wrinkles, dry skin patches or pigmentation that resulted in dark, uneven spots. They are also very useful as a treatment that lessens the impact of a recent acne outbreak, but only once the acne was treated. Then, the AHA peel can allow the scaring to dissipate with the onset of the regenerated and smoother skin layer.

The reason why winter is the ideal part of the year for an AHA chemical peel is the fact that in the summer months, the treatment can leave the skin vulnerable to UV radiation coming from the sun. This effect comes from the fact that removing the outer layer also decreases the ability of the skin to fight the sun rays. This is why summer peels often end with sunburns. But, in the winter, when any sun exposure is significantly lower, this risk is negated.

So, if you happen to be in a part of the world which sees a lot of clouds and a lot less sun rays during the winter months, use the chance and regenerate your skin with a simple AHA chemical peel.