If I could get a professional chemical peel every day, I totally would. Okay, well not every day, but you get the idea. I just really love them—they leave my skin crazy bright, smooth, and zit-free. But because time and money aren’t something I have an overwhelming abundance of, I get my exfoliation fix by using at-home chemical face peels a few times a week.
Not only are at-home face peels speedier and significantly cheaper than pro peels (which can cost as much as $300 a session), they can be equally effective when used as a regular part of your skincare routine. At-home face peels contain the same potent ingredients used in in office peels (like AHAs, BHAs, enzymes, and retinol), but in concentrations that are safe enough for you to use in your bathroom without burning your face off. Basically, as long as you use the right formula, they're pretty fool-proof. Ahead, the 10 best face peel pads and liquids for every skin type and concern that you can use at home.
Best glycolic acid face peel: Sobel Skin Rx - 30% Glycolic Acid Peel
This liquid face peel is packed with 30 percent glycolic acid to give you the soft, spot-free baby angel skin of your dreams. It's easy to use: Just saturate a cotton pad with the peel, wipe it on clean, dry skin, let it sit for two minutes, then rinse with cool water. Be warned though, this baby is potent. Use it once a week if you have dry skin, twice a week if your skin is oily, and never (sry!) if your skin is sensitive or if you have rosacea.
Dhs169, shop now
Best face peel for sensitive skin: Dr. Dennis Gross - Alpha Beta Ultra Gentle Daily Peel for Sensitive Skin
This two-step face peel is one of my holy-grail skincare products, since it's specially designed to be tolerable for sensitive skin. It contains a cocktail of brightening and smoothing AHAs and BHAs, plus soothing chamomile and green tea extract. Swipe step one across your skin until the pad feels dry, wait two minutes, and do the same with step two.
Dhs332, shop now
Best face peel for acne: Cane + Austin - Acne Retexture Pad
Zap blackheads, whiteheads, cysts, and the annoying dark marks they leave behind with this face peel for acne-prone skin. Each pre-soaked pad uses two percent salicylic acid (the highest concentration you can get OTC) to dissolve the oil and dead skin cells that lead to clogged pores, along with five percent glycolic acid to help fade post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Dhs220, shop now
Best daily face peel: Sephora Collection - Glow Peel Pads
Exfoliate your way to glowy skin with these glycolic acid-infused peel pads. Use them once daily (twice if your skin can tolerate it) on clean, dry skin to get rid of dulling dead skin cells and smooth the look of fine lines and wrinkles over time.
Dhs90, shop now
Best natural face peel: Naturally Serious - Get Even Cold-Pressed Peel Pads
Hi, green beauty lovers. This all-natural face peel is for you. Each peel pad is soaked with pomegranate enzymes to dissolve dead skin cells, antimicrobial probiotics, hydrating sodium PCA. Use them in the morning and/or at night after washing your face or to quickly remove sweat and oil after a workout.
Dhs125, shop now
Best brightening face peel: First Aid Beauty - Facial Radiance Pads
These brightening face peel pads work wonders on stubborn hyperpigmentation, like melasma, dark spots, and acne marks. Not only are they pretty non-irritating, but they also use licorice root extract to balance melanin production and exfoliating AHAs to get rid of damaged dead skin cells. For the best results, use them once a day before moisturizer and/or SPF.
Dhs198, shop now
Best overnight face peel: Philosophy The Microdelivery Dream Peel 6% AHA/BHA Refining Gel
This face peel works its magic while you sleep to give you smoother, fresher looking skin come morning. Apply a thin layer of the gel before bed, let it set for 15 minutes, and then go to sleep. The combo of glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acids are clutch for shrinking pores and smoothing fine lines.
Dhs220, shop now
Best inexpensive face peel: The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution
Get a pro-quality face peel for a drugstore price (umm, it's only $7.20!!!) with this top-rated pick from The Ordinary. The peeling solution uses 30 percent AHAs and 2 percent BHAs to make pores look teeny-tiny and fine lines look even more fine. Two nights a week, apply a thin layer of the face peel to dry skin, leave it on for 10 minutes, and then rinse.
Dhs38, shop now
Best serum face peel: Skinceuticals - Retexturing Activator
Okay, so this exfoliating serum isn't a traditional face peel, but it has the same smoothing and brightening effect on the skin—promise. The resurfacing formula uses an urea compound to dissolve the glue that holds together dead skin cells, plus hydrating hyaluronic acid and antioxidant-rich kombucha to make your skin look clear and dewy as hell.
Dhs264, shop now
Best retinol face peel: Skinbetter - AlphaRet Exfoliating Peel Pads
I looooove this face peel from Skinbetter. It's uses a cocktail of retinol—the gold standard for increasing cell turnover and synthesizing collagen and elastin proteins in the skin—and exfoliating lactic and glycolic acids to dramatically fade dark spots and minimise lines and wrinkles.
Dhs349, shop now
