Once upon a time, the chemical peel had a reputation for being a treatment you’d only ever get done in a dermatologist’s office with the knowledge that you’d have to hide for your face for a week or so while your skin went through a molting phase (let us not forget Samantha Jones’ infamous wide-brimmed hat at Carrie Bradshaw’s book party) before eventually revealing a resurfaced, glowing complexion.

No more. Not only have in-office offerings gotten kinder and gentler, but there are also at-home options that get you results more gradually – and without any downtime. That last part is especially great, as many of us are avoiding unnecessary appointments until the pandemic clears. Here, we are rounding up the best at-home chemical exfoliants to treat every skin concern.

The Benefits of At-Home Chemical Peels

So, what exactly is an at-home chemical peel? It’s a super exfoliator featuring chemical ingredients rather than the physical, gritty kind you find in scrubs. Think vitamin C, alpha hydroxy acids (including glycolic, lactic, and citric acids), and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) like salicylic acid that slough away dead skin cells on the surface of the skin. Because they clear out dulling debris that can clog your pores, they can help with acne, improve skin tone and texture, up your glow, smooth the look of fine lines, and address mild hyperpigmentation.

As awareness about them has grown over the years, so too, has demand. In fact, it’s led some aesthetic providers, like New York City-based double board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Kevin Tehrani, MD, to create a so-called “contactless chemical peel” as an at-home offering done under the guidance of an aesthetician during these COVID-19-impacted days. Calling on the same ingredients used in-office, he says, these newer offerings are a “great way for our patients to maintain their skincare routines.”

For those who want to go the DIY route in a simple and safe manner, there are also ready-made formulas you can buy off the shelf, which Arash Akhavan, MD, a board certified dermatologist in NYC, calls “an effective and generally safe way to periodically exfoliate the skin without visiting the dermatologist.”

If you’re going that route, West Hollywood-based board certified dermatologist Jason Emer, MD, says it’s best to use them to address mild surface issues and leave the bigger concerns (think: deep acne scars) to the pros. When in doubt, he suggests going with a mask-type peel that doesn’t require a neutralizer. “Most leave-on peels that you have to neutralize use alcohol as a base to get the products into the skin and they then require you to stop the peel before it actually burns you,” he explains. Sound scary? It can be. So, especially for people new to peels or who are doing it without guidance from their provider’s office via video chat, it’s best to keep it simple.

A few more pro trips:

1. Pay Attention to the Directions: Read — and follow — the directions for the formula you pick to make sure you’re using that particular product correctly.
2. Start Slow: When you add a new peel to your regime, you want to start slowly (like once a week) to check for any signs of irritation or inflammation along the way.
3. Honor Your Skin Type: You may want to skip chemical exfoliators altogether if you’re prone to irritation or are at the darker end of the Fitzpatrick scale. “Dark skin types need to avoid strong leave-on and wash-off peels for risk of hyperpigmentation,” Dr. Emer notes.
4. Consider Your Medical History: That sensitivity caution counts double if you’re on certain skin medications like Accutane or prescription retinoids.

That said, at-home peels can and do provide visible and lasting results when incorporated into a skincare routine at a pace that your skin can handle. Now that you know the basics, below a few of our favorites off-the-shelf chemical exfoliant options: