Peel Season is Here!!!
It’s that time of year when the sun’s intensity fades, making it the perfect season to peel away the remnants of summer and reveal brighter, tighter, rejuvenated skin.
Comment from a person on reddit, who like me has found great results with TCA at home peels.
💡 This isn’t my first rodeo: I have a long documented history with TCA at home acid peels.
I’ve been using trichloroacetic acid, or TCA, for over a decade to remove freckles and improve the overall brightness of my skin.
Back in 2018, one of my most successful YouTube videos was a fall TCA peel tutorial, and it sparked a lot of interest in at-home chemical peels.
Check out my original peel videos that youtube deleted when they removed the first channel.
TCA Peel cheat sheets you can download and save.
Are these regulations making our lives better?
Many people opt to do TCA peels at home because professional treatments have become prohibitively expensive. Thanks to regulatory changes, most states now require a doctor to apply TCA in-office, driving the cost of a single peel up to $1,000 or more. These laws, designed to protect consumers, often create a financial barrier that leaves many looking for affordable alternatives.
When I first shared my TCA peel journey six years ago, it was much easier to source products online. You could simply order a 20% TCA vial from Amazon, making it convenient and cost-effective to care for your skin on your schedule.
Is the FDA being helpful?
However, complaints to the FDA about injuries caused by improperly used peels led to stricter regulations. The FDA issued warnings to Amazon, resulting in the removal of TCA products from their platform.
Center for Drug Evaluation and ResearchAmazon.com, Inc. – 679523 – 07/25/2024
While the intent was to protect consumers, it has left many of us frustrated. As adults, we should have the freedom to make informed choices about what we use on our own skin. Unfortunately, the FDA often feels more like a ‘pay-to-play’ regulatory body, limiting access to products in ways that don’t always make sense.
Where is TCA found today?
That said, TCA is still available through reputable specialty retailers. Today, I’m using the Makeup Artist Choice Adjustable 30% TCA Peel (CODE:KAOS20), a trusted product I’ve used many times over the years. You’ll find the link in the description below if you’re interested in exploring it yourself.
Let’s dive into how to safely use TCA peels at home for optimal results while understanding the risks, the preparation, and why these treatments remain a valuable tool in achieving brighter, healthier skin.
Face Before 20% TCA Peel
This is what the sun left on my skin during the summer of 2024.
I used the Makeup Artist Choice Green Tea Pomegranate Cleansing Gel with my Revive Sonique Mini.
Prepping Skin for TCA Peel
Remember to watch the full video Part 1 TCA Peels: How to Brighten Skin Safely + Why the FDA is Cracking Down on At-Home for further information on my process. Below I will bullet point what I’m doing and what I’m using.
What I used:
- –Green Tea Pomegranate Cleansing Gel (Kaos20) (begin removing skin debris)
- –Revive Sonique Mini (Kaos10) Cleansing Brush (helping cleanse pores deeply)
- –70% Isopropyl Alcohol (for degreasing)
- -I take 800mg Ibuprofen (4 over-the-counter 200mg Ibuprofen)
- –Aquaphor (block brows)
- –Makeup Artist Choice Adjustable 30% TCA Peel (CODE:KAOS20) (peel face)
- –Gloves (protect manicure)
- –Q-Tips (apply Aquaphor and TCA)
- –Gauze (apply TCA Layers)
- –Avene Thermal water spray (Aftercare)
- –Sharp Scissors (Clip long skin strips)
- -Tretinoin 1% (help exfoliate off dead skin) JOIN THE APP FOR VENDORS
- –Iris and Romeo 5-in-1 SPF (Aftercare)
- –BloomEffects SPF 50 (Aftercare Code: NaturalKaos
- – BlueStone Sunshield (Aftercare Code: NaturalKaos)
Blocking Micro-bladed Brows
Getting your skin very clean and degreased before acid application is critical for consistent penetration and peel. Any grease (fat) will block the penetration of acid. With this in mind, there are areas you might not want acid penetrating, like your micro-bladed eyebrows or any other tattooed makeup. To protect these areas, use a petroleum product like Aquaphor to coat the areas you want to protect. Don’t use too much as your skin is warm and the petroleum material can melt.
I use a Q-tip to apply a little Aquaphor on each of my brows that have been micro-bladed. This protects them from the TCA lifting any embedded color. I’m treating my eyelids so I add Aquaphor to my lash line to ensure acid doesn’t drip into my eye.
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How to Dilute 30% TCA acid to 20% TCA acid?
Makeup Artist Choice has a great pdf on how to dilute this 30% TCA acid down to variable strengths.
I’m making 20% TCA by mixing 2 parts 30% TCA with 1 Part distilled water. I used 4ml of 30% TCA mixed with 2ml of distilled water.
Gloves are important to protect your manicure and finger pads. Once I have the solution mixed, I saturate a single gauze and wring it out so it no longer drips. This will be the first layer.
Each layer of TCA requires 5 minutes of penetration. You will feel it run its burn up and then start to reside after 5 minutes, then you can assess for the addition of another layer.
If this is your first time with TCA, start with a 15% concentration. This would be created by mixing 1 part 30% TCA with 1 Part distilled water.
TCA Check list
First time users should try 15% TCA
Step-by-Step Application of a 20% TCA Peel
LAYER 1
Applying 20% TCA horizontally on my first pass.
Applying acid with a Q-tip to my upper eyelids.
The timer is set to 5 minutes. The blow dryer is set too cold.
LAYER 2
Applying 20% TCA vertically on my second pass.
Applying acid with a Q-tip to my upper eyelids.
The timer is set to 5 minutes. The blow dryer is set too cold.
LAYER 3
Applying 20% TCA horizontally on my third pass.
Applying acid with a Q-tip to my upper eyelids.
The timer is set to 5 minutes. The blow dryer is set too cold.
LAYER 4
Applying 20% TCA vertically on my fourth pass.
Applying acid with a Q-tip to my upper eyelids.
The timer is set to 5 minutes. The blow dryer is set too cold.
During this layer, I also took my Q-tip saturated in the 20% TCA acid applied against my chicken pox scar to help resurface that inconsistency.
Immediately After 4 Layers of 20% TCA acid
This is what my face looks like after 4 layers of 20% TCA acid.
If you’ve watched previous TCA peels I’ve shared you’ve seen me stop the burn in many fashions. This time I decided to let the last layer run its course and not dilute it by splashing water on my face.
If you want to stop the painful effects of TCA splash water on it. It will dilute the potency of the acid and the burn will subside quicker.
This evening, after 15 minutes with layer 4, I decided to spritz with the –Avene Thermal water spray. I did not coat with Aquaphor that night. Instead, I wanted all of the heat to escape from my skin before locking it in with an occlusive substance like Aquaphor.
The next video will be my week of recovery as this peel sheds, revealing brighter skin following the 2024 summer. Let me know in the comments if you found this helpful. Thank you, my friends, Kim
PRODUCTS:
- –Green Tea Pomegranate Cleansing Gel (Kaos20) (begin removing skin debris)
- –Revive Sonique Mini (Kaos10) Cleansing Brush (helping cleanse pores deeply)
- –70% Isopropyl Alcohol (for degreasing)
- -I take 800mg Ibuprofen (4 over-the-counter 200mg Ibuprofen)
- –Aquaphor (block brows)
- –Makeup Artist Choice Adjustable 30% TCA Peel (CODE:KAOS20) (peel face)
- –Gloves (protect manicure)
- –Q-Tips (apply Aquaphor and TCA)
- –Gauze (apply TCA Layers)
- –Avene Thermal water spray (Aftercare)
- –Sharp Scissors (Clip long skin strips)
- -Tretinoin 1% (help exfoliate off dead skin) JOIN THE APP FOR VENDORS
- –Iris and Romeo 5-in-1 SPF (Aftercare)
- –BloomEffects SPF 50 (Aftercare Code: NaturalKaos
- – BlueStone Sunshield (Aftercare Code: NaturalKaos)
JOIN THE NATURAL KAOS BEAUTY APP TODAY
