Vaseline After a Chemical Peel?

One of the more popular skincare procedures that you can do at home or at a clinic is a chemical peel. A chemical peel helps with your wrinkles, scars, or discolored skin.

Many suggest using Vaseline after chemical peels. What is the Vaseline for and when after the procedure should you apply it to your skin?

In this article, we’ll look at how to use Vaseline After a Chemical Peel, what it does, and why you should do it.

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What Exactly Is Vaseline And Why Should You Use It On Your Skin?

Vaseline  is the most famous brand of petroleum jelly. Similar to iconic brands like Kleenex, many people use the brand name Vaseline synonymously with the product petroleum jelly.

The good thing about Vaseline as compared to other petroleum jelly brands is that they purify the petroleum jelly well. It will be safe to use on the face.

Vaseline is a moisturizing product when used on the skin. Many use it as a short-term treatment when their skin that is irritated or dry. However, some use it in long term as a moisturizer.

The moisturizing effect of Vaseline doesn’t come from adding moisture to the skin. It simply helps seal in the moisture that is already on the skin by creating a film of oil on top of the skin.

This prevents the loss of moisture from the skin into the air. Compared to other oil-based products like mineral oil, Vaseline is the most efficient at preventing moisture from escaping the skin.

Compared to other oil-based products like mineral oil, Vaseline is the most efficient at preventing moisture from escaping the skin

Aside from trapping the moisture in, Vaseline also creates a physical barrier. This helps protect the skin against the environmental elements that could be harsh to it.

That protective barrier is very useful when your skin has minor cuts or scrapes. As it heals itself, the Vaseline can help keep the bacteria out so that the wound isn’t infected.

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Chemical Peels And Their Effect On The Skin

A chemical peel is a procedure that can be done at home or under medical supervision at a MediSpa. This process helps your skin resurface itself. When that happens, the result is smoother and more even skin tone.

Usually, those done at home are considered “light chemical peels”. They only help remove the outer layer of the skin.

But they are still effective in achieving smoother-looking skin.

There are also light chemical peels that are done in doctor’s clinics. They may be a bit stronger than the ones done at home so you only need to go through them at least every two weeks.

Medium chemical peels also exist. With these, not only the epidermis layer of the skin is affected. The deeper middle layer called the dermis is also affected.

Usually, this is done to help with acne scars, wrinkles, or uneven skin tone.

There are also deep chemical peels that go beyond what medium chemical peels could affect. Usually, these are done on patients with deep wrinkles, precancerous growths, or scars.

What to Expect After a Peel

After a chemical peel, the skin will be sensitive and possibly sore. You could expect that the skin would look like it had been sunburned.

In the days following the procedure, you will often experience discomfort, redness, dry skin, blackheads, and scaling. You may experience actual skin peeling off, but not always.

For deeper peels, blisters may form. These could crust and peel off in a week or two.

At this stage, the skin is very sensitive. That is why post-treatment care should be diligently followed.

Exposure to the sun should be avoided. This is because the skin is already damaged and you have to take care of it to properly heal.

Even if the skin looks healed already, it would still be best not to expose it to the sun for several months. Your new skin is still quite fragile and would be prone to sunburn even with limited exposure to the sun.

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Why Use Vaseline After a Chemical Peel?

Doctors will give you their list of post-treatment care that you should follow. One common suggestion is to use Vaseline on the skin after the chemical peel.

But what good is Vaseline to your skin after the chemical peel?

Vaseline is advised for those who have undergone a chemical peel because of its moisturizing properties.

One of the common aftercare instructions with chemical peels is to moisturize skin often. That prevents the skin from getting irritated and from discomfort as well.

However, remember that Vaseline doesn’t add moisture. But it is very effective at sealing in moisture in the areas it is applied to. Usually, Vaseline should be applied to the skin for the first few days after the procedure.

Areas that are peeling or scabbing will greatly benefit from your application. With the moisture sealed in by the Vaseline, your skin will heal more quickly.

Apart from the moisturizing properties, Vaseline also works great in protecting the skin affected by the chemical peels. As you know, the skin can look raw and damaged due to the procedure.

Depending on how deep the chemical peel you get, you may have blisters. Your doctor will advise, but this is common and should be expected when undergoing stronger peels

Such open wounds are prone to infection. By using Vaseline, you could add a layer of protection over the skin. This is to protect it against bacteria that could contaminate and infect the skin.

By using Vaseline, you could add a layer of protection over the skin to protect it against bacteria that could contaminate and infect the skin.

Vaseline also helps sooth and calm the skin. It will also lessen the irritation and redness that could be present due to exposure to the environment. Remember, the skin is much more fragile in this state and Vaseline will provide that extra layer of protection.

But you should take note that Vaseline won’t be able to protect the skin against the UV rays. That’s why it is still best to avoid exposing your skin to the sun after a chemical peel.