PCA Skin Triple Exfoliation Peel Pads

PCA Skin has launched Triple Exfoliation Peel Pads, a daily-use exfoliating treatment that combines physical, chemical and enzymatic exfoliation in a single dual-sided pad. The professional skincare brand has developed the product as a between-treatment option, intended to maintain results and prepare skin for in-clinic procedures while supporting the skin barrier.

The physical element comes from the pad itself, a dual-sided textured woven pad with a coarser side for the T-zone and a smoother side for more delicate areas. The chemical exfoliation uses a six-acid complex: lactic, glycolic and mandelic acids as AHAs to refine texture, salicylic acid as a BHA to penetrate pores and reduce excess oil, and gluconolactone and lactobionic acid as PHAs for gentler exfoliation with added hydration. Prickly pear extract provides the enzymatic action, working on the skin's natural desquamation process to encourage cellular turnover.

The formula also carries a set of supporting ingredients intended to offset the irritation risk of frequent exfoliation. These include niacinamide to strengthen the moisture barrier and calm visible redness, liquorice root extract to brighten and even skin tone, and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7, a peptide targeting firmness and elasticity.

A 12-week clinical study showed the pads improved seven visible markers of skin rejuvenation. The brand reports 50 per cent smoother visible skin texture, a 48 per cent improvement in hydration and a 36 per cent reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, alongside improved pore appearance, reduced visible redness, better oil control and a strengthened skin barrier.

PCA Skin was founded in Arizona in 1990 as Physician's Choice of Arizona by an aesthetician working with a group of physicians, and later became Physicians Care Alliance. It built its reputation on professional chemical peels, particularly its modified and enhanced Jessner's peel, and its products are used in medical and aesthetic practices in more than 50 countries. The company was acquired by Colgate-Palmolive in 2017.

Triple Exfoliation Peel Pads have an RRP of £55 for 30 dual-sided pads and are available from pcaskin.co.uk.