My client's face turned bright red from a new peel and I panicked

I was at my studio in Austin doing a glycolic acid treatment on a regular client. About five minutes in, her skin got super red and she said it felt like burning. I stopped right away, rinsed her face with cool water for a full ten minutes, and applied a calming serum with centella asiatica. It settled down after thirty minutes, but I was so worried! Has anyone else had a reaction like this to a product you've used many times before?

2 comments

2 Comments

parker_campbell12d ago

Last summer I had the same thing happen with a lactic acid mask I'd used for years. The client's cheeks got so red and hot, I was sure I'd have to call an ambulance. It turned out she'd started a new prescription retinoid the week before and didn't think to tell me.

lewis.diana12d ago

Three years ago, a regular client had a terrible reaction to a salicylic acid wash I'd sold her for months. Her whole neck broke out in angry red welts. She'd begun using a benzoyl peroxide spot treatment from the drugstore that morning and didn't connect the dots. You did exactly the right thing by stopping and rinsing. It's so scary when a trusted product turns on you because of something else in the mix.