Dermatologist Doubles Down on FDA’s Warning Against Retailer-Sold Chemical Peels

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In search of blemish- and wrinkle-free skin, consumers may be turning to chemical peel products sold at local retail stores. However, the FDA is warning against these products, noting the potential for serious injury.

“The agency has not approved any chemical peel products, and consumers should only consider using chemical peel products under the supervision of a dermatologist or licensed and trained practitioner,” it stated in the warning.

The FDA simultaneously issued warning letters to six companies — including Amazon and Walmart — related to more than a dozen chemical peel products. The products continue to be sold in beauty product or other retail stores, marketed for purposes ranging from acne and discoloration to wrinkles and collagen production, the FDA noted.

The products contain ingredients like trichloroacetic acid, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and lactic acid in concentrations “too high to be used safely at home without supervision by a dermatologist or other licensed and trained practitioner,” the agency stated. Products cited in the warning letter frequently had concentrations of these chemicals at upwards of 70%.

“I’m so glad the FDA put out this warning,” Margaretta Masse, MD, a dermatologist at Northwell Health in New York, told MedPage Today.

Masse said she often sees patients who are experiencing complications after using similar chemical peel products they received from a retail website or through a recommendation from a friend, or after having someone without the proper training apply a chemical peel product.

Specifically, using products with high concentrations of certain acids “may lead to serious injury from chemical burns,” the FDA stated. The concentration of acids, number of applications, and length of time a product is left on the skin “all influence how deeply it can penetrate skin layers and potentially lead to chemical burns.”

“These products remove layers of skin to varying depths and may cause severe chemical burns, pain, swelling, infection, skin color changes, and disfiguring scars,” the agency added. “These injuries may even require emergency care or specialty care from a dermatologist or surgeon.”

“We can do a lot,” Masse said, to help address such adverse events. But sometimes it takes a long time, and is very costly, to end up at baseline, she added.

Many people want a “quick” and “one-size-fits-all” solution, Masse said. However, though “chemical peels are an incredibly valuable tool” for dermatologists, they’re certainly not “one-size-fits-all,” she said. “There are so many nuances.”

Especially when using some of the very strong peels, it’s essential to have training on the layers of the skin and exactly what is being targeted, Masse said. For consumers, this is something they should go to a trained professional for, she added.

The agency encouraged healthcare professionals and consumers to report adverse events or quality problems related to these products or others.