Despite its drastic-sounding name, a cosmetic peel doesn’t literally peel away the skin. Instead it works to exfoliate, sloughing away dead skin cells from the skin’s surface without you even feeling it. How? By using acid molecules such as glycolic AHA molecules or salicylic BHA molecules to gnaw away at dead cells. Depending on the how much you apply, the overall effect is gentle. Our go-to choice? An AHA lotion which can be applied at night with cotton wool and left on to give you fresh, smooth-looking skin the next morning.