Milk Route® is a lactic acid based chemical peel for managing some of your skin concerns, right in the comfort of your own home. Here are some top concerns, that can be easily handled with the Milk Route® home peel.
1. For Back and Butt Acne Marks
Step 1: Apply 0.5 to 1 ml of the Milk Route® peel on the area of concern, and gently massage the product into your skin for 1-2 minutes.
Step 2: Leave the peel on for the next 3-5 minutes. You can use this time to flex your mental muscles to think up the next groundbreaking idea for world peace and ponder over the best pajamas for working from home or agonizing over what to make for dinner. But avoid massaging or handling the area further. Simply let the peel do its work.
Step 3: Wash off with a bodywash and water.
Step 4: Dry gently with a soft cotton towel.
Do this once weekly for 4-6 months—the End.
Other Steps: (to ensure the end as above)
Avoid synthetic clothes and denim.
Choose fabric-based seating over rexin or plastic.
Avoid scrubbing or rubbing the affected area to prevent the worsening of the pigmentation.
Bodywashes can be used without a loofah or scrub. You can also use a bath bar if you prefer that over body washes.
Avoid applying oils on your scalp and/ or hair if you have body acne. Body acne gets worsened with scalp oiling.
For the same reason, avoid heavy hair masks or pomade-type products to your hair unless you are able to rinse off the product completely. If you are using a rinse-off hair mask, make sure to cleanse the body AFTER you finish with the rinse-off. This way, there won’t be any product residue occluding the skin of your back/ chest.
For active body acne, you may need a salicylic acid peel from the Light Routine® range.
Step 1: Apply 0.5 to 1 ml of the Milk Route® peel on the area of concern, and gently massage the product into your skin for 1-2 minutes.
Step 2: Allow the peel to work for 3-5 minutes. If you wish to do something different compared to the ideas mentioned earlier, please go ahead. Just do not handle the areas where you have applied the peel, and let the peel work.
Step 3: Wash off with a bodywash and water. This treatment is ideally done before your bath or shower.
Step 4: Dry gently with a soft cotton towel.
Step 5: Follow through with a gentle but effective moisturizer to soothe and soften the skin.
Do this once weekly for the first 3 months, and maintain at once every 10 days for long-term relief. Make to use the moisturizer on all days, even when you aren’t doing the peel.
Other Steps:
Avoid synthetic clothes and denim. This is a default recommendation for anyone with soft and smooth skin, as goals!
Choose fabric-based seating over rexin or plastic.
Avoid scrubbing or rubbing the affected area to prevent worsening of the condition. This is not a suggestion. This is a commandment!
Bodywashes can be used without a loofah or scrub. You can also use a bath bar if you prefer that over bodywashes.
A laser hair removal may be the more long-term solution. Check with your derm if this is an option for you!
3. For Dark Underarms:
Step 1: Cleanse the area - make sure the skin surface is free of products like deodorants and perfume. A gentle cleanser would be ideal.
Step 2: Dry the area with a towel. Avoid rubbing the skin.
Step 3: Apply 3-4 drops of the Milk Route® peel on the underarm region and gently spread the product without massaging. Do not rub the product into the skin.
Step 4: Wait for 30 seconds.
Step 5: Wash off with a cleanser. Dry the skin with a soft towel. Absolutely, avoid rubbing the skin.
Step 6: Follow through with any calming product that reduces the friction and soothes the area. At CHOSEN®, we recommend Cicalfate, but you could also consider other friction-reducing, soothing creams like Desitin (Baby diaper rash cream), Sebamed Diaper rash cream, and so on. The idea is to basically reduce the friction as much as possible.
Other Steps:
Avoid all scrubbing and rubbing of the underarm area, whether or not you are taking the Milk Route®! This is an area that is naturally prone to pigmentation and thickening of the skin (medically called acanthosis). So, any scrubbing or rubbing of the skin of this area will give you guaranteed skin darkening and roughness.
Maintain an ideal body weight, as excessive weight gain works on the insulin resistance axis and creates thickening of the skin of your underarms. Tackling this problem with only the Milk Route®, without actually taking care of the body weight, will at best be a very short-lived approach to a long-term problem. The weight loss route is difficult but is well worth it, and the Milk Route® can then be a realistic plan to keep the underarm pigmentation in control!
Use non-irritating products for odor control -from perfumes to deodorant sprays to roll-on or stick deodorants. Avoid using products beyond their expiry date – this is way more common than you would expect.
Stay really really far away from Youtube videos that promote the use of topical steroid creams for lightening your underarms. Steroid use in the underarm area is very common, thanks to these harmful videos. Steroid abuse in these sensitive areas can lead to skin damage, with serious problems like permanent stretch marks, skin redness, and infections.
Underarm hair removal is ideally done with a trimmer for the short term, and lasers are great for the long term. Lasers reduce the need for constant handling of this area and are absolutely worth it.
Maintain good hygiene in this area. Hairs here tend to get infected, a condition known as trichomycosis axillaris, which is ideally avoided with regular personal hygiene measures and periodical trimming of the hair/ hair removal.
4. For Inner Thigh Darkness:
Pro Tip: This is best timed for before your shower or bath. After undressing, allow 15- 20 minutes for the pressure marks from underclothes to completely disappear. Avoid applying on areas that are irritated or chafed by underwear. For the same reason, avoid having this procedure scheduled immediately after your periods, especially if there has been a napkin rash. Wait for at least a week for the irritation to settle, and then proceed with your peel.
CAUTION: This product is not meant for use on the genital areas.
Step 1: Apply 1-2 drops of the Milk Route® peel on the inner thighs. Make sure to avoid rubbing the product into the skin.
Step 2: Wait for 15 seconds.
Step 3: Wash off with body wash and dry the area with a soft towel. Avoid rubbing the skin.
Step 4: Follow through with Cicalfate or a diaper rash cream from Sebamed or Desitin.
Step 5: Keep up the soothing cream from step 4, at least for the next 3-4 days.
Other Steps:
Manage your weight proactively. As mentioned above, being overweight works through the insulin resistance pathway to create inner thigh darkness called acanthosis nigricans. This can also be seen in other areas like the underarms and the back, and the sides of the neck. The most durable way to manage this kind of darkening, which makes the skin look thickened and dark, is to work on the weight.
Avoid synthetic clothing as much as possible for routine use. Synthetic underwear and its seams can create a lot of friction and chafing of the skin, which heal with pigmentation.
Inner thigh exercises, which look at toning the legs and increase the inner thigh gap, are an absolute killer- for this issue!
Avoid scrubbing, rubbing, or handling the delicate skin in this area, in a harsh way.
For the reasons mentioned above, steroids are a strict no-no!
If you are able to, menstrual cups are a great option to bypass the irritation and chafing caused by sanitary napkins, not to mention a lesser burden on the environment.
The advantages of using a lactic acid peel at home, are that you can target these delicate areas, without missing out on your privacy.
5. For Rough Elbows and Knees:
Step 1: Apply about 1 ml (in total) of the Milk Route® peel to the knees and elbows. You can also cover the back of the hands and the feet.
Step 2: Leave on for about 3-5 minutes.
Step 3: Proceed to your shower or bath. Make sure you cleanse your hands first before touching your face/ eyes.
Step 4: Follow through with a good moisturizer.
Step 5: Reapply the moisturizer after gently wetting the area and letting it dry – again at bedtime. This step makes a huge difference if you are likely to sleep in an air-conditioned environment.
Other Steps:
Look out for, and manage friction and pressure on the knees and elbows proactively. If you are a gym enthusiast, make sure to wear protective knee and elbow pads. If you are into yoga, make sure that your mat has extra cushioning, or opt for thicker silicone mats. You can even work out over good quality thick foam mats, the kind that is used in play areas for children. If you have to rest your elbows on your work desk, consider using a silicone desk mat. Likewise, for the arms of your chair, a soft cotton rest is more than enough to manage.
Make sure to wear soft, non-scratchy material that sits well on these areas. Try to use cotton socks as compared to scratchier material.
Moisturize these areas every single night – this may be the single most important step that protects these areas from the daily wear and tear they are subjected to.
If you are looking to start a chemical peel at home, look no further than the Lactic Acid body peel, which is very beginner friendly.
