Dr. Dennis Gross Peel Pads Now Come In a Body Version

Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Exfoliating Body Treatment — Photo: Dr. Dennis Gross

At this point, Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peels are no hidden secret. They're one of the best-selling skin-care products at Sephora, and they've won over celebrity fans like Chrissy Teigen, Kim Kardashian West, and Selena Gomez.

If you're one of the many people who use the peel pads religiously, you'll probably find the brand's latest launch intriguing. It just dropped the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Exfoliating Body Treatment (Buy It, $58, sephora.com), a polishing body treatment.

Like the popular Dr. Dennis Gross Peel Pads, the new body treatment combines alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) for an effective exfoliating treatment at home. But this formula is tailored to the needs of your body's skin, rather than your face. The skin on your body is two to three times thicker than the skin on your face, so it can handle (and calls for) a stronger formula, Dr. Gross explained in a press preview for the launch. Compared to your face, your body also has fewer pores and fewer oil-producing glands, so it's more prone to dryness, he added. (

With that in mind, Dr. Gross created the Alpha Beta Exfoliating Body Treatment with a combination of chemical exfoliants (those are the AHAs and BHAs), bakuchiol, and mechanical exfoliation. The ingredient list includes quite a few chemical exfoliants, e.g. glycolic and salicylic acids, which are all key for clearing out pores. A textured cloth provides the mechanical exfoliation element, while bakuchiol, a retinol alternative, promotes cell turnover and collagen production.

Another key player in the body treatment formula, lactic acid, helps loosen the bonds between cells in the skin's epidermal (topmost) layer. Exfoliating your body with these types of ingredients can help moisturizing agents absorb better compared to applying moisturizers alone, according to Dr. Gross. So, the hope is that any moisturizing products you apply after the exfoliating body treatment (as well as ingredients like squalane found within the treatment itself) will have a better ability to penetrate the skin.

Everyone can stand to benefit from products that prevent dryness, but there are other reasons you might want to bother with the extra step of using an exfoliating body treatment. If you deal with skin concerns like keratosis pilaris, body acne, ingrown hairs, or hyperpigmentation, the treatment is meant to help fight those concerns as well. (

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Exfoliating Body Treatment

Dr. Dennis Gross Exfoliating Body Treatment — Dr. Dennis Gross

After trying out the treatment to get a sense of its exfoliating abilities, my first impression was that the cloths smell strong, which I noticed as soon as I tore open a packet. I used them right after showering and toweling off, wiping the liquid on in circular motions, twice weekly, as suggested.

The application process is uneventful. Despite the strong smell, it doesn't sting at all, and you don't feel it sloughing away at your skin like you would with an abrasive scrub or washcloth. I eventually noticed signs that the acids and enzymes had worked their magic. It seemed to reduce the bumpiness of the keratosis pilaris on the back of my arms, more so than from lactic acid- and salicylic acid-containing creams I've tried. So far I've avoided the level of dryness that always plagues me during the winter months despite my best efforts at slathering on lotion. (

IMO this is a great product to reach for if you want to get a decent exfoliation without aggressively scrubbing at your skin. If you've already hopped on the Dr. Dennis Gross peel pads bandwagon, now you can start showing the same attention to the skin below your neck.

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