U Beauty's New 5-Minute Peel Is Like a Spendy Celeb Facial in a Bottle

Tina Craig is busy. As a multihyphenate entrepreneur, investor, and mother, the U Beauty founder doesn't always have time to invest in an hour-long facial. Sure, it would be lovely to get pampered by an esthetician before every event on the docket, but alas, regular visits are not realistic for her on-the-go lifestyle.

So she did what any busy woman (well, one with a thriving luxury skincare brand) would do—she whipped up a five-minute facial in a bottle. "I became obsessed with the idea of an at-home (or anywhere!) professional-level product that yields instant revival and boosted glow in a matter of minutes, especially one that doesn't require any downtime for recovery," Craig says exclusively to Who What Wear. "Essentially, a five-minute dramatic reset without risk of irritation or visible barrier disruption."

It sounds like a tall order (an at-home peel that delivers in-office results yet doesn't feel too spicy on the skin?!), but leave it to Craig's U Beauty to tick every single box. Today, the brand officially introduces the Resurfacing Flash Peel, a chemical exfoliator that rivals professional-grade treatments without any of the dreaded side effects (read: flushing or irritation). "The Resurfacing Flash Peel is our fastest-working product ever," Craig promises. Keep scrolling for the CliffsNotes so you can slather on stat.

First things first: Let's talk ingredients. Each U Beauty formula features a slew of powerful actives (it's like getting four hero products in one), and the Flash Peel is no different. It contains glycolic acid and fruit AHAs to slough off dead skin and stimulate collagen production; retinyl palmitate to increase cell turnover and tighten the skin; vitamins C and E to brighten overall tone; and panthenol, hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, and avenanthramides (aka anti-inflammatory extracts from oats) to simultaneously hydrate and strengthen the moisture barrier. "I’ve always considered chemical peels risky, especially knowing that damage to the skin’s moisture barrier could mean weeks, if not months, of skin setbacks. I don’t have time to hide out. I needed a genie in a bottle," Craig says.

The Flash Peel doesn't exactly grant you three wishes, but its Siren Capsule technology comes pretty close to a mystical being! For the uninitiated, the brand's patent-pending molecules are one of the coolest innovations in the skincare game. Essentially, they draw compromising free radicals to the skin before neutralizing them—you know, just like a siren song—and delivering repairing, complexion-renewing ingredients exactly where your skin needs them most. Pretty neat, no?

Okay, but now for the billion-dollar question: Does it actually work? To be brutally honest, I was a little hesitant before testing the product ahead of launch. Anything marketed as an at-home peel tends to give me pause, as my skin leans quite sensitive. This means that I typically turn tomato-red whenever I use a glycolic acid-infused mask (let alone a peel with an even higher concentration of the ingredient) and my complexion easily feels tight and irritated after too many powerful actives. That said, I'm actually the perfect candidate for U Beauty's new product since it's clinically tested for those with sensitive skin. I'm also dealing with some stubborn breakouts left over from the summer months, so I was game to try the purported skin-enhancing magic.

All I have to say is wow. It did feel a little tingly upon application, but the sensation eventually went away as I left it to marinate for about five minutes. (If you're an at-home peel pro, you could leave it on for up to 20 minutes, but Craig recommends starting with five and working your way up.) My skin looked noticeably smoother and brighter post-rinse, and the cluster of clogged pores on my chin practically zapped overnight.

Most notably, my skin immediately looked as glowy as if I had just stepped out of a spa-grade treatment—zero redness or irritation after the fact. I suspect that's because the Siren Capsules were hard at work supplying my skin with soothing, antioxidant-rich ingredients as my dead cells were sloughed away. "Where ordinary peels are formulated to strip, our Flash Peel gives more than it takes," Craig tells me.

Now, will the Flash Peel completely replace my facial appointments? Of course not. I'm a Taurus sun who loves getting pampered! That said, regular facials aren't always easy on my schedule (and my wallet), so this product is like a cheat code for similar results with way less of an investment. And zero downtime? That's some skincare magic.

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