An at home peel and a professional medium or deep peel need different aftercare, so follow the instructions for the treatment you actually had. Chemical peels disrupt the skin's protective barrier, and recovery is the time to help restore it. Your aftercare routine has a job, not a duty to give every bottle in the bathroom a speaking part.12

Does the type of toner matter?

Yes, especially if the toner is itself an exfoliating product. A chemical peel already exfoliates skin, so treat an exfoliating toner as another exfoliation step rather than basic aftercare. That is general skincare guidance, not a restart instruction for a particular toner. A toner marketed for hydration should not replace the lotion, cream or ointment directed for your peel.13

What should I use instead?

After an at home peel:

  1. 1Finish the peel exactly as directed. Some products stay on; others require washing off or a separate neutralizing solution. Toner is not a substitute for that step.
  2. 2Wash your face with a gentle cleanser during recovery.
  3. 3Follow with a very gentle moisturizer to keep skin moist.
  4. 4Use sunscreen as part of your aftercare, and follow the peel's sun protection instructions.
1

At home peels come as pads, liquids and products you wash off, because apparently one format would be too straightforward.1

After a professional medium or deep peel, use the prescribed wound care rather than this basic routine. Medium peels can require daily soaks and ointment after each soak. Deep peels involve bandages and a specific schedule for soaks, ointment and moisturizer. Avoid sunlight until a medium peel has completely healed; deep peel aftercare can require sun avoidance for three to six months.2

When can I restart toner?

Use healing, not a universal number of days, as the starting point for discussing a return to toner. A light professional peel generally heals in one to seven days, a medium peel in seven to fourteen days, and a deep peel in fourteen to twenty one days. Those are recovery windows, not automatic permission to restart products. After a professional peel, ask your dermatologist when your particular toner can return.3

When should I contact my dermatologist?

Contact your dermatologist if your skin burns, itches or swells after a peel. Do not rub, scratch or pick treated skin, because this increases the risk of infection or scarring. Use moisturizer as directed: skin that dries and cracks can scar. Redness and scaling can occur during recovery, but symptoms are not a reason to add more products.3

Where this answer comes from

  1. 1At-Home Chemical Peel: What You Need To Knowhealth.clevelandclinic.org
  2. 2Chemical Peels: Types of Peels, Conditions Treated, What to Expectmy.clevelandclinic.org
  3. 3Chemical peels: FAQsaad.org