Skin prep before treatment
Reviewed by Dr Shahe Boghossian, GMC 5204600, last reviewed 12 Jun 2026The condition of your skin on the day of treatment affects how it responds. For chemical peels, IPL and microneedling, skin that arrives with its barrier intact, free of active UV damage and not recently compromised by a new active responds more predictably and recovers more efficiently. For injectable treatments, good baseline skin quality supports a longer-lasting result.
This guide covers the two to four weeks before a procedure: the actives to pause, the routine to establish, and how to arrive on the day. Reviewed by Dr Shahe Boghossian, Medical Consultant at The London Road Clinic, a Glo Skin Beauty stockist in Newark, Nottinghamshire.
Recommended before treatment
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C-Shield Anti-Pollution Moisture Tint SPF30+ 50 ml
Regular price £52.00 GBPRegular price -
Oil Free SPF 40+ 50 ml
Regular price £52.00 GBPRegular price -
Barrier Balm 15 ml
Regular price £20.00 GBPRegular price -
C-Shield Anti-Pollution Drops 30 ml
Regular price £102.00 GBPRegular price
The prep window
What to establish, what to pause, and when.
Establish
A consistent base routine: gentle cleanser, moisturiser, and SPF every morning. Healthy, well-conditioned skin responds to all treatments more predictably.
Glo: Hydrate + Restore · Protect + PreventAvoid
Sunbeds and tanning. Active UV damage is a contraindication for IPL and affects how chemical peels behave in the skin.
Simplify
Continue your base routine. This is not the week to start a new active or try an unfamiliar product. Settled skin is easier to treat than reactive skin.
Glo: Hydrate + Restore · Calm + SoothePause
Retinol and retinoids 5–7 days before peels and microneedling. AHAs and BHAs if advised for your specific treatment. Fake tan at least 2 weeks before IPL.
Arrive with
Clean, product-free skin where possible. Moisturiser and SPF earlier in the morning are fine. Your practitioner will cleanse before treatment regardless.
Glo: nothing newConsider pausing
Aspirin and ibuprofen where medically appropriate and your GP has agreed, as both increase bruising risk for injectable treatments. Only pause if safe to do so.
Avoid this mistake
Starting a new active in the week before treatment because you want to arrive with better skin. The skin needs to be settled and familiar with its routine, not reactive from something new. A new retinoid two days before microneedling, or a high-strength AHA the week before a peel, means the practitioner is working with a compromised baseline and the recovery period will be more pronounced. The prep window is for consistency, not experimentation.
What prep can and can't do
Skin prep improves the conditions for treatment; it doesn't change what the treatment can achieve. The biggest variables in any outcome are the practitioner's assessment, technique and the individual skin's response, factors that no routine influences on its own. What a consistent pre-treatment routine does is reduce the variables that work against you: an unstable barrier, active sun damage, reactive skin from something tried too recently. It is your part of the collaboration, not a guarantee of a particular result.
At The London Road Clinic, each treatment begins with a clinical assessment. Specific pre-treatment instructions are given at consultation. Those take precedence over general guidance. This page is supplementary: a framework for the weeks leading up to a procedure, not a replacement for what your practitioner advises at assessment.
What to establish
Glo Skin Beauty categories for a consistent pre-treatment routine. Browse the range, not a single product.
Protect + Prevent
Consistent SPF in the weeks before treatment, especially before IPL. Non-negotiable.
BrowseHydrate + Restore
A well-hydrated, barrier-intact skin responds to treatment better and recovers faster.
BrowseCalm + Soothe
Simplified, non-irritating formulas in the 1–2 weeks immediately before treatment.
BrowseFirm + Repair
For longer prep windows (4+ weeks), retinoids build baseline skin quality before treatment.
BrowseFrequently asked
Should I use retinol before a chemical peel?
Stop retinol and retinoids 5 to 7 days before a chemical peel. They increase cell turnover and photosensitivity in a way that makes peel depth less predictable and recovery more pronounced. Your practitioner will give specific timing at consultation. Follow their guidance over this general advice.
How far in advance should I avoid sun exposure before IPL?
Avoid tanning, whether sunbed or natural, for 4 to 6 weeks before Lumecca IPL. Active tan significantly increases the risk of adverse pigmentation reactions and is typically a contraindication. Consistent daily SPF throughout the lead-up reduces baseline UV damage and supports a cleaner treatment outcome.
Can I wear makeup on the day of treatment?
Arrive without makeup where possible. SPF applied earlier in the morning is generally fine. Heavy foundations and concealer should be removed or avoided before arriving. Your practitioner cleanses the skin before treatment regardless, but starting with a clean face makes that process easier and quicker.
Does my regular skincare routine actually affect the treatment result?
Yes. A consistent routine gives the practitioner a stable baseline to work from and means the skin isn't reactive on the day. It won't change the mechanism of the procedure, but it affects how predictably the skin responds during treatment and how efficiently it recovers afterwards. The prep is part of the result.