Skincare Before & After Procedures: How to Prep and Recover Like a Pro

When you’re getting serious treatments like microneedling, IPL, or CO₂ laser—whether it’s for glow, texture, or resurfacing—your before and after skincare habits matter just as much as the procedure itself. The right prep sets your skin up for success, and the right aftercare keeps those results lasting longer.

Before Your Treatment: Set the Stage

Think of your skin like it’s preparing for a big event—you want it calm, strong, and balanced. That means stopping retinols and exfoliants before your appointment. For most treatments like microneedling or IPL, you should stop using retinol, AHAs, and BHAs for about a week beforehand. For deeper treatments like CO₂ laser, it’s even more important to give your skin that time to settle.

Beyond actives, skip tanning, harsh scrubs, and anything that could irritate your skin leading up to the procedure. The goal is to arrive with your skin barrier intact and happy, ready to get the most out of the treatment.

After Your Treatment: The Gentle Come-Back

Immediately afterward, your skin will feel tender—like a sunburn but with higher stakes. This is the time to keep things as gentle as possible. For the first couple of days, cleansing should be minimal and very soft: lukewarm water, a gentle cleanser, and patting dry (no rubbing). Hydration becomes your best friend here. Stick to bland, soothing moisturizers or barrier balms to keep your skin from drying out and to support healing.

Actives are off-limits for at least a week. No retinoids, no acids, no vitamin C—your skin needs time to repair. What you can do is keep it protected and hydrated. And most importantly: sunscreen is non-negotiable. A mineral SPF 30+ every single day, plus hats or shade, is crucial for weeks after treatment. Sun exposure during healing is one of the fastest ways to undo your results.

You’ll also want to avoid sweating and heat for the first few days—so no hot yoga, saunas, or long steamy showers. Your skin is already working overtime to rebuild; it doesn’t need more stress. As the days pass and your skin calms, you can slowly start reintroducing your regular routine, starting with gentle hydration and eventually adding back your treatments once your provider gives the green light.

Why This Matters

These procedures work by creating controlled stress in your skin—that’s how they spark change. But if you go in unprepared or dive back into actives too quickly, you risk irritation, slower healing, or compromising your results. Gentle prep plus mindful aftercare equals better outcomes, faster recovery, and skin that looks healthier, longer.

In a Nutshell

Stop retinol and exfoliants about a week before. Be extra gentle for the first week after. Keep your skin hydrated, protected from the sun, and far away from heat and picking. Then ease back into your normal routine slowly, giving your skin time to bounce back.

These treatments can be powerful resets for your skin, but the real magic happens when you support your skin through the before-and-after. That’s how you turn a single appointment into results that last.