Ask Dr P: Why Are My Underarms Peeling?!

If you’ve recently started ÈCLAIR or looked under your arms and thought,

“Why does my armpit look like it’s molting?”

First of all: welcome. You’re not alone.

Second: no, your skin is not “damaged,” “burnt,” or “revealing hidden pigmentation.”

Third: let’s talk about why peeling skin under the underarms is surprisingly common, especially when you start using a formula like Éclair that actually understands underarm physiology.

Because yes, your underarms are dramatic. Medically so.

 

The Underarm: A Biologically Extra Zone

 

 

The underarm (or axilla, if we’re being anatomical) is not just “regular skin in a dark place.”

 

It is:

 

• A high-friction zone
  
  

• A high-moisture zone
  
  

• A high cell-turnover zone
  
  

• With a fragile, leaky barrier and very specific enzyme behaviour
  
  
  

Here’s the key bit that most people don’t know:

👉 Underarm skin turns over faster than many other body sites, yet paradoxically holds onto dead skin cells.

How rude.

 

Why does this happen?

 

 

Research shows that underarm skin has lower levels of a natural exfoliating enzyme called stratum corneum chymotryptic enzyme. This enzyme is part of the skin’s built-in “self-shedding” system.

 

When it’s low:

 

• Corneocytes (dead skin cells) don’t detach cleanly
  
  

• They remain partially shed and compacted
  
  

• They form a retained layer that’s often invisible to the naked eye
  
  
  

Add to this:

• Altered ratios of ceramides and natural moisturising factors (NMFs)
  
  

• Higher transepidermal water loss (TEWL)
  
  

• Chronic friction from shaving, clothing, deodorant use
  
  
  

…and you get skin that is quietly congested, dehydrated, and clinging to the past.

Emotionally relatable. Dermatologically inconvenient.

 

 

“But I Never Saw Peeling Before!”

 

 

Exactly. Because most of the time, this retained layer is subclinical, meaning it’s there, but you don’t see it.

 

Until you do something radical like…

✨ Normalise hydration

✨ Repair the barrier

✨ Encourage proper desquamation

 

 

When you introduce a formula that:

 

• Improves water content in the stratum corneum
  
  

• Restores lipid organisation and normalises epidermal architecture
  
  

• Optimises keratinocyte differentiation
  
  
  

…those compacted corneocytes finally get the memo.

They swell, separate, and shed.

Visibly.

This is why underarm peeling after using acids, flaking skin in armpits, or peeling underarms but no irritation are such common questions.

When using ÈCLAIR specifically, what you’re seeing isn’t damage.

 

It’s delayed desquamation completing itself.

 

Think of it less as “peeling” and more as administrative backlog finally being processed.

 

 

The Actives Doing the Heavy (But Gentle) Lifting

 

Éclair isn’t exfoliating for drama. It’s exfoliating for architecture.

 

Here’s what’s happening physiologically:

 

Lactic Acid

• A native component of the skin’s Natural Moisturising Factor
  
  

• Acts as a humectant, not just an acid
  
  

• At ÈCLAIR's concentration, it:
  
  

  • Increases ceramide production
    
    

  • Improves corneocyte cohesion quality
    
    

  • Optimises enzymatic activity involved in healthy shedding
    
    
    

Gluconolactone (PHA)

 

• A large-molecule acid = slow, controlled penetration
  
  

• Enhances hydration
  
  

• Improves barrier architecture without disruption
  
  
  

Niacinamide

 

• Normalises keratinocyte differentiation
  
  

• Supports barrier enzyme function
  
  

• Reduces inflammatory noise while the skin recalibrates
  
  
  

N-Acetyl Glucosamine (NAG)

 

• Enhances keratinocyte responsiveness to differentiation signals
  
  

• Improves overall epidermal organisation
  
  
  

Ceramide Precursors

• Feed the skin the raw materials it needs to rebuild itself
  
  

• Restore lipid lamellae structure
  
  
  

Glycerin

• A core component of the NMF complex
  
  

• Increases water transport to the surface
  
  

• Normalises enzymatic activity involved in turnover
  
  
  

In short:

Hydration + barrier repair + normalised turnover = visible shedding at first.

This is expected. Temporary. And usually settles beautifully.

 

“Does This Mean I Had Hidden Pigmentation?”

 

 

No. And I want to be very clear here.

What’s shedding is retained dead skin, not skin trauma.

When that layer lifts:

• The fresher keratinocytes underneath may look slightly lighter
  
  

• This is not pigment loss
  
  

• It is not bleaching
  
  

• It is not damage
  
  

It’s simply healthier skin seeing daylight.

 

What To Do If Your Underarms Are Peeling

 

 

If you’re experiencing mild flaking or peeling without discomfort, here’s the protocol:

• ✔️ Apply Éclair only to completely dry skin
  (Post-shower, pat dry, then apply)
  
  

• ✔️ Use once daily initially
  After ~10 days, once shedding settles, you may increase frequency if desired
  
  

• ❌ No other underarm products for now
  No scrubs, acids, dry brushing, or extra lotions
  
  

• ❌ Avoid friction
  No aggressive rubbing, brushing, or tight clothing while things recalibrate
  
  

 

What actually matters more than how it looks?

 

 

Symptoms. Always symptoms.

 

🚨 Stop and pause if you notice:

• Stinging or burning
  
  

• Persistent redness
  
  

• Bumpiness
  
  

• Soreness or discomfort
  
  

Visible shedding on its own, without those sensations, is usually part of early adjustment.

And if your skin asks for a pause?

Listen. There is no “push through” philosophy here.

 

Underarm skin responds best to:


Patience. Gentleness. Respect.

Revolutionary, I know.

 

Final Reassurance From Dr P

 

 

Your underarms are not misbehaving.

They are finally being understood.

 

Sometimes healing looks like peeling, briefly, before it looks like ease.

And as always: your skin is not a machine to dominate.

It’s a system to collaborate with.

Trust the process, and give it time.

With warmth,

 

DR PRASANTHI

FOUNDER, LORIENT