A gloved hand holds a small amber vial labeled "VI Peel Original" over a treatment tray with a measuring cup and Hi, Finch branded boxes in the background.

Your September Reset: $75 Off VI Peels + 20% Off Our Favorite Pads

September 1, 2026 Kasey Bennett, FNP-BC

Here's the thing nobody tells you about summer skin damage: it doesn't show up in July. It shows up in September, weeks after the sunscreen reapplication has gotten lazy, the pool days have piled up, and your skin has quietly been logging every single one of them. If you're looking in the mirror right now noticing new dark spots, clogged pores that won't quit, or a general dullness that wasn't there in May, you're not imagining it. You're looking at a Nashville summer's worth of UV exposure, sweat, sunscreen residue, and chlorine finally cashing in.

So we built our September specials around exactly that problem. Right now, you can get $75 off a VI Peel, plus 20% off two of our most-repurchased retail products: Glow Getter brightening pads and Speed Racer glycolic and salicylic acid pads. One is the in-office reset. The other two are what keep that reset from undoing itself the next time you're outside for three hours without thinking about it. Here's what each one actually does, and why late summer into fall is the smartest time of year to use them.

What Nashville Summers Actually Do to Your Skin

We see the same pattern every year with Nashville patients: skin that looked fine in June starts showing texture changes, pigmentation, and congestion by the time September rolls around. Part of that is cumulative UV exposure, even with regular SPF use, since most people apply far less sunscreen than the amount it was tested with and reapply even less often than that. Part of it is sweat and humidity mixing with sunscreen, makeup, and everyday oil production, which clogs pores faster than in cooler, drier months. And part of it is simply time. Melanin production triggered by a July sunburn or a string of humid, high-UV-index days doesn't always show up on your skin immediately. It can take weeks to surface as visible hyperpigmentation.

That delay is exactly why September is such a strategic time to treat your skin, rather than just moisturizing your way through it and hoping it fades on its own.

VI Peel: The Corrective Reset Your Skin Needs Right Now

A VI Peel is a medium-depth chemical peel that combines trichloroacetic acid (TCA), salicylic acid, phenol, retinoic acid, and vitamin C into a single treatment. Unlike a surface-level exfoliation, it's formulated to penetrate into the papillary dermis, where it triggers a controlled wound-healing response. That response activates fibroblasts, the cells responsible for producing new collagen and the structural fibers that keep skin firm and even in texture.¹ In plain terms: it's not just polishing what's on the surface, it's prompting your skin to rebuild from underneath.

For post-summer skin specifically, that combination of ingredients is doing several jobs at once. The TCA and salicylic acid work through built-up dead skin, clogged pores, and rough texture. The retinoic acid and vitamin C target the pigmentation and dullness that summer sun exposure tends to leave behind, while also supporting collagen production. Clinical research on TCA peeling for photoaging has found meaningful improvement in pigmentation, texture, and fine lines with appropriately selected peel strength and depth, which lines up with what we see in-office with Nashville patients treating summer damage.¹ This isn't a one-and-done miracle, and we won't tell you it is. Most patients see visible improvement after a single VI Peel, but a series, typically three to six treatments spaced four to six weeks apart, is what actually corrects post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, acne-related discoloration, and textural sun damage rather than just softening it temporarily.

Expect some peeling, generally most noticeable around days three through five, with residual dryness that can linger through day seven. We send every VI Peel patient home with a post-procedure kit built specifically for that healing window, and yes, daily SPF is non-negotiable during and after your peel series. September is honestly one of the best times of year to start, since the UV intensity is starting to ease off while you're still building the habit of a strong daily SPF routine before next summer.

Speed Racer Pads: Daily Maintenance for Clogged, Congested Pores

If the VI Peel is your reset button, Speed Racer pads are what keeps your skin from needing another one so soon. These are pre-soaked exfoliating pads formulated with 2% salicylic acid and glycolic acid, designed to be swiped over clean skin once to three times daily. The salicylic acid is oil-soluble, meaning it gets into the pore itself to dissolve the buildup that leads to breakouts and blackheads, while the glycolic acid works on the skin's surface to smooth texture and support cell turnover.

This combination is especially useful right now because post-summer skin tends to be dealing with exactly the kind of congestion these two acids were built for: a mix of excess oil, sunscreen residue, sweat, and dead skin cells that a regular cleanser alone often can't fully clear. Research comparing glycolic and salicylic acid formulations for acne and post-acne pigmentation has consistently shown improvement in both active breakouts and the discoloration left behind after them, which is precisely the one-two punch most people need heading into fall.² We recommend easing in with once-daily use and building up tolerance from there, since these are genuinely active pads, not a gentle toner.

At 20% off through September, a canister of Speed Racer comes out to right around $32, which is a low bar for a product most patients tell us they go through faster than anything else in their routine.

Glow Getter Pads: Fading the Pigment Summer Left Behind

Where Speed Racer is built for texture and congestion, Glow Getter is built for tone. These treatment pads combine kojic acid, arbutin, and bearberry, three natural skin brighteners, with a supporting cast of antioxidants including green tea polyphenols and vitamin C. Kojic acid and arbutin both work by interfering with the pathway your skin uses to produce melanin, which is why they're commonly used together for hyperpigmentation related to sun exposure and melasma rather than for active breakouts. A recent split-face clinical study comparing a topical alpha-arbutin and kojic acid combination to standard treatment found measurable improvement in melasma-related pigmentation, supporting what these two ingredients are formulated to do together.³

For Nashville patients coming out of a summer of pool days, hikes, and patio brunches, this is often the missing piece after a VI Peel, not a replacement for one. The peel does the corrective work in-office; Glow Getter pads keep new pigmentation from resurfacing while you maintain your results at home. Used once or twice daily after cleansing and before serum, they're a low-effort way to stay ahead of the exact kind of dullness and blotchiness that shows up weeks after sun exposure, not during it.

With 20% off this month, a canister runs about $70, and most patients pair it directly with their VI Peel series for the fastest, most consistent brightening results.

Building Your September Reset Routine

If you're not sure where to start, here's the simple version: book your VI Peel first, since that's the treatment doing the heavy corrective lifting, and use Speed Racer and Glow Getter pads on the days between appointments to maintain and extend your results. Speed Racer in the morning for pore maintenance, Glow Getter in the evening for pigment correction, is a combination a lot of our Nashville patients land on once they've tried both. And regardless of what's in your routine, SPF is the one step that makes everything else worth doing. Without it, you're just setting up next September's version of this same conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many VI Peels will I need to see results?

Many patients notice visible improvement in texture and glow after a single VI Peel, but a series of three to six treatments, spaced four to six weeks apart, is generally what's needed to meaningfully correct hyperpigmentation, acne scarring, or significant sun damage. Your provider can build a specific plan based on what you're treating.

Can I use Speed Racer and Glow Getter pads at the same time?

Yes, though we typically recommend alternating them, such as Speed Racer in the morning and Glow Getter in the evening, rather than layering both in a single application. This helps your skin build tolerance to the active ingredients without overdoing exfoliation.

Is it safe to get a VI Peel in September, or should I wait until winter?

September is actually a great time. UV intensity is starting to ease compared to peak summer, which lowers the risk of complications during healing, but you still have time to build strong SPF habits before next summer arrives. Strict SPF use during your peeling and healing window is required regardless of season.

Will these pads help with acne scarring from breakouts I had this summer?

Speed Racer's glycolic and salicylic acid combination can help with texture and mild post-acne marks, and Glow Getter's brighteners target the darker discoloration that often lingers after a breakout. For deeper or more stubborn acne scarring, a VI Peel series tends to deliver more noticeable correction.

Do I need to stop using retinol if I add these pads to my routine?

Not necessarily, but you may need to adjust frequency. Since Speed Racer and Glow Getter both contain active exfoliating or brightening ingredients, stacking them with a strong retinol every night can be more than most skin barriers can handle. We're happy to help you sequence your full routine at your next visit.

Ready to treat what summer left behind? Book a consultation at hifinch.com before our September specials wrap up, or DM us @hi_finch if you're not sure whether a VI Peel or a pad-only routine is the right place to start.