In intransitive terms the difference between peel and skin is that peel is to move, separate (off or away while skin is to become covered with skin. In countable terms the difference between peel and skin is that peel is cosmetic preparation designed to remove dead skin or exfoliate while skin is a congealed layer on the surface of a liquid. Exfoliation due to thermal stress weathering. Thermal stress weathering is induced by the subsequent expansion and contraction of rocks as a result of diurnal and seasonal temperature variations. The surface layers of rocks tend to expand more than the rock at depth, causing the surface layers to peel away (exfoliation). The exfoliation from the microdermabrasion helps the peel penetrate more deeply and evenly into the skin for greater and more uniform results. Conversely, after having a chemical peel, the skin is highly sensitive and needs time to recover. If you want to try microdermabrasion after having had a chemical peel, wait at least several weeks. The term chemical exfoliation is sometimes used in place of the word peel to differentiate between the medium and deeper clinical peels and the lighter chemical exfoliation used in spas Physicians use high strength peel formulations that are designed to penetrate deeper into the skin (the dermal layer). ZDDom.