Environ protocols avoid heavy or unnecessary peeling or too much exfoliation. Before I dive any further into this, here's the brief on our skin protection factors.
Our epidermis consists of 4 to 5 layers of skin. The uppermost layer, called the stratum corneum or horny layer, consists of skin cells that are ready to be shed; they are not dead, as we have been told. The stratum corneum protects the lower layers of skin by keeping out harmful particles and regulating water loss from the skin. Above this is the acid mantle which is a waterproof layer made up of oil and water. Like the stratum corneum, it keeps out harmful bodies and prevents too much water loss; it is slightly acidic and contains our skin’s microbiome. The microbes prevent the accumulation of harmful bacteria, keep out pathogens and help maintain the acid mantle at its pH of around 5.5.
The acid mantle is our skin’s 1st line of defence. The uppermost epidermal layer below that, the stratum corneum is our 2nd line of defence. Here, I will refer to them collectively as the skin barrier.
If the skin barrier is shed too early, then water will be lost and the remaining layers of skin will not provide adequate protection against environmental toxins. Strong peels , over exfoliation and alkaline products can disrupt this skin barrier. Peels, for example, for pigmentation can show initially good results but they may make the skin more susceptible to penetration of UV light which stimulates melanin production. As a result, although pigmentation can improve initially, the marks can return larger and darker years later.
Environ believes that the way to a smooth, healthy skin is to peel very gently to remove the excess uppermost layer of epidermis, while maintaining the waterproof barrier qualities of the skin. By using a low concentration of acid to stay on the skin for a longer time, or applied in fine layers, this gives the same effect as a stronger acid concentrate. Leaving the peel longer on the skin maximises the chance of promoting growth factors, which helps stimulate skin regeneration.
Developed by Dr. Des Fernandes, world renowned plastic surgeon, the Cool Peel technology is a non-invasive skin renewal system that safely and effectively refines and brightens the skin. The peel protects the epidermis and the natural skin barrier, and at the same time, stimulates new collagen in the dermis. You can have refined, smoother skin without the downtime.