The following excerpt from an article, by Katerina Steventon, Ph. D., offers great insight to the role enzymes play in exfoliation.
I am a skin scientist and beauty therapist, and my approach to skin care has always been evidence-based, yet natural. I believe that effective results can be achieved using a subtle approach. This includes monitoring an individual’s progress over time and should take the following factors into consideration: age, skin type and concerns, seasonal and hormonal changes, health, lifestyle and budget, and skin care application techniques. Correct skin type diagnosis is the first step toward achieving the results for client. I respect the powers of plant materials in skin care and their benefits to skin, recommending organic and natural skin care where appropriate.
Enzymatic exfoliation is a plant active based therapy. Enzymes have a proteolytic effect and induce superficial exfoliation on the cells of the stratum corneum. Enzymatic exfoliation has seen a slight decline lately, but it has a place, in particular for those skin types where mechanical and alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) exfoliation is too strong.
Exfoliation and Enzymes
While the skin naturally sheds superficial skin cells (corneocytes), this shedding process slows down with age, and an irregular build-up leads to patches of dull skin and an uneven complexion.
Most clients are familiar with mechanical exfoliation from scrubs like oatmeal, coffee, polyethylene or jojoba beads in addition to chemical exfoliation from AHAs like lactic, glycolic and azelaic acid. Few, however, are aware of enzymatic exfoliators, which are particularly beneficial for resilient oily and mature skin types. While mechanical exfoliators physically remove dead skin cells, chemical and enzymatic exfoliators work on the bonds, which hold the skin together. Exfoliating enzymes remove the dry superficial, dull skin cells (corneocytes) by digesting the proteins of the stratum corneum into smaller fragments, preventing a build-up.
Enzymes can work more gently than AHA in breaking down the bonds, which hold shedding skin cells together and accelerate the skin’s natural exfoliation process. This is because they are activated by water and not pH and they are limited in the exfoliation they can achieve. They can prevent the increased keratinization around follicles, which block sebum flow and create blackheads in acne.
See the article in its entirety here.
I am a skin scientist and beauty therapist, and my approach to skin care has always been evidence-based, yet natural. I believe that effective results can be achieved using a subtle approach. This includes monitoring an individual’s progress over time and should take the following factors into consideration: age, skin type and concerns, seasonal and hormonal changes, health, lifestyle and budget, and skin care application techniques. Correct skin type diagnosis is the first step toward achieving the results for client. I respect the powers of plant materials in skin care and their benefits to skin, recommending organic and natural skin care where appropriate.
Enzymatic exfoliation is a plant active based therapy. Enzymes have a proteolytic effect and induce superficial exfoliation on the cells of the stratum corneum. Enzymatic exfoliation has seen a slight decline lately, but it has a place, in particular for those skin types where mechanical and alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) exfoliation is too strong.
Exfoliation and Enzymes
While the skin naturally sheds superficial skin cells (corneocytes), this shedding process slows down with age, and an irregular build-up leads to patches of dull skin and an uneven complexion.
Most clients are familiar with mechanical exfoliation from scrubs like oatmeal, coffee, polyethylene or jojoba beads in addition to chemical exfoliation from AHAs like lactic, glycolic and azelaic acid. Few, however, are aware of enzymatic exfoliators, which are particularly beneficial for resilient oily and mature skin types. While mechanical exfoliators physically remove dead skin cells, chemical and enzymatic exfoliators work on the bonds, which hold the skin together. Exfoliating enzymes remove the dry superficial, dull skin cells (corneocytes) by digesting the proteins of the stratum corneum into smaller fragments, preventing a build-up.
Enzymes can work more gently than AHA in breaking down the bonds, which hold shedding skin cells together and accelerate the skin’s natural exfoliation process. This is because they are activated by water and not pH and they are limited in the exfoliation they can achieve. They can prevent the increased keratinization around follicles, which block sebum flow and create blackheads in acne.
See the article in its entirety here.
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