Layer by layer: the benefits of corneotherapy in skin care

About corneotherapy as a special method of consistent and long-term application of various cosmetic products to the skin, American specialists in aesthetic cosmetology first spoke about 50 years ago. They focused on caring for the stratum corneum, from which the method takes its name. According to American researchers, restoring the integrity of the stratum corneum will significantly improve the condition of the skin as a whole. Why it is necessary to apply cosmetics in layers for this and how to do it correctly, we will consider from estet-portal.com.

Why you need to apply skin care products in layers

Specialists believe that skin inflammation is largely due to the destruction that is present in the stratum corneum, even if visually difficult to detect. Regardless of the reasons for which the integrity was broken, its restoration sends a signal to the underlying skin structures that damaging agents are no longer penetrating, and there is no longer a need to react reactively to the environment.

The structure of the stratum corneum consists of two layers of corneocytes interconnected by desmosomes. Corneocytes are very densely packed, the intercellular spaces are very small, and together they form a single two-layer protective membrane.

Corneocytes of the stratum corneum perform important functions:

• ensure the top layer is permeable to water and essential nutrients;
• form a barrier to harmful external agents;
• generate moisturizing factors;
• maintain the mechanical integrity of the skin.

Gradually, the corneocytes of the stratum corneum, rising to the surface, lose their intercellular connections and exfoliate.

The protective functions of the stratum corneum help protect the skin from dehydration, protect it from allergens and microbes, from ultraviolet radiation and oxidative radicals.

Skin care should provide the stratum corneum with those substances that were used up to perform protective functions, while taking into account the condition of the skin and its needs for each patient individually. For example, for corneotherapy, creams and serums are used sequentially that contain water, fatty acids, triglycerides, ceramides, and the formulas of these agents must be biologically similar and repeat the composition of membrane structures in order to easily update it.

For targeted, targeted delivery of active elements to the stratum corneum and beyond – in the epidermis and dermis in corneotherapy, agents are used in which liposomes act as delivery vehicles. They are similar in their biological formula to skin cells, and therefore easily overcome barrier layers.  Nanoparticles are also effective in corneotherapy products, since their shells imitate the natural skin barrier, and these delivery vehicles can carry the necessary antioxidants, oils, and other bioactive components into the epidermis. It is very important that due to their proximity to the biological composition of the skin, such products do not irritate it, and therefore they can be used in patients with sensitive skin.

What can be achieved for the skin with corneotherapy

First of all, the patient will be glad that for home care he will not have to build a battery of various cosmetics on the shelf. After the procedure, the doctor prescribes only those 2-3 components that the skin of this particular patient needs to restore its functions. Since the condition of the skin can change depending on the state of health, weather, days of the cycle and many other reasons, the doctor has the opportunity to regularly change the components of care, adjusting to the specific needs of the skin. Care components can be mixed, adapting the product to a specific problem.

Thanks to corneotherapy, it is possible not only to improve and consolidate the results of the procedures performed, but also to significantly increase the intervals of visits, since the selected components, sequentially applied to the skin, have an independent restorative effect on it.

Through the consistent application of selected moisturizers to the skin, corneotherapy can significantly improve the condition of patients with atopic xerosis. Corneotherapy with creams free from emulsifiers, but rich in urea and linoleic acid, helps to activate the internal processes of skin regeneration in atopic dermatitis. Corneotherapy allows in many cases to abandon the use of steroids, retinoids, corticoids, and therefore its possibilities continue to be closely studied by both cosmetologists and dermatologists.