In skincare, is going deeper always better?
There’s a common belief that skincare needs to go deep into the skin to be effective, but maintaining healthy skin is a little more complicated. There are three main layers to the skin, each with its own distinct functions and characteristics, yet all three are intertwined. The superficial layer is the epidermis, and its vitality plays a major role in determining skin’s brightness. Consider that it has five layers and four types of cells and you start to understand the intricacy of your skin. Next is the dermis, the middle layer that gives the epidermis firmness and tone and contributes to its hydration. This is where you’ll find capillaries, lymph node endings and sensory receptors. And between these two is the dermal-epidermal junction, which provides cohesion between these two layers and ensures good communication between their cells. Finally is the hypodermis, the deepest and thickest layer of dermal white adipose tissue that consists of fat cells. Reaching it can be tricky, and it’s something that Adipeau has perfected with a new technique. “Adipeau uses the pore housing the hair follicle to reach the dermal adipocytes or fat cells,” explains founder Ivan Galanin. “So, it’s really not a question of penetration — going through something — but of translocation — sliding down the pore.”
Adipeau Active Face Cream (50 ml), $120
By stimulating new fat cells in the deepest layer of the skin, Adipeau treats sinking and sagging skin at the same time, a revolutionary first in skincare.
Biologique Recherche Serum Elastine (30 ml), $130
This quintessential serum reduces wrinkles and fine lines by targeting both the epidermis, where it optimizes hydration, and the dermis, where it increases elasticity.
Stratum Corneum
The outer layer of the epidermis, the stratum corneum is home to your unique microbiome, or skin flora. The average adult has one thousand billion bacteria of more than 200 different species on their skin. This diverse collection of microorganisms helps to control the balance that characterizes healthy skin, forming a biofilm that helps protect against infections. Biologique Recherche’s Lotion P50 helps with shedding this layer and revealing fresh skin beneath, a natural process that slows with age.
Dermal-Epidermal Junction
An important communication area for skin cells, mediating the signals that influence their behaviour, this lipid junction system is like intercellular cement and forms a protective wall that prevents the skin from losing its water. In fact, skin disorders like dry skin or irritation can all be attributed to a low concentration of these phospholipids. They can be greatly assisted by creams rich in amino acids, glycoproteins and essential fatty acids, which help rebuild the structure of the skin to limit water loss.
Epidermis
The protective layer of the skin, the epidermis, is made up of five layers of cells that are constantly being renewed to help protect the skin from external attack. In addition to components like fibroblasts, which secrete collagen and elastic fibres, and melanocytes, which produce the skin’s pigment, this is where you’ll find filaggrin, a key player in the skin’s barrier function. Filaggrin strengthens the skin’s natural barrier by bringing together structural proteins that form tight bundles.
Dermis
Consider the dermis the “provider” of the epidermis because it nourishes and protects this vulnerable outermost layer of the skin. Here you’ll find collagen and elastin, support fibers, ground substance, blood capillaries, lymph node endings, nerve endings and sensory receptors. Not to be overlooked, the dermis gives the skin its firmness, tone and contributes to its hydration. It is a key area targeted by serums like Biologique Recherche’s Serum Elastine, which contains the same sequence of amino acids as that are found in elastin, the protein responsible for skin elasticity.
Hypodermis
This is the support structure of the skin, its deepest and thickest compartment that attaches to the dermis via collagen and elastin fibers. It is made up of adipocytes, cells that stockpile and store fat which are merged into lobules and separated by connective tissue. Adipeau caters to this area by promoting the maturation of fat cells in the hypodermis for a full and even texture.
