Did you know that the topical product penetration rate is only about 1-7%? Yes, that’s it! Most of the product simply sits on the surface of the skin.
So why is the topical product penetration rate so low?
It is because of the structure of the skin’s upper most layer (epidermis). This layer is made of bi-layers, containing a water phase and an oil phase. It is because of this oily phase that topical products do not really penetrate. Oil has a repelling effect. Have you ever tried to combine oil and water? Even if you haven’t, you probably know that they don’t mix together. The same science applies to our skin.
Considering that many products contain chemicals, dyes, fragrance and preservatives, it’s not a bad thing that our skin doesn’t absorb much of the topical products. We have to be smart about what products we use. One of the reasons we love Environ products is because they follow European Union standards and they use freshest, highest quality ingredients. Did you know that there are 1500 ingredients that are not allowed to be used in cosmeceuticals by EU standards? In comparison, the FDA prohibits only 150 ingredients!
When you know that your products are great quality containing active ingredients such as vitamins, anti-oxidants, peptides, growth factors, hyaluronic acid (like our favorite Environ line does), you want to make sure that they will penetrate more than just 1-7%. Otherwise it’s a waste of money.
To improve topical product penetration, we recommend the home version of micro-needling such as Environ Gold Roll-CIT.
This tool features 260 ultra-fine stainless steel sterile needles which make temporary micro-channels in the skin through which products can enter the skin with ease. It increases topical product penetration by 100%. The Environ rollers are currently the only ones that are approved by FDA on US market.
If you would like to purchase or learn more about Environ Rollers and products, please call us at 617-595-2510 or e-mail at [email protected].
