A beautiful skin for a lifetime

The introduction of vitamin A into the formulation of skin care products heralded a new era in the treatment of sun-damaged skin. Although some cosmetic houses were using very low doses of vitamin A in their skin care products in the 1980s, Dr Des Fernandes, a prominent Cape Town plastic surgeon, was the first person in the world to introduce vitamin A in high effective doses. This range established Environ® as a leader in cosmeceutical skin care.

Related information / articles by Dr Fernandes:

• The motivation for the birth of Environ®
• Maximising skin care with the use of advanced skin penetration techniques.
• Varieties of vitamin A used in cosmetic preparations applied to the skin.
• Vitamin C

The products are vitamin based enabling highly effective restoration of the skin cells resulting in a more youthful and healthy complexion.
Vitamin A will:

• Normalise skin cells
• Speeds up the repair process
• Protects the skin cells immunity
• Increases cell renewal
• Compacts the very top layer of the skin
• Extra hydration of the epidermis, gives the skin a fresh healthy/plump appearance
• Balances the sebum (oil) production of the skin, whether it be dry or oily
• Evens out skin tone/colouring
• Assists in the production of healthy collagen & elastin

Vitamin C will:

• An excellent and proven anti-oxidant
• Assists in the production of healthy collagen & elastin
• Strengthen the capillary walls (helps reduce redness)
• Sooths & calms the skin
• Lightens & brightens the skin (healthy glow)
• Increases the skin's natural sun protection (however, a good SPF sunscreen should always be used to really protect against sundamage)
• Heals scar tissue
• Hydrates the skin

Vitamin E will:

• Works with Vitamin C as an anti-oxidant
• Protects the skin from the environment
• All vitamins work in synergy with each other to obtain maximum benefit to the skin.

PRODUCTS

Ageing is a chronic disease that needs daily treatment starting before the visible signs show, after all prevention is better than cure. As we get older, more intensive treatment is required. Daily treatment using the Environ® range will help reduce and delay the signs of photo-ageing.

Environ® skin care products have been formulated to combat and relieve the harmful effects of the harsh climatic changes of today’s environment specifically pollution and ever-increasing doses of radiation from the sun due to the thinning of the protective ozone layer. Added to these are the modern-day effects of social and work stresses and poor diet.

The Environ® products offer a definite regime to nourish, protect and maintain a healthy, youthful and beautiful skin. Each product is made from the highest quality ingredients. They are mostly free from fragrance, preservatives, colourants and animal extracts.

Alpha-Hydroxy Range

The Alpha-Hydroxy range is based on gentle, non-toxic Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) that assist in softening and smoothing the skin. The range also assists the natural exfoliating function, leading to a smoother skin with greater resilience and finer texture, whilst replenishing the skin’s natural acidity. Skin becomes accustomed to AHAs by gradually adapting from milder to higher concentrations.

The Alpha Hydroxy Toners are an essential step in promoting the natural acid mantle of the skin and assisting the penetration of the Environ® Original, Ionzyme or Alpha preparations. They remove residual cleanser and help to firm and refine the appearance of the skin.

The Alpha Hydroxy Creams and Gel are specifically designed for congested, and mature, photo-aged skin. Not recommended for young healthy skin. Other than the Alpha Toners and the Alpha Day Lotion SPF15, all Alpha Hydroxy products should be used at night only.

AHAs also help to replenish the skin’s natural acidity, preventing a build-up of bacteria which can cause blemishes. They support cell regeneration.

B-Active range

The ß-Active range is specifically intended for problem skin. Each product contains Australian tea tree oil for its antiseptic properties to help control bacteria and inflammation and most contain salicylic acid for its mild exfoliant properties.

Intensive Range

The Intensive range is designed to provide the skin with specialised intense treatments. The products are intended for use by those who wish to obtain maximum benefit from vitamins and nutrients for specific problem areas. Each product has special active ingredients that increase the rejuvenating effect on the skin, providing faster results. The range should be regarded as a supplement to the Original and Ionzyme ranges.

Original Range
The Original range consists of light, non-greasy products containing vitamin A, a free radical scavenging system of beta-carotene, vitamins C and E and provitamin B5.

Medical research and extensive trials have shown that vitamin A has a corrective effect on skin, smoothing and softening it, whilst at the same time protecting it from the effects of ultra-violet irradiation and free radicals.

The most important activity of vitamin A is that it normalises the skin. It promotes the production of healthy collagen and elastin and improves the natural moisturising factors of the skin, leading to healthier, younger looking skin.

The strength of vitamin A increases through the range of Environ® Original products. This will enable the skin to acclimatise to the formula and to gain maximum long-term benefits. The Day Creams contain a sun protection factor (SPF4).

Interactive Range
The Interactive range of products can “interact”, or be used in conjunction with, any of the other Environ® product ranges. The function of the Interactive range is to prepare the skin for the application of the important active products, or to boost their effects.

Ionzyme Range

Environ® first launched the Ionzyme® C-Quence skin care products in 1997. With the aid of advanced technology and the inclusion of more effective, chirally correct ingredients, Environ® has now formulated an improved Ionzyme® C-Quence range. It enriches the skin with an exciting combination of powerful antioxidants and vitamins, thereby introducing a new dimension to advanced skin care. This improved range is the most luxurious Environ® home treatment available. It will help speed up the restoration of the skin cells resulting in a more youthful and healthy complexion.
Ionzyme® C-Quence products are manufactured each week with gentle loving care under the most sterile conditions to ensure that the client receives the freshest products possible. C-Quence Gels and the C-Quence Crème are available fragranced or non-fragranced. C-Quence 4 is only available non-fragranced. No preservatives or sunscreens are included in this range.

No expense has been spared in the research and production of these improved C-Quence Gels. Each of these unique formulae is enriched with vitamin A in the form of Retinyl Acetate, a very active, oil soluble form of vitamin C and chirally correct vitamin E. They also contain a cocktail of Matrixyl® and Dermaxyl™ as well as three extremely powerful antioxidants, Lycopene (a tomato derivative), Green Tea and Rosemary extracts.

The C-Quence Gels are made from the finest, purest ingredients and are produced in four varying strengths. For the best, long-term benefits, follow the sequence of these strengths. This will enable your skin to acclimatise to the formulae to gain maximum long-term benefits and to avoid any potential skin reactions. The C-Quence Gels are not recommended for use on problematic skins.

Suncare Range
One should not underestimate the importance of daily protection from ultra violet rays and free radicals such as pollution.

Damage by free radicals has been linked to premature aging and wrinkling as they damage the collagen and elastin in our skin, causing it to become less resilient and more wrinkled.

All is not lost however because excess free radicals can be inhibited by compounds called Antioxidants. Antioxidants are a relatively new concept in protecting the skin from damage by UV rays. Antioxidants protect the skin by “mopping up” unstable free radicals released by ultra violet light and modifying their harmful effects.

Environ®s Sun Care Range contains rich doses of free-radical scavengers and Antioxidants to combat the effects of the sun & pollution on your skin.

Evenescence Range
Environ® are proud to announce the launch of their new Evenescence Clarifying Range, formulated with scientifically proven ingredients to address the problem of age spots, dark marks and uneven skin tone.

The combination of products uniquely work together to achieve remarkable changes in the appearance of dark spots on the skin. The Clarifying Range is most effective when used with high levels of vitamin A, which assist to control melanin distribution. Environ® ’s Original and C-Quence Ranges of skin care products contain progressively increased levels of Vitamin A and when used with the Clarifying Range provide even more noticeable results.