A Comparative Report on Acids and Herbal Aktiv Peel™
Originally published on the 13th of February, 2013
The Role of Skin Peeling in Modern Aesthetics
Skin peeling or resurfacing is an important and time-proven procedure that supports cell renewal, regeneration and indeed facilitates better penetration of active topical substances into the skin. Many options are available to the professional aesthetic therapist. The choice has increased greatly in the last few years with the introduction of high-tech modalities such as laser, light, ultrasound and radio frequency devices.
A Historical Perspective on Peeling Techniques
Skin peels were first categorised into light (or superficial), medium and deep by German dermatologist P.G. Unna over a century ago. They are designed to create a controlled injury on the skin. The destruction of outer skin layers will generate re-growth of new skin cells, resulting in a more uniform and improved appearance of the skin.
A deeper wound will generate a more significant result but this carries increased risk. The strongest chemical peels can create an abnormal epidermis. It appears shiny, pale in colour and abnormally translucent. The risk of complications such as hypertrophic scarring, loss of pigmentation, demarcation lines and persistent redness have rendered deep skin peels less popular.
Laser resurfacing is a relatively new modality offered by physicians. Whilst results can be quite spectacular it has been pointed out that ablative laser treatments will often destroy the skin’s pilosebaceous units. Normal epidermal re-growth will not occur; the new skin will be scar tissue. The latest development designed to overcome this issue is the Fraxel Laser. Wounding of the skin is reduced to tiny spots, lessening the chance of complications.
Light and Medium Peels: Safer but Still Risky
Light and medium chemical peels are the preferred options for professional aestheticians. A multitude of different peeling agents is available, under different brand names. As with deep peels, the result of these peeling agents relates to the depth of the wound created in the skin. Many factors will impact on the treatment: how the skin is prepared, the concentration and pH of the peeling agent, the way it is applied, after care and last but not least, selection of client.
Even prior use of home care containing AHAs, a micro-dermabrasion treatment or just inadvertently scratching the skin may cause a deeper wound than intended. A level of unpredictability is therefore inherent in these treatments. With darker skin types, skin pigmentation is an ever present danger.
In the final analysis all these modalities create an injury. They rely on the body’s regenerative powers to improve the appearance of the skin.
Herbs2Peel: A Natural Alternative
Herbal peeling works from the opposite end of the spectrum. The skin naturally renews itself every 28 to 35 days. We know that a herbal peel can significantly shorten this natural renewal process.
The initial peeling treatment takes one hour. It is performed by a qualified skin therapist in an accredited skin clinic. The client leaves the salon with her skin fully intact. Nearly everyone agrees that their skin at this point looks better than it did just an hour earlier. It is glowing, as if after a workout in the gym, and it feels tight as if it was ‘sunburnt’.
The Herbal Aktiv Peel™ Process and Timeline
When touching the skin the client feels the tiny herbal particles embedded in it. These herb particles will dissolve in the skin over the next two days. In the process they release their bio-active ingredients – vitamins, minerals, trace elements and more. By the third day the skin will usually start to peel. We have seen cases where the peeling started on the second day and others where it peels on the fourth day. It would appear that contributing factors determining the delay are the health of the client and the speed of their metabolism.
The peeling usually begins around the mouth region. Over the next 24 hours it progresses over the rest of the face. At this point the client is ready for the Post Treatment – the final removal of the last traces of old skin, combined with a Vitamin Mask rich in beneficial substances.
The Power of Herbs in Skin Renewal
Herbs contain a plethora of active ingredients that cannot be matched in a man-made preparation. These constituents become active in smallest concentrations of one millionth of a gram. They offer a synergy that cosmetic chemists cannot reproduce in their laboratories – call it the ‘mystery of nature’ if you like.
How Deep Does Herbs2Peel Go?
The fact that the epidermis remains completely undamaged during the massage, and the fact that the skin peels only 3 or 4 days after the actual treatment, shows that Herbal Aktiv Peel™ is an ‘epidermal’ peel. It doesn’t go deep at all, and is therefore safer. However, photographs show surprising outcomes. Series of 3 or 4 treatments have even improved the appearance of stretch marks significantly.
Key Differences Between Acids and Herbs2Peel
There is another fundamental difference between chemical acids and Herbal Aktiv Peel™. Removal of one of more layers with acids will leave the skin vulnerable to external influences, with infection an ever present threat.
With Herbal Aktiv Peel™, the old skin stays in place whilst the new skin regenerates. The developing new skin is protected until it is ready to face the environment without ill effects. Our photo shows the healthy appearance of the new skin immediately following the Herbal Aktiv Peel™.
We are instructed NEVER to force off the old skin prematurely. Nature will cause it to detach as soon as the new skin is ready.
A Synergistic, Nutrient-Rich Approach to Exfoliation
The uniqueness of Herbal Aktiv Peel™ is that it provides an effective, progressive and thorough exfoliation of dead cells that contribute to the appearance of dull and ageing skin. This process is further supported by the introduction of a unique blend of nutrient rich herbs that provide anti-bacterial, antioxidant and regenerating benefits.
These protect, strengthen and support the integrity of the skin. They improve its clarity and appearance, and help us reach our ultimate objective – a successful result of healthy looking skin.
Time-Release Delivery for Superior Results
It is a proven fact that only a small percentage of ingredients contained in a topically applied cosmetic product will actually be available to the skin. Tests conducted in Germany using alpha-tocopherol in different emulsion types have shown that uptake by the skin varies between 4% to a maximum of 11%. By contrast, ingredients contained in the herbs massaged into the skin are being released over an extended period of time and are therefore available to the skin for much longer. It’s like a ‘time-release’ concentrated supply which goes some way to explain the superior outcome of the Herbal Aktiv Peel™.
