Environ Products

Many advertisements for skin care brands today make unsubstantiated claims of eternal youth, promoting fad ingredients that are made out to be miracle cures. Consumers are no longer fooled by glamorous photos of air-brushed celebrity beauties, but are looking for products that offer real results and a glowing, healthy radiance.

Environ’s vision has always been to make the best skin care in the world, through a philosophy of well researched, scientific skin care. Our products are effective, proven, cost-effective and inspired through teamwork.

As a brand we value and perform extensive research and development to offer our consumers exceptional skin care products.
We strive on integrity and keeping the meaningful promises we make to our consumers by offering the most effective skin care range that science permits.

ENVIRON FOR LIFE

The real beauty of Environ is that you do not need to alter the original regime you began with, except to add specific intensive products as and when needed. The concept of replacing lost vitamins in the skin is always adhered to. The skin does not change the way it works merely because a person ages. This means that regimes are similar for all, except that at different ages the levels of vitamins and certain intensive products will be utilised for specific concerns. Environ’s philosophy is to maintain a beautiful skin for a life time, no matter what your age, skin tone or gender may be.

We all age from birth onwards and our skin follows the same pattern. Thankfully there is a great deal one can do to maintain the appearance of a beautiful skin.

According to Dr. Desmond Fernandes, starting at a very early age and learning to maintain and nurture one of the greatest assets every person has, makes perfect scientific sense. Choosing the correct skin care routine for your age is crucial to maintaining beautiful skin throughout your life and well into your mature years.

CHILDHOOD

A child’s skin is biologically the same as an adult’s, yet much thinner, reaching adult thickness only by the age of twenty.
The way the skin functions is identical in children and adults with the subtle difference that adults have the influence of gender hormones, which children obviously do not yet have. This however, does not alter the metabolism and function of vitamin A and antioxidants to any significant degree.

Vitamin A needs to be supplied in the correct quantities to prevent the vitamin A deficiencies in skin caused as a direct result of exposure to the sun, pollutants and environmental elements. Vitamin A deficiency is a condition which starts in early childhood, but usually only manifests itself in the second or third decades of life and thereafter.

Environ products contain ingredients such as Vitamin A and antioxidants. These ingredients have been scientifically proven to provide skin with the essential cell signals and support molecules to prevent Vitamin A deficiency. Hence one should start teaching children how to care for their skins, from as young as possible. Environ’s introductory products are ideal for preparing and maintaining healthy skin in babies and young children.

Environ Debut or AVST 1 contains a low level of Vitamin A and is ideal for children from as early as six months and with regular use, the level of vitamin A can be slowly increased over time with Environ’s step-up system. The ultimate goal is to get children to a high level of vitamin A. The use of a broad spectrum sunscreen daily is advised to assist in maintaining a healthy skin.

Starting a skin care regime as mentioned above will give your skin a head start for adolescence. See our Specific Skin Concern guide for more information on young skin and recommended products.

ADOLESCENCE

The beautiful canvas of childhood and early youth is short lived due to the introduction of hormones. Almost overnight the skin’s texture, tone and secretions change dramatically and more often than not, for the worse. Arguably this is the worst time for these changes to occur and this can cause great emotional strife for many individuals.

The burning question of course, is whether one can actually do something to prevent, or at least alleviate this stormy response in the skin. Taking preventative action can help a great deal in assisting adolescents to navigate this period of intense self-seeking and social adjustment with more ease and clearer skins.

An excellent measure is to start young children, with a family history of problematic skin, on regular doses of topical vitamin A and antioxidants. Children’s skins, genetically prone to problems, that have been prepared with topical doses of vitamin A and antioxidants are less likely to behave negatively to the sudden hormonal stimulation characterised by adolescence.

The effects of this hormonal stimulation will vary greatly between individuals, yet without doubt adolescents will benefit from having had their skins prepared with vitamin A right from the word go. Anything one can do to lay the foundation for the future benefit of clearer skin, will make adolescent’s passage through this stormy period of their self-development easier and less stressful.

Environ has an ideal range of products specifically designed for oily and problematic skin. The B-Active range incorporates ingredients which assist in calming and soothing problematic skin. See our Specific Skin Concern guide for more information on problematic skin and recommended products.

TWENTIES

Are the glory years. Your skin is at its most beautiful, resilient and elastic. However, even though wrinkles are almost non-existent, this is when the signs of ageing begin to surface. If a skin care regime wasn’t followed in childhood or adolescence, it is of vital importance to do so now in order to reap the rewards in later years.

Skin in the twenties is usually firm and has good elasticity. There is very little evidence of crow’s feet or wrinkles. Though some individuals may have dark spots, skin tone on the whole is even. The first signs of ageing may occur in the second half of the 20’s depending on the skin type (the fairer you are the more likely it is that the ageing process will manifest earlier).

One will start to notice this around the eyes and lips, especially smokers and those who have had overexposure to the sun.
From twenty to thirty most people have relatively good skin and few people think of actively combating ageing or sun damage, nor skin cancer. This is often the time when outdoor activities are high on the list and sun exposure is quite high. “Safe sun” with enough time to produce good vitamin D levels (20 minutes) should be practiced while avoiding episodes of sun burn and over-exposure to ultra violet rays.

In order to delay the visible effects of ageing; one should use a skincare range containing vitamin A and antioxidants. A broad spectrum sunscreen should be applied daily in both summer and winter. Environ Facials, incorporating both iontophoresis and sonophoresis with the DF Machine should be done at least once a month and eye and lip care should become part of your daily routine.

Skin care also doesn’t start and end with the skin on your face, body care is just as important in order to retain a youthful appearance.  Looking after your body doesn’t only lead to healthier, better looking skin but many body treatments also shift harmful toxins and boost circulation to improve general health.

THIRTIES

The fun had in the 20s – parties, sunbathing, drinking and smoking – starts to show on one’s skin. Skin is changing and it begins to thin, making it more vulnerable to the environment. This is also the career-building, child-rearing decade so skin may suffer the ravages of too-little sleep and added stress.

This is when first wrinkles start developing; skin cells begin gradually losing elasticity, moisture lessens and the surface of the skin becomes drier. Cell turnover slows down and the complexion becomes less toned and uneven. Light wrinkles on the forehead, laughter lines, crow’s feet and under-eye puffiness may start to show. In order to put off these ageing effects, you should step up your skincare routine by using richer moisturisers containing stronger doses of vitamin A and antioxidants. It is also best to focus on protective skincare during the day, by using a broad spectrum sunscreen as well as day and night moisturisers containing vitamin A.

Women are in the unfortunate position that their hormone levels fluctuate continually from puberty to menopause. The sensitivity of skin to these hormones varies greatly between individuals and in the worst cases, outbreaks can occur before, during or after each menstruation.

Pregnancy can also present an enormous challenge to the skin and a large number of changes and conditions may be seen during this state of extremely high hormone levels. Some of the most noticeable are the changes in pigment, the appearance of stretch marks, spider veins and sagging skin. The best chance one has to counter the effects of pregnancy on the skin is to prevent chronic vitamin A deficiency.  Topical application of Vitamin A in pregnancy will assist in reducing the appearance of stretch marks and pigmentation.

FORTIES

At this stage, wrinkles are generally in full force and making themselves at home on the forehead and the areas around the mouth and eyes, while bags may appear under the eyes, accompanied by dark circles. Skin gets “lazier” and starts to lose its ability to regenerate by itself, often needing stimulation to do so.

Fine lines become deeper and skin shows the first signs of sagging. One may notice that overnight pillow creases last longer because skin loses the ability to plump back up, due to the breakdown of elastin and collagen. Cell renewal slows down and skin may become much drier if one is peri-menopausal. This is the age and life phase at which moisturising serums and hydrating masques become crucial and should be introduced as part of one’s regular skincare routine.

Skin becomes thin because of a general lack of vitamin A, sun damage, loss of sex hormones, general ageing and excess exposure to cortisone. Continuous exfoliation by mechanical or chemical means, will eventually also lead to thinner and more vulnerable skin, so it is important not to over-exfoliate. If the skin is not assisted by proper nutrition of all elements which contribute to healthy cell behaviour, the end result will be malnutrition. Just as humans become very thin when they are starving and undernourished, so too does the skin, when it lacks essential vitamins and nutrients.

Environ moisturisers contain essential vitamins and antioxidants to assist the skin for a healthier appearance.

FIFTIES

Less collagen is produced. Skin begins to sag, the jowls and jaw line lose firmness and the face becomes “flatter” as it loses volume. Lips become thinner and the neck starts showing signs of discoloration and wrinkles.

Facial skin becomes dehydrated, loses elasticity, is less dense and brown pigment spots may appear on the surface. High levels of vitamin A and C are a must for the skin at this stage in one’s life. Environ products such as the Ionzyme C-Quence range, Original Ultra Day and Night or AVST 5 as well as C-Boost from the Intensive Range may assist in providing these essential vitamins.

Menopausal acne can be a concern for some women in this life stage, often affecting those who have had mild acne during the onset of puberty and clear skins thereafter. The onset of menopause is distressing enough without the fear of developing acne so ensure you feed your skin with enough vitamin A, C and antioxidants to avoid this added stress.

Men are luckier in this regard. Only a few individuals will experience persistent acne after puberty and young adulthood as acne does not often reappear in males, later in life, as it does with females.

Testosterone levels in men remain fairly constant and the sebum glands appear to adapt over time with acne settling down in the process. Only about fifteen percent of men experience a true hormonal “change of life” resulting in dramatically lowered testosterone after fifty to sixty years of age.

Fifty is certainly not old! Following a good skin care regime with products containing essential vitamins and antioxidants will assist mature skin to have a softer, smoother appearance.

SIXTIES PLUS

The skin requirements of this age group does not materially differ from other age groups and they will be equally well served by applying sufficient doses of topical vitamin A and other essential vitamins and antioxidants, as found in Environ products, as part of their daily skin care regime.