SKINIPEDIA - Skin Encyclopedia: Daily Resurfacer Dermalogica

DAILY RESURFACER by Dermalogica

In their quest to achieve smoother, healthier-looking skin, clients have made skin exfoliants one of the most sought-after product categories in skin care. The popularity of exfoliants can be attributed not only to the desire to help reduce the signs of premature aging, but also to the fact that the ingredients are more pharmaceutical than cosmetic in nature, which provides clients with immediate results.

The International Dermal Institute have been studying different exfoliation agents to determine how to achieve the desired smoothness of freshly exfoliated skin without compromising the barrier properties of the epidermis or over-exfoliating the skin. This research initially resulted in the 2001 introduction of Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant®, a unique formula that delivers the benefits of a daily exfoliation treatment without the concerns of over-exfoliation, even when used on a daily basis. We call this gentle, non-invasive chemical and mechanical form of treatment microfoliation.

The International Dermal Institute has taken their research efforts one step further and developed a new, unique daily treatment product that utilizes non-irritating hydroxy acids combined with enzymes and botanical extracts that exfoliate the outermost layers of the Stratum Corneum, leaving skin resurfaced, smoothed and brightened. One of the unique features of this product is that it is gentle enough to be left on the skin (no removal or application of a neutralizing second product is required) yet effective enough to provide immediate results.

Skin structure and physiology

In order to understand how this product resurfaces the skin, we need to look first at the structure and physiology of the skin and how chemical exfoliants work in general. The outer layer of the epidermis, known as the Stratum Corneum (SC), consists of 14 to 30 cell layers of keratin-rich corneocytes embedded in a lipid matrix. The outermost 3-4 cell layer region of the SC, referred to as the stratum disjunctum, is the layer that is most often affected during exfoliation or during the skin's natural process of desquamation (cell sloughing).

We know from our research that epidermal cells adhere to each other on the top, sides and bottoms of the cells via calcium dependent desmosomes. As the cells move upward from the deeper layers of the epidermis to the outermost layers of the Stratum Corneum, the desmosome attachments become weaker. This weakening action is accelerated by enzymes that break the bonds of the desmosomes and free the cells to slough off. While scientists are not certain what
controls this process, there is a theory that the cells are programmed when they are residing in the lower layers of the epidermis. Each cell has something that is similar to an alarm clock that ensures the cell is linked for a certain period of time. When the “alarm” goes off, cell cohesion decreases, allowing the cells to slough off.

The complex process known as keratinization commences with the birth of a new daughter cell at the basal cell layer (Stratum Germinativum) and its progression upward until it is shed as a Stratum Corneum Corneocyte. This normally takes about four weeks; however, it can take as many as eleven weeks, depending on age and the condition of the skin. As expected, younger skin is more efficient at this process of desquamation, which stimulates the growth of newer cells at a deeper level. As we age, the glue-like intercellular cement holding the cells together becomes denser, causing a build up in the layers of cells. The skin's natural ability to slough cells becomes more difficult, resulting in skin that appears dull, is thicker and has less tone. This may be exacerbated by environmental factors (exposure to sunlight), hormonal influences (androgens, estrogens and epidermal growth factor) and deficiencies in various vitamins (A and D).

With all of these influences affecting the desquamation process, it is apparent why exfoliation is so important to the skin. Removing this build up of dead, damaged skin cells stimulates the regeneration of new cells, improving the skin's appearance, feel and texture.


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