Trust me when I say that this concept was new to me also. In school, we were never taught skin care along these principles. In fact, everything was chemical peels, microdermabrasion or the standard basic facials. Of course, lots of things have evolved now, but in most cases, it's still along the lines of first destroying the outer layer of the skin to stimulate collagen production in order to create new “perfect” skin. So, what exactly is Corneotherapy and how does it affect and improve the skin? 

What is Corneotherapy? 

Corneotherapy focuses on repairing and building the skin’s defense systems. It is an “outside in” approach to skin care meaning that it starts its healing effects on the surface of the skin, working its way down into the deeper layers while keeping the skin intact and maintaining the protective barrier at all times. Your stratum corneum (the topmost layer of your skin) and its defense mechanisms are extremely important in preventing microorganisms, and harmful substances from entering into the skin. Whatever happens on the outside of your skin has a direct effect on the workings of the inner layers as there are messengers on our skin that work in tandem with our innate immune system and underlying cells. What usually happens is that in many cases, through improper use of skin care and exfoliating treatments, this protective barrier becomes compromised. As such the immune system gets triggered leading to inflammation which accelerates aging and also leads to a plethora of other skin issues such as acne. Eczema, and xerosis (extremely dry skin) are also culprits of a compromised skin barrier.  

Corneotherapy also restores the health of the skin by concentrating on addressing the causes in order to treat the symptoms unlike traditional skin care practices which tend to focus mainly on the symptoms. As such, doing treatments from a corneotherapeutic approach delivers preventative care and longer lasting results. To be a Corneotherapist, one has to be extremely knowledgeable about the skin beyond what is generally taught in esthetics school in order to properly carry out a skin assessment to effectively treat the skin. 

Are products used different from traditional cosmetic formulations? 

Yes, they are very different from traditional skin care products. Corneotherapy products are made to be as compatible with the skin as possible to mimic the skin’s lipid structure. These formulations do not include fragrances, especially synthetic fragrance, mineral oil, silicones, preservatives which can cause allergic reactions, comedogenic ingredients and ingredients that strip the skin’s natural oils and protective barrier among others. At Star Naturale Beauty, the corneotherapeutic brand used is Roccoco Botanicals in which all of the formulations are typically acne-safe and maintains a healthy skin barrier. 

What treatments are considered Corneotherapy? 



With Corneotherapy, it is believed less is more. Acceptable forms of corneotherapy treatments are superficial exfoliation such as enzymes and gentle scrubs with biodegradable granules such as jojoba beads or salt, LED, microneedling, nano-needling/Collagen Induction Therapy, Galvanic therapy, oxygen therapy, IPL, Long Pulsed Laser and Microcurrent. All of these treatment modalities are not abrasive or remove the epidermis. So, you can still get a lot of exciting treatments, even some that are trending! In addition, because they don’t remove the outer layer of the skin, these modalities are perfect for sensitive skin, there is no downtime, your skin is protected and the barrier is maintained reducing the risk of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) which is so prevalent in skin of colour.  

This also means that dermaplaning, chemical peels, microdermabrasion and ablative lasers to name a few are not used under this skin philosophy. But the great news is that you really do not need these measures to treat skin conditions. 

When I learnt about Corneotherapy and how it benefits the skin as a whole and the fact that it is a holistic means of addressing skin conditions in all skin types and colours with reduced risk, I was sold! I hope that you would have learnt so much from this article and that the term Corneotherapy makes much more sense to you now. The only thing left for you to do now is to treat your skin in a slightly different way and allow the magic of Corneotherapy to unfold before your eyes!