Estheticians perform treatments on the skin’s barrier every day; and although it is the last thing a skin therapist intends to do, they could be damaging the skin’s barrier unknowingly during treatment. Corneobiology can help us to better understand what is happening in skin by identifying the multiple actions that take place in the skin’s barrier. This body of science can be adopted through the skin therapy approach called corneotherapy. This article will take a closer look at corneotherapy and decipher how it can be applied to the treatment room. WHAT IS CORNEOTHERAPY? Corneotherapy refers to therapeutic interventions aimed at repairing stratum corneum barriers impaired through dermatologic disorders such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, irritant allergic contact dermatitis and chronic alipidic skin. This therapy is centered around the science of corneobiology, which is focused on the anatomy, physiology and biology of the stratum corneum. Corneobiology encompasses disciplines including immunology, endocrinology and psychology, all of which have a connection to the central nervous system. Until the latter half of the 20th century, the stratum corneum was viewed as an impermeable barrier to the environment, with no biological function. This is when Albert Kligman, M.D., conducted a series of experiments showing that the stratum corneum is biologically active cellular tissue; this is also when the understanding of topical therapies changed. Kligman named these therapies corneotherapy. The study of corneobiology was further enhanced by the work of Peter Elias, M.D., who defined the fundamental functions of the stratum corneum. He outlined 10 functions of this horny layer, and collaborating with Kligman, added six more for a total of 16, explained next.  Read More >>