Enzyme peel is one of the light skin exfoliating treatments. It affects the superficial layers of the skin and peels off the topmost layers of dead skin epithelium. It doesn’t only clean the skin but also saturates it with vitamins and minerals.

Enzymes are a biologically active substances of protein nature that catalyze chemical reactions.In living organisms they accelerate the progress of biochemical reactions in hundreds of and thousands of times. Each enzyme is specific for substances which it affects. These substrates may be proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The enzyme itself remains unchanged.

Properties of enzymes:

All types of enzymes have several common properties:
- Each specific enzyme that breaks only only certain group of nutritious substances and do not split the other;
- Enzymes act only under a certain pH conditions;
- Enzymes are most active at body temperature;
- Small amount of enzyme can split a large quantity of organic matter.

Enzymes are produced in cells of animals and plants, enzymes are obtained from the secrete of animals’ glands and from different parts of plants. They can also be produced by industrial means, using fungal cultures and bacteria cultures.

Types of enzymes used for skin exfoliation:

Following types of enzymes are the most common used by Cosmetologists for skin peel treatment:
- Pancreatin, which is secreted by pancreatic glands of pigs;
- Trypsin, which is obtained by separation and purification of pancreatin; used for sanation of wounds;
- bromelain is obtained from pineapple juice;
- Papain, obtained from papaya juice.

Enzymes produced by bacteria and fungi are also used for cosmetic purposes.

What type is suitable for your skin?

Enzymes that belong to the group of proteolytic enzymes splitting proteins are the most popular for exfoliation purposes. Some enzymes, for instance, trypsin, affect only the dry, dead skin cells and do not affect young and living cells. Vegetable enzymes papain and bromelain affect both dead and living cells.

For problem skin the most effective peel is the peel based on pancreatic enzymes that usually contain two components: the proteolytic enzyme protease, which affects the protein and keratin, and lipolytic enzymes – lipase, which affects lipids found in follicular comedones and fatty cells. Lipase hydrolyzes oils inside the comedo, and Protease acts inside the pore digesting dry cells which clog it. And then the comedo easily removed. At the same time pancreatin lipolytic component beneficially influences the oily skin splitting the excessive oil and reducing greasy shine.

Enzyme Amylase initiates the hydrolysis of glucose bonds – part of the so-called “cellular glue” that helps to bind the dead cells with the underlying layers of living cells.

Enzymatic peel stimulates effective natural biochemical processes in the skin, restores the microcirculation in the capillaries, opens pores, removes dead cells. For best results professional enzyme peel programs should be used.