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Award-winning biotech skincare solutions company, Esse, has opened its new training centre, the Esse Academy, at its headquarters in Richmond, KwaZulu-Natal.
The Academy's first offering is a novel course that trains dermatologists, medical aestheticians and skin therapists in the innovative science that is evolving around the skin microbiome.
Esse founder and biochemist, Trevor Steyn, has been a global leader in pioneering the importance of the skin microbiome (i.e. the delicate ecology of microorganisms that exists on every person). Says Steyn: “The use of antibiotics, disinfectants and chemical-based cosmetics is disrupting the skin’s microbial ecology, leading to chronic sub-clinical inflammation and premature ageing. Over the last few years, Esse has invested heavily in training for skincare professionals.”
Believed to be the first of its kind in South Africa, the new Esse five-day course covers the microbial ecosystem on skin and possible probiotic treatments for skin conditions.
Each group that attends the Esse Academy will be exposed to both theoretical and practical elements, gaining experience in swabbing and genetic analysis, growing cultures and microscopic analysis.
Course attendees will leave the course with: a clear understanding of the skin microbiome and its impact on skin health; knowledge of the key species and their role in the ecology; and knowledge of how probiotics can be used to treat skin conditions.
Steyn notes that the Esse Academy is sustainably constructed using glass and wood, merging into the environment with an air-control system that provides a constant flow of cool forest air.