The introduction of vitamin A into the formulation of skin care products heralded a new era in the treatment of sun-damaged skin. Although some cosmetic houses were using very low doses of vitamin A in their skin care products in the 1980s, Dr. Des Fernandes, a prominent Cape Town, South African plastic surgeon, was the first person in the world to introduce vitamin A in high effective doses. This range established Environ ® as a leader in skin care.
The Environ® skin care range was first formulated as a result of Dr. Fernandes’ misfortune when he attempted to treat the melanoma of two young patients, who both died before they were twenty-three years old. Such a difficult experience leaves an indelible scar on one’s life as a doctor. For this reason, he started to study the mechanism of skin cancer and the skin – and thus Environ® was born.