The Magic of Your Skin
A Spectacular Structure
Your skin is a miraculous living fabric. We often only see its aesthetic, but its three layers maintain our health and wellbeing in more ways than we probably imagine.
The Epidermis
The epidermis is the outermost layer, known as the cuticle or protective layer and is made of tightly packed, scale-like cells that are continually being shed. An entirely new cuticle layer of skin forms every twenty-eight days, although this is believed to slow down with age.
The Dermis
The next layer is the dermis. It is also called the 'true skin' because most of the vital functions of the skin are performed there. It contains the glands that secrete perspiration and sebum (oil), the papilla (hair manufacturing plant), nerve fibers, blood vessels, lymph glands and sense receptors. The dermis has an elastic quality that is due to the protein connective tissues called elastin and collagen. These proteins give skin its strength as well as its flexibility.
The Subcutaneous Layer
Below the dermis is the third layer called the subcutaneous layer. It is made of a fatter tissue that gives the skin its smoothness and contour and serves as a shock absorber for the vital organs. In addition, this layer stores energy and helps to keep us warm.
Ultimate Protection
Unbroken, the skin is our first line of defense against disease and bacterial invasion. It regulates body temperatures, sends neurological messages to the brain, detoxifies by excreting wastes from the body, respires (absorbs oxygen and releases carbon dioxide), absorbs nutrients, manufactures vitamin D and protects the body from ultraviolet damage from the sun
Let It Breathe
Optimal skincare recognizes that the skin is our largest vital organ and it requires care and attention to look and perform at its best. The skin takes in oxygen and expels carbon dioxide. In fact, the skin does up to five percent or more of all the “breathing” done by the body. It also functions similar to the kidneys, eliminating up to two pints of water and salts every day.
The Truth About Skincare
The reality is that the quality and health of our skin is a reflection of the topical skincare regime. Most skincare products on the market today offer nothing more than a "cosmetic cover-up." Simply covering up skin issues instead of addressing them, by using harmful ingredients that can suffocate the skin. Keeping oxygen out and trapping toxins in.
What is “Mature Skin”?
Throughout the course of our lives, our skin will change from the soft and delicate characteristics of baby skin to childhood's smooth, velvety texture and resilience. During the teenage years, the skin reacts to changes in our diets and hormones and continues to change through the twenties when our skin starts to mature. By our thirties, the skin begins drying and we notice signs of the first wrinkles. By forty, our skin is ageing. As the skin ages, it characteristically becomes drier and loses its elasticity.
Everything Slows Down
The skin's rejuvenating capacity slows down as we get older and the oxygen and nutrient supply reduces because of a decrease in blood circulation. Protective oil (sebum) production decreases. These changes take place in the dermal layer of the skin. Just how fast and to what extent this dermal layer changes depends on three things: our age, our genetics and lifestyle. On the surface of the skin, as the cells work their way from the dermal layer outward, the cells become thicker and denser and lose their ability to retain moisture. Lubrication decreases, which give mature, skin its dry appearance.
Loss of Hydration
Hydration of the skin starts from within. Increasing the intake of pure and fresh water helps replenish the skin's lost moisture. Eight to ten glasses of water daily give the skin an edge in its fight against dehydration.
The body consists of about 70% water with some skin cells containing over 90% water. When cells lose water, they diminish in size and flatten out. Chronic cell dehydration appears as lines, wrinkles and lackluster skin. Good circulation and sufficient water lay the foundation for youthful looking skin. Proper circulation enables a normal cellular exchange of nutrients and wastes, so that the cells receive adequate nourishment and wastes are routinely eliminated. Without proper circulation, cell renewal and repair slow and toxins accumulate.
Wrinkles Start to Appear
The age at which wrinkles start to appear is largely determined by genetics but has been proven that aging can be accelerated by overexposure to sunlight, pollutants, poor diet and low oxygen levels in the skin. Our skin tissue loses about 30% of its oxygen “capacity” by the age of 30 and close to 60% by age 40. As oxygen metabolism decreases, the cells cannot dispose of wastes, cannot fully utilize key molecules in the blood stream and free radical damage increases dramatically.