Before you can consider what you should do to take care of your skin, you should know more about skin and its function. Skin is an organ of the integumentary system and consists of several distinct layers of disuse. Its primary function is protection but it also synthesises vitamins A and D and provides sensation. It protects the internal organs and muscles, protects against pathogens and protects against excessive heat and cold by insulation.
The average person has 1½-2 m² of skin that is on average two-three millimetres thick and so is by far the largest organ in (or is it 'on') the body. Every 6½ cm² (1inch²) contains approximately: 20 blood vessels, 650 sweat glands, 60,000 melanocytes and 1,000+ nerve endings. The melanocytes provide the pigmentation, which originally depended on the climate of the country of birth. This is no longer always the case live in countries that their ancestors emigrated too, but retain their original pigmentation. This pigmentation provides important protection against the ultra-violet (UV) rays of the sun, which can cause skin cancer (melanoma). It also contains DNA enzymes, which help repair damage caused by UV.
Skin in all fauna fulfils the function of protection, but the similarity does not always go any further. The skin of most mammals is resistant to absorption and can be covered in hairs, which if dense enough is called fur. This hair can help the skin with its insulation; provide camouflage and even sexual attraction by display, sensation and transmission of scent (body odour and pheromones). The skin of reptiles and fish is hard and bony, usually protected further by scales and the skin of amphibians is often thinner and permeable.
What we call human skin is actually three layers thick: the outer layer or epidermis provides waterproofing and other protection. It has no blood vessels and so is not nourished directly by the body, but rather by osmosis from the dermis below it. It is actually made up of four strata (five on the feet). The outermost layer, or corneum, consists of 25-30 layers of dead cells and is produced by the lowest stratum, which gradually 'floats to the surface' as the surface layer erodes. The whole process takes about 30 days from start to finish.
.jpg)
Skin must be kept clean for it to carry out its functions. If not cleansed (washed) regularly enough, the dead cells, which are continually falling off can stick in the oily sweat produced by the skin itself. This mixture of dead skin, sweat, oil and dirt will attract microbes, yeast and other flora which will endeavour to 'eat' (decompose) it, which produces an unpleasant odour and can further clog the sweat glands. Skin which is not properly irrigated by the body can crack allowing germs and pathogens to get in and cause further, more serious problems.
However, no matter how much you wash your skin, it will always have its own extensive 'farm' of flora and fauna (yeasts and bacteria) growing and feeding on it! It is estimated that every square inch of skin has 50,000,000 bacteria on it - minimum! The face probably has ten times more, because it is more oily.
All you really need to do is adjust your clothing for the climate; allow sufficient light and air onto your body and keep it clean. Despite this, every civilisation endeavours to mask or enhance the natural odour of a clean body with some sort of natural or chemical preparation.
Michael Russell
Your independent guide to Skin Care
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell
