Your skin has tasted all the fruits of your life alongside you. From your first scar, to your first kiss, it's there protecting you, allowing you to experience touch. Your skin is packed with the nerve endings that allow you to feel your mums shirt scrunching while you hug her, or the cool crisp ocean water streaming through your fingers. But exactly is skin? And why is skincare important?
What is Skin?
Our skin is the largest organ in our body, and continuously protects everything inside. It varies in density and texture throughout the body and is soft yet durable, allowing movement and growth as well being resistant to tearing. As an integral and easily visible part of the body, it's often a great indicator of health.
Layers of Skin
It's made up of three main layers.
1. Epidermis
The epidermis is the top layer of skin that we can see and it contains melanin. It's made up of cell several 'sheets' - new epidermal cells are made in the bottom sheet, pushing dead skin cells to the surface to be replaced.
2. Dermis
The dermis is underneath the epidermis. It contains nerves, blood vessels, sweat glands, hair follicles and sebaceous glands. The dermis made up of collagen (protein fibres) and elastin (elastic fibres) for strength and suppleness respectively.
3. Subcutis
The subcutis is a layer of fat underneath the dermis, giving your skin it's smoothness and your body its contour. The subcutis stores Adipose fat as a source of energy, whilst providing mechanical protection and thermal insulation.
Functions
Know as one of our most versatile organs, these are some of its functions.
- First line of bacterial and alien organism defence
- Sweat cooling system
- Body waterproofing
- Provides touch (is a sensory organ) and therefore information about pain and pleasure, temperature and pressure
- Provides barrier against mechanical, thermal and physical injury
- Provides barrier against hazardous substances
- Moisture loss prevention
- Reduces effects of UV radiation
- Helps regulate body temperature
- Productes vitamin D
Hair and Nails
It's interesting to note that the fact out body isn't completed covered with hair greatly differentiates our skin from that of an animals.
Our hair and nails are created by our epidermis.
The bottom of our hair follicles (papilla's) contain an artery that nourishes the hair root. The cells then multiply and make keratin to harden their structure. This then gets pushed out through the hair follicle and then through the skin, resulting in our hair. The amount of hair on our skin differentiates across the body.
The nail bed and the nail matrix underneath the cuticle are alive, but the nail itself is made only from dead cells.
Glands and Blood Vessels
Sebaceous glands work with skin to secrete sebum, resulting in lubrication.
Additionally, the dermis contains lots of blood vessels that expand in hot environments, like exercise, pushing body heat to the skins surface. Sweat glands produce perspiration that percolates out of the skin, and takes the heat along with it.
In cold environments these blood vessels contract which has the counter effect of minimising heat loss.
Nerves
The dermis and epidermis layers of skin have nerve endings.Without these, we would not be able to receive information about pleasure, pain, temperature or pressure. Nerve concentration differentiates across the body.
Common Skin Concerns
- Acne
- Freckles
- Dermatitis
- Sunburn
- Skin Cancer
- Fungal infections
- Warts – caused by a virus.
Why is a Skincare Routine Important?
We know that our skin is an incredible organ. But why is a skincare routine so significant to its health? It's just like a car, a car needs petrol to drive, and your skin needs care to thrive.
Makes and Keeps Skin Healthy.
Not only does a consistent routine correct skin concerns, but it also prevents future occurrences of them. You shed skin cells and collect bacteria throughout the day. This clogs our pores and leads to breakouts if left unattended to. Without protection your skin is also open to harm like dehydration, fine lines, UV radiation etc. A skincare routine corrects these past mistakes and prevents them in future.
Makes you look Younger.
As we get older, the efficiency of our skin cell turn over decreases, making the skin look duller. But a good skincare routine can help remove these dead skin cells allowing your body to replace them with new more youthful ones.
Maintenance = Control
If you're using a skincare routine and a skin concern appears, it's so simple and quick to heal and get your skin back to being blemish free. It's much more difficult, costly and time consuming to fix a skin concern when it's built upon unaddressed underlying damage. And yes that damage just needs to be attended to, but a skincare routine essentially provides a clean slate where you can easily control your skin.
Glow inside and out.
When your skin looks good, you feel good. We know how it goes. Which is exactly why Sunny Skin was formed, to turn make incredible glowing skin easy for ALL skin types.
How do I Take Care of my Skin?
With any skincare routine, consistency is key. It should be completed morning and night. Results will increase with time, as the health of your skin stablises and increases. Products should be chosen to suit your skin type and concern.
Here is a guideline for your routine.
- Cleanse
- Apply Serum/s
- Moisturise
- Mineral SPF
SPF is like your skin's skin. It provides protection from environmental factors that cause the skin harm, aging and illness, and is absolutely essential to every skincare routine.
Super Sun SPF50 is a 100% mineral antioxidant rich moisturiser that melts into your skin without leaving a white cast. Formulated for every skin type, from oily to expectant mothers, Super Sun is your daily SPF bestie.