How the skin works?

Can you imagine how we would look if we do not have skin covering us up? That may be too gross for our imagination.

• The skin is the largest vital organ of the human body. It covers you up, keeps you warm and keeps you cool. It also decides what can be absorbed and what should be rejected.
• Skin that is clogged and unhealthy is not just a beauty problem. It can become a hindrance to your sense of vitality and wellness. Proper care of your skin is important not only to your personal sense of beauty but also to proper elimination, more graceful aging and overall health.
• It acts as a mechanical barrier to infections. It ultimately prevents microorganisms and other substances from entering the body.
• Langerhans cells (a type of macrophage) are found within the dermis, they engulf invaders foreign to the body and debris.
• Keratin layers in the epidermis together with sebum produced by sebaceous glands act as a waterproof barrier.
• Melanocytes protect the body from ultraviolet light.
• Finger and toenails protect the extremities of fingers and toes from damage. Fingertips are important for dexterity and the sense of touch; they have ridged areas to assist in picking things up.
• Hair follicles offer some extra protection to certain parts of the body such as eyes and head.
• It regulates body temperature. Considerable heat is lost through the skin. Even under extreme conditions of high temperature and exercise, our skin tends to make body temperature normal. The production (evaporation) of sweat in the skin cools us down when exposed to too much heat.
• The core body temperature needs to be kept constant for normal physiological activity to take place (37° C). It needs to maintain a core temperature for homeostasis.
• Skin excretes waste product and excess salt from the body. Sweat includes waste products in solution. Water is lost continuously through the skin as insensible sweating. More pronounced water loss through sweating occurs as part of temperature regulation.
• Skin provides the sense of touch or sensation we need to know more about our outside environment through recognizing heat, cold, pain and other sensations. Nerve endings of the skin provide the body with a great deal of information about the outside environment.
• Skin synthesizes the use of Vitamin D in the presence of sunlight and ultra violet radiation needed for the absorption of calcium and phosphate.

So take care of your skin. No other organ in our body would perform these functions for you.

Know Your Skin Type

Vanity is a natural human characteristic. It is innate in all of us. And although most people do not regard their skin as an organ, our skin is in fact the largest vital organ in our body. Skin that is clogged and unhealthy is not just a beauty problem. It can become a hindrance to your sense of vitality and wellness. Proper care of your skin is important not only to your personal sense of beauty but also to proper elimination, more graceful aging and overall health.

There are five major types of skin. Understanding your skin type is the best approach to your personal skin care.

• Normal skin—is the type of skin that we’d all love to have. This is the “healthy” type of skin. This type is the not too oily, not too dry type, characterized by few blemishes, generally firm and smooth with small pores. When you pull the skin away from the bony structure, it springs back to normal position. Lines and wrinkles are appropriate for age.



• Dry Skin—due to environmental exposure to harsh elements and very often lack of water skin may flake off and feel tight in your face. It may lack natural oils, may look rather flaky with small pores, blemishes and blackheads. Without adequate moisture, dry skin can easily become chapped. As dry skin ages, it’s more likely than other types to become wrinkly.



• Oily Skin—skin may look oily and coarse, may have recurring blackheads, acne and large pores. The texture of skin is thick; the touch is often sticky. This type is usually youthful- looking due to the presence of oil on the skin. Often, individuals with oily skin have a tendency to develop acne in their teen and middle years, and overgrown oil glands, or sebaceous hyperplasia, in the middle and late years.



• Combination Skin—varies according to your skin type. This is the Jekyll and Hyde type of skin, often with split personality. This type may be characterized as oily on the T-zone (the area that stretches from the forehead down to the nose and chin), and dry to normal on the cheeks and around the eye area.



• Sensitive Skin—people with sensitive skin are the most prone to allergies, rash, sting, and burns. This type of skin gets irritated easily and can go very red and blotchy. This type will have a lot more trouble to environmental factors and tends to be very sensitive to cosmetics.

Know your skin and take care of it. It is your glory to being healthy and beautiful.

Basic Knowledge to Care for Your Skin

Your skin is one of the most essential body organs and it needs proper care and attention. It is also the body organ that becomes most affected by extreme sun rays.

The sun has ultraviolet rays that can cause various skin problems, such as skin cancer. However, this can be prevented by obtaining basic knowledge regarding proper care of your skin. The sun’s rays are fiercer from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., within which period, it is better if you stay inside your home or under a shade even if it is cloudy. You must remember that you are more likely to get sunburned near beaches.

The sun’s rays affect everybody; it does not matter if you are young or old. However, children are more at risk since they like playing outside when the sun’s rays are at its most intense. The most effective way to prevent sunburn is to dress your children with dark-colored clothes that cover as many parts of their bodies as possible. You must also apply sunscreen on their skins.

It is also a good option to buy your kids sun-protective swimwear. This swim wear covers as many exposed body parts as possible, shielding them from the sun. Cotton shirts for your children can also minimize sunburn. Dark-colored shirts offer more protection than white shirts. The reason for this is that the sun’s rays can go through those light colored shirts. Dying your children's clothes with SunDye is one way to prevent the sun’s rays from penetrating them.

A good defense against the harmful effects of the sun’s rays is the application of sunscreens that can be bought in most stores. When you apply sunscreens to kids or babies, make sure that it has no negative effects on their skins. It is also wise to apply it in small doses because babies’ skins are very sensitive. It is important to apply sunscreens on their whole body, including the feet.

Not many people know this, but the lips also get sunburned. To prevent this from happening, you can apply sun sticks or the ordinary lip balms with sun protection. For more information about these products, you must make it a point to always read the instructions. This practice will help you maximize the effects of your sunscreen products. When out for a swim or walk, always remember to reapply your sunscreen every two hours. Doctors often recommend a sunscreen product with an SPF of 30 and above.

When you are out and the sun is hot, it is important to always stay under a shade. When you are planning an outdoor trip, it is wise to always bring an umbrella, hat, tent, and other equipment that can keep the sun’s rays away from you. Of course, you should never forget to bring enough sunscreen products to last for your whole trip.

Common Acne Myths

Try asking people advice regarding your acne and chances are, they would tell you that it is due to your poor hygiene or poor diet.

However, skin experts are actually dismissing those as nothing but myths. The best way to cope with your acne problem is to educate yourself and it is with this purpose that we decided to list here the common acne myths that people often encounter.

• Acne is not a caused by a poor hygiene. Many people believe that acne is caused by poor hygiene; therefore they tend to over-wash their skin. However, washing too frequently and too aggressively can strip the skin of its natural lipids, damaging the skin's natural barrier function. In response, the follicle will produce excess sebum and possibly additional breakouts. So unless you get yourself dirty on regular basis (like a mechanic, perhaps), do not over-wash your face.


• Acne is caused by certain foods. The common misconception is that eating junk food will lead to or worsen an acne condition. Scientific studies have shown that diet has little to no effect on acne. This varies depending on the person. While eating healthy and balanced diet is encouraged for our health, there is really no scientific evidence that connects certain foods to acne. If you are one of those who are affected by certain foods, it is always wise to avoid them.


• You can outgrow your acne. It is much more sensible to treat your acne immediately to avoid emotional stress and permanent scarring.


• Acne is just a little problem, no need to overreact. It is embarrassing to have acne, thus can affect our confidence and esteem. It may even affect our social relation and job performance.


• Acne is just a cosmetic disease. Heavy and oily make up may contribute to acne build up. However, cosmetics labeled non-comedogenic or non-acnegenic might actually contain benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid that may help to fight acne.


• Stress can cause acne. While over stress may actually produce hormones that can aggravate acne; normal, everyday stress does not really trigger acne.


• Getting a tan would clear up acne. While sun exposure may dry out existing acne, it will not prevent new ones from forming. It can also over dry the skin thus sebaceous glands will produce more oil that will ultimately worsen your condition. It will also increase your risk of skin cancer and wrinkles.

So there, the next time somebody tells you one of those things, gracefully correct them and share what you know. Remember, knowledge is power.

What is acne?

With all this talk about acne, we might as well try to define the condition a bit. Acne is the commonly used name for pores clogged by sebum (also known as whiteheads and blackheads), pimples, nodules or cysts that can appear on the face, neck, shoulders, chest, back, upper arms and upper legs.

Most teenagers and a good number of adults suffer from acne for more or less extended periods of time. The condition is not confined to any age group, race, or sex. It affects hundreds of millions of people across the world. The biggest problems with acne are the unpleasant look of pimples and the scars they may leave behind.

Types of Acne

Although pimples are by far the most common form of acne and the one most people are likely to encounter or suffer from, you should known that there are other forms as well. The simplest form is acne vulgaris, which features only comedones, the simplest of lesions.

Lesions are small patches of skin affected by acne, although the term “lesion” is not restricted to the changes produced by acne in skin tissues. Acne lesions are the external form of comedones, the sebaceous follicles plugged by excess sebum.

Comedones are known as blackheads and whiteheads, depending on whether the pore is open or not. Blackheads are pores whose distended openings are blocked by a mixture of keratin and sebum that is blackened at the surface. Whiteheads are closed pores filled with the secretion of the sebaceous gland that swells underneath the tissue.

Comendones are the usual target for picking and squeezing. However, opening a follicle in the less than sterile conditions of your home is likely to result in a slight infection. An open pore is an entry point for all kinds of bacteria.

Papules – The papule is a small, solid usually inflammatory elevation of the skin that does not contain pus. Very small papules can also appear in clusters, due to the tissue’s response to acne.

Pustules – Pustules are small inflamed elevations of the skin that are filled with pus. The pus is a combination of bacteria, white blood cells and dead skin cells. Pustules are usually formed around sebaceous follicles and hair.

Maculae – A macula is a red spot on the skin left behind by an acne lesion. Maculae are flat, red and stand out against the surrounding skin. A group of maculae gives the face an inflamed aspect.

Nodules – The nodule is a solid lesion, one of the most painful lesions caused by acne. Nodules tend to extend into the deeper layers of the skin and are known to lead to tissue destruction. They can be very painful to remove and leave scars behind. Nodular acne is a severe form of acne that is treated only with isotretinonin.

Cysts – Cysts are lesions shaped like capsules and contain liquid or semi-liquid pus similar to that found in pustules. However, cysts are larger than pustules and can be infected. Cysts are also extending deeper into the skin and leave scar tissue behind. Nodulocystic acne is probably the worst type of acne known to man. It is resistant to treatment and responds only to isotretinoin, the substance obtained from Vitamin A.