The Science of Skin

Skin. Beautifully complex, our body’s largest organ and our shield against the external elements. We know we need to look after our skin to help it perform all of it’s amazing functions, but this can sometimes be challenging if you’re faced with problems such as being allergy prone, acne prone or highly sensitive.

Let’s start with the basics.

The skin has many functions and it’s quite incredible that it does all it needs to do without us thinking about it. Our skin regulates our body temperature, stores water and fat, prevents water loss and entry of bacteria and helps make vitamin D when exposed to the sun. It is a sensory organ that also provides a barrier between our internal ecosystems and the outer environment. More on the skin barrier later, first let’s take a look at the 3 layers of our skin and the roles they play.

Epidermis:

The epidermis is the thin outer layer of the skin. It consists of 3 types of cells:

• Keratinocytes – these cells are the building block of our skin. They are commonly referred to as ‘bricks’, consisting of natural oils, ceramides and cholesterols providing the glue that anchors them together into a mostly impermeable wall.
• Melanocytes – these cells produce melanin. Epidermal melanin absorbs ultraviolet radiation and protects underlying structures from UV damage. Melanin also gives the skin its natural skin tone.
• Langerhan cells – these are cells that help the skin mount an immune response to bacteria, fungi, and viruses.

Demis:

The dermis is the main and middle layer of the skin. The dermis contains the following:

• Blood vessels
• Lymph vessels
• Hair follicles
• Sweat glands
• Fibroblasts
• Nerves
• Sebaceous glands

The dermis is held together by a protein called collagen. This layer gives skin flexibility and strength. This layer also contains pain and touch receptors.

Hypodermis:

The subcutaneous fat layer is the deepest layer of skin. It consists of a network of collagen bundles and fat cells. It helps conserve the body’s heat and protects the body from injury by acting as a shock absorber.

Now, the skin barrier – you may have heard this term a lot but what does it mean and why is it so important?

We hear about ‘skin barrier repair’ and ‘damaged skin barrier’ more often than referencing a healthy one. A healthy skin barrier is vital to overall healthy radiant skin. The skin barrier prevents moisture loss and defends your skin against external aggressors. Your skin barrier can weaken as a result of ageing and genetics as well as external contributors, like over-cleansing and UV exposure, pollution, smoke as well as stress and lack of sleep.

So how do you know if your skin barrier is damaged? Signs which show up on the surface of your skin include redness, rosacea, flakiness, dehydration, tightness, itching or sensitivity.

The best way to protect your skin barrier are the three holy grails of skincare.. spf, antioxidants and humectants as your baseline. The best place to start repairing a damaged skin barrier is from the inside out.