The Ingredients of Skin

We might not think much of what actually makes up skin but having a basic understanding of the "ingredients" of skin can help tremendously to protect it from injury and scars, including stretch marks, and to correct these problems once they occur.

The following is a basic explanation of what actually makes up skin.

Moisture - oil and water.

The human body itself is made up mostly of water. This hydration allows our cells to exist and to survive and is important in every other aspect of the body's health as well. Blood is made mostly of water; this may be an obvious fact since blood is a liquid! But the muscles, tendons, ligaments, marrow, and so many other parts of the body that we don't typically think about are also made up mostly of water.

The skin is no exception. Skin cells are made up water but also contain valuable oils as well. Oil glands begin in the dermis, the second most layer of skin, and these glands push oil up to the surface. Those who suffer from excessive oil or acne may hate this but that oil is absolutely necessary for the skin's health. Those who have very dry skin will tell you how important oil and moisture is, not just for the skin's appearance but for its health and comfort as well.

Without necessary oil and moisture the skin is more prone to cracking even to the point of bleeding. You may notice this during winter when your hands and feet become very dry and rough and sometimes even bleed from what look like small cuts but which are really just cracks in the skin's surface.

Important: As important as moisture is for the skin's health and appearance, the body will actually use all its available moisture for other areas first and the skin gets whatever is left over or available after that. The heart, lungs, digestive system, circulatory system, and just about everything else gets moisture first and the skin is last in line. To keep skin healthy and soft it's important to get enough moisture in the system and to hydrate the skin from the outside as well.

As with many other processes, the body's natural oil products slows down with age. Many people who have never had dry skin report that it becomes a problem the older they get. And not every area of the skin has oil glands - the areas around the elbows, ankles, and eyes get dry quicker than probably any other part of the body because they are without oil glands.

Wrinkles as a person ages is one of the effects of this lack of moisture. The skin does not bounce back and unfold itself as easily when it's dry, so a person has a tendency to get wrinkles around the eyes, mouth and forehead because of the movement of facial expressions. As moisture dries up these lines become permanent and we call them wrinkles.

Collagen and elastin in skin.

Until a few years ago few people had ever heard of collagen and elastin but then manufacturers of skincare products realized how important these elements are to skin's appearance and began advertising products containing them. Now they're typically household words, but what are they and why are they needed in the skin?

Collagen is an element that actually holds moisture in the skin. It's like a base for that necessary water and oil to stay in place and not evaporate or rub off. It's a protein that is actually one of the strongest there is; the lips are made up of mostly collagen and while the lips are soft they are also very strong.

Lips are meant not just for looks and not just for kissing; they actually serve a purpose in eating and the functions of the mouth by forming a barrier to food and saliva, and protect the inside of the mouth from cold air and other harmful elements in the environment.

Elastin is just what it sounds like - an elastic type of element that allows skin to stretch back into shape after movement.

Every time you move you are stretching your skin just like you would a rubber band. Close your hand around something and the skin on your fingers needs to stretch and shape around those fingers. When you walk your skin stretches around your legs and feet with every movement. Breathing, smiling, blinking, and talking all involve movement of the skin.

The elastic-like quality of elastin allows skin to snap back into place when you're done moving, much like a rubber band that goes back to its round shape after it's been released. When elastin begins to break down we get sagging skin and wrinkles. Stretching the skin makes it stay that way without elastin.

Source: http://www.introna.com/introna/skin_basics.action