Our skin: behind the scenes part 1

Each layer of our skin works together to protect our body.
In this blog mini series we will focus on the main skin layers and their functions related to skincare.

The skin consists of layers and these can be grouped in the following 3 main layers: Epidermis, dermis and hypodermis. Let's focus on the Epidermis.

Epidermis:
The word has ancient Greek roots with epi meaning "upon" and derma, meaning "skin".

This is the top layer of our skin. Don't be fooled by how thin it is, as this layer is incredibly strong.

The epidermis helps hydrate our body, produces new skin cells, protects our body from damage and makes melanin, which provides skin color.

The most important barrier is found in this layer. This barrier is called the stratum corneum.

The stratum corneum is composed of several layers of flattened, keratin-containing dead cells. You can compare this to a 'brick wall'.

The barrier contains appropriate 15% water, 70% protein and 15% lipid.
The lipids are like 'mortar' between the 'bricks', creating the barrier.

There are several factors that could compromise or damage the barrier. This could be external factors, genes and age.
If the barrier is damaged it can lead to various health issues:
- Increased water loss leading to dehydration;
- susceptible to infection or irritation, as micro-organisms are not kept out.

All is not lost in case of a damaged barrier. Use a good moisturizer which will lock in the moisture in the skin, but also repairs and reinforce the skin's natural barrier (stratum corneum).
These type of products assist the lipids which results in a reinforced barrier.

Seed & Essentials The Skin Hydrator is a must try if you are looking for such a product.

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