Healthy, glowing skin should NOT only be a concern for the beauty-conscious. Taking good care of the skin is an important part of your overall health! Let's get scientific for a minute. Have you ever heard of the Integumentary System?
.jpg) |
| "Excuse me, but your Integumentary System is showing." |
Your skin is your largest organ and a very important and hard working one at that! It's a complex structure called the Integumentary System that performs a variety of functions. Every square inch of the skin is composed of millions of cells, 15 feet of blood vessels, 12 feet of nerves, 650 sweat glands, 100 oil glands, 65 hairs, 1300 nerve endings, 155 pressure receptors, and 12 cold and heat receptors. Now that's pretty impressive!
You can count on your skin to protect the body from harsh elements and naughty, destructive microorganisms. It also holds water in to keep you hydrated. In addition, you can thank your skin for sensations such as being able to enjoy a pair of fuzzy slippers or warn you when the stove is too hot. It even regulates your body's temperature. Finally, the skin excretes toxins through sweating and absorbs nutrients, oxygen, and water like a sponge!
This is a big job for one organ! How can you help it to work efficiently?
What we put in our bodies significantly affects our overall health. I find it surprising when clients want a whole face overhaul but still do things that are detrimental to their skin and well being. Besides obvious concerns of skin cancer, poor diet, smoking, and excess alcohol lead to wrinkles and premature aging. It also deprives your skin of oxygen, causing it to become dull and sallow. In addition, acne, dryness and allergic reactions may be associated with these poor lifestyle choices. Basically, when your body is unhealthy, your skin is one of the first things to give it away! You should try to eat a balanced diet rich in nutrients, get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water and exercise on a regular basis. Have you heard this before? ;)
Wear sunscreen. Do you get tired of hearing this? Everyone should wear sunscreen everyday. Period. It will protect you from developing oxidative damage, premature aging, and most importantly, skin cancer. Need more incentive? Take it away NASA:
"NASA scientists analyzing 30 years of satellite data have found that the amount of
ultraviolet (UV) radiation reaching Earth's surface has increased markedly over the
last three decades. Most of the increase has occurred in the mid-and-high latitudes,
and there's been little or no increase in tropical regions.
The new analysis shows, for example, that at one line of latitude — 32.5 degrees —
a line that runs through central Texas in the northern hemisphere and the country of
Uruguay in the southern hemisphere, 305 nanometer UV levels have gone up by some
6 percent on average since 1979.
The primary culprit: decreasing levels of stratospheric ozone, a colorless gas that acts as
Earth’s natural sunscreen by shielding the surface from damaging UV radiation."
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/uv-exposure.html
You should cleanse your body with a gentle cleanser. Harsh soaps and fragrances can negatively affect your skin's pH level and making it dry and sensitive. Next, make sure you exfoliate regularly by using non-abrasive products and getting regular microdermabrasions or peels. Lastly, moisturize. The key is to pick a product that works best for your skin type. You should also moisturize from head to toe.
4. Find an expert and seek guidance.
The complexity of this system is too hard to manage on your own. Leave it to the experts. If you are having acne flares, premature aging, or unusual changes, this may be a sign that something is wrong internally. Seek an expert's opinion to learn about skin solutions and specialty routine maintenance.
It's Integumentary my dear Watson....wait...I don't think that's right... ;)
.jpg)
