Good Hydration - Good Hydration
by Lisa James
Energy Times, June 17, 2004
Ah summertime, and the living is lovely: ocean fragrances wafting on a summer wind, the summer sun warming the body and relaxing the mind.
But all that sun and wind can dry your summer skin, making it uncomfortable and parched-looking.
Moisture counteracts the discomforts that summer elements can bring, allowing your fresh, dewy look to shine through. Knowing how to hydrate your skin is the key.
Skin Structure
Skin consists of three layers, each with a different function:
• The deepest layer, the subcutaneous tissue, contains the fat cells that help hold in body heat and protect the vital organs, and that serve as an energy reserve.
• The middle layer, or dermis, is the thickest of the three layers. It is rich in nerve endings, blood vessels, sweat glands and hair follicles. The dermis also holds the oil glands that keep the skin properly lubricated and impervious to water. Two proteins, collagen and elastin, found in the dermis support the skin's top layer and provide shape, tone and flexibility.
• The topmost skin layer, the epidermis, protects the body against the outside world. It contains melanocytes, pigment-bearing cells that determine skin color and help guard against sun damage. The epidermis is also equipped with immune cells that guard the body against foreign substances.
The epidermis is further divided into five separate sublayers. Cells are formed at the basal cell layer on the bottom; they then push their way upward until they reach the surface, called the stratum corneum, in a process that takes roughly 28 days.
As the skin cells mature, they produce a tough protein called keratin, which also forms the structure of hair and nails.
Natural Moisturizers
Do you have dry skin? How well your skin holds moisture depends on the arrangement of cells within the stratum corneum.
Fat contained in this layer, as well as natural moisturizing factor (made by the epidermis), also k ...
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