Skin as the protector of our bodies
The skin is the biggest organ in the human body. On average, on an adult the skin has an extension from 1,7 to 2,2 square meters and represents the 6% of body weight (3.5 – 4.5 kg). Some of the skin’s functions are:
- The skin has a series of functions that are vital for humans to survive. Its main function is protection, since it is a barrier that limits us with the environment.
- The skin is the frontier organ that protects us from external elements. Like injuries, UV radiation and oxidation because without it the internal organs would oxidize quickly. However, the skin is also a sensory, metabolic, and immunological organ.
- The skin contributes to maintaining a constant body temperature through the regulation of moisture loss. This allows the human being to be able to adapt to different environmental temperatures and atmospheric conditions.
Connection with the nervous, endocrine and the limbic system.
- The large number of nerve endings present in the skin makes it sensitive to touch and is the point of receptivity for cold, heat, pressure, stretching, pleasure, and pain.
- Through the secretion of sweat and sebum, the skin performs its excretory function, eliminating toxic substances resulting from the metabolic activities of the intestine and liver.
- The skin is also directly related to the endocrine system secreting hormones, enzymes, and vitamin D. Many of these secretions are essential for the relationship with the environment and other individuals.
- The skin plays an immunological role, mainly through Langerhans cells. These cells transport antigens from the skin to the lymphatic system. Also, helps defend against foreign agents, such as certain substances, bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Excessive ultraviolet radiation destroys and/or inhibits the protective performance of Langerhans cells, increasing the risk of everything from infections to skin cancer.
To perform all these functions—protective, metabolic, sensory, and immunological—the skin must maintain its own self-repair capabilities and functional integrity. Thus, meeting the balance of multiple chemical and physical reactions that take place within it.
Given the relationship between the skin and the body, it is necessary to maintain an adequate nutrition, exercise and rest. Skincare products provide the necessary ingredients that help to restore all the normal functions of the skin. When the skin works in perfect harmony, the result is a beautiful, radiant, and healthy complexion.
