What is Skin?

Few people realize that skin is an organ of the body...but it's much more than that...

1. It is the largest organ of the body.
2. It works intricately with all other organs and body systems.
3. It protects our internal organs from injury and bacterial invasion.
4. It serves as our "weather proofing" system and is responsible for regulating our body temperature.
5. It connects us to and protects us form the environment we live in.

This amazing thing called "skin" is an important part of our life system. Truly, if it stopped functioning completely...we could not exist anymore than if our heart stopped. Fortunately, our skin is an organ that we can see... It keeps us in touch with what's going on with the internal organs we cannot see. It becomes a "mirror" to our body functions and is a valuable diagnostic tool in detecting illness. Just by looking at the color of the skin, a physician has an indication of where the trouble lies. Skin that is suddenly yellow in color points to trouble in the liver. A bluish tone to the skin would be an alert to possible heart problems, while a pasty white complexion would indicate a problem in the blood.

This two-sided organ falls victim to a myriad of conditions both beyond and within our control.

Environment
Climate
Water Supply
Pollution
Sun
Occupational Hazards

Skin Care Methods
Improper Cleansing
Use of Harmful Ingredients
Illogical Buying Habits
Incomplete Skin Care Regimen

Physical Conditions
General Well-being
Hormonal Imbalances
Nutritional Levels
Natural Aging
Medications We Take
Life Styles
Stress Levels
Chemical Abuse

Proper skin care helps to keep the skin in balance as it responds to the many changes it undergoes on a daily basis. Since we are responsible for the care of the topical portion of our skin, it's important that you know the skin's requirements and are selective in your skin care purchases that you are meeting these requirements. Then...and only then...can you take control of your own skin.

Our skin is a very complex organ, made up of several layers containing millions of nerve endings, blood vessels, muscles, connective tissue and live cells that are constantly reproducing and dying off. All of this is protected by the outermost layer of our skin which is made up of the millions of deadcells the skin sloughs off. Since the outermost layer is dead skin, it is essential that the products you use have the ability to penetrate beyond the dead layer to effectively work with the areas of skin that have life.

In one square inch of skin, there are as many as 2800 openings, acting much like "Minor Colons". They are not there by accident. These openings facilitate elimination of substances that don't belong in our system, and at the same time provide a pathway for that which is needed on the surface of the skin for our well-being.

One such opening is our sweat gland. This gland acts as the body's "radiator"...Keeping our temperature at 98.6 degrees. It removes toxins through our skin and acts as an over-load system for the organs that are malfunctioning. The sweat gland, through our perspiration, carries an acid base to our skin's surface that becomes the repellent of air-borne bacteria that constantly surrounds us and threaten our existence.

Another essential opening is our hair follicles which hold the millions of hairs that cover and protect our body and convey the oil from our oil glands to the surface of our skin. This oil keeps our skin's surface supple and aids in the healing process. When the skin's surface is plugged, usually due to improper skin care, the oil in the follicle is a perfect nesting ground for bacteria... eventually an infection will manifest resulting in blemishes and acne conditions. Since our oil is partly responsible for the moisture on our skin... dryness is another consequence of plugged skin. When the follicle cannot hold anymore of the built up oil, it will eventually spill over and result in oil deposits which can calcify in the skin. It goes without saying that proper cleansing is a very important step in caring for our skin.

Skin Therapy is the topical duplication, through proper skin care of the body's natural processes which result in promoting healthier skin. This simple health approach takes the guess work out of skin care and puts it in proper prospective. Making certain that your skin care program effectively meets the four basic requirements of skin as an organ...

1. Cleansing
2. Supporting the Moisture System When Necessary
3. Topically Nourishing
4. Toning Muscles and Stimulating Blood Supply

And knowing the facts of product ingredients should be the basis for your skin care purchase.

INGREDIENTS - What you should know.

1. Water is the only thing that will flush in and out of the skin.
2. Products that contain lanolin, animal fats, (of which soap is one), mineral oils, cocoa butter, jojoba oils, petrolatum and paraffin will not absorb into the skin and will clog the pores... causing skin problems and hampering the normal functions of the skin.
3. Alcohol related products such as toners, astringents and the like are very dehydrating to the skin and can cause long term negative effects.
4. Abrasive products such as scrubs, buff puffs, and loofah sponges are damaging to the skin causing broken capillaries.