Natural Skin Actives

You may have read my spiel on "natural skin components". These are the primary structural components of your skin, essential elements with which we are all born. But as we age, they start depleting, leaving an aging appearance. We can boost this appearance with cosmeceuticals or actives in serum form.



* perspiration

* sebum

(sebum mixed with perspiration is THE Natural Moisturizer which we are trying to duplicate)

* collagen

* peptides

* elastin

* hyaluronic acid

* co-enzyme Q-10

* fatty acids

* sodium

* potassium

* glycogen

* calcium

* selenium

* zinc

* sulfur

* manganese

* lecithin

* enzymes

* proteins

* amino acids

* phospholipids

* liposomes

* lactic acid

* urea

* lipids

* melanin

* squalane

* triglycerides

* vitamin K


Understanding Your Skin Structure Your skin is actually your body's largest organ, and one of the most hardworking. This sturdy stuff comprises 20 square feet in most adults and weighs anywhere from six to ten pounds. It's washable, stretchable, tough and waterproof. And, it's much more complex than it appears on the surface!

The Three Layers of Skin If you were to study a cross-section of your skin, you would learn that it actually consists of three individual layers:

1. The Epidermis This is the surface of your skin. It's the area that you touch, feel and see. The thickness of your epidermis depends on a number of factors, including your age, your sex and the location on your body. For example, the skin on the bottom of your foot can be up to 30 cell-layers thick, while the skin on your eyelids is tissue-thin.

The bottom section of the epidermis is called the basal layer. Basal cells are responsible for maintaining the epidermis by continually renewing the cell population. The cells in the basal layer also contain melanocytes which produce the melanin that gives skin its colour.

The uppermost or surface section is called the stratum corneum. This layer is only about as thick as a sheet of fine paper, but it is what provides your skin with all of its barrier properties. The stratum corneum is made up of flattened cells coated with humectants to keep them moist and flexible and surrounded by special lipids to control moisture loss. The stratum corneum is also covered with a thin film of sebum, a substance which is secreted by the sebaceous glands. Sebum lubricates your skin and keeps it healthy looking.

What the epidermis does:

Deflects damage from sun, dirt and bacteria. Helps regulate body temperature. Prevents moisture loss. 2. The Dermis The dermis lies beneath the epidermis, connected by a continuous membrane. The dermis is the thickest section of your skin. Here you will find blood vessels, white blood cells, nerve endings, hair follicles, sweat glands and sebaceous glands. Fibroblasts are the main cell type in the dermis. They manufacture collagen and elastin, the fibrous proteins which are the primary structural components of your skin. These proteins give your skin its resilience and elasticity.

What the dermis does:

Provides moisture to the epidermis. Produces the collagen which keeps skin firm. Produces the elastin which keeps skin flexible. Generates sebum which keeps skin supple and moist. 3. The Hypodermis Beneath the dermis is the hypodermis or subdermis. It's composed of an extensive network of connective tissue, laced with fat cells.

What the subdermis does:

Gives skin its shape and contour. Cushions the outer layers. Connects skin to underlying tissues and muscles. Cell Renewal Your skin is constantly renewing itself. Skin cell renewal occurs every 15 to 30 days. Here's how it works: Plump, fresh cells develop in the bottom or basal layer of the epidermis, then make their way up to the surface or stratum corneum. Eventually these cells dehydrate and flatten until they slough off and are replaced by new cells.

As we age, this renewal process tends to slow.