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Skin Care: Turn Back the Clock - or Just Your Wallet?
Your skin is a very clever organ. No matter which in the arsenal
of developments in anti aging skin care products are proudly
emblazoned on the bottle and in the marketing literature, your
skin knows the truth. And whilst it may play the game for a
little while, plumping up nicely to give the appearance
of looking younger, more even, and less lined, this is only a
temporary, somewhat cosmetic ruse. It is actually a
biological trick of the light, a chimeraic nod to the quest for
youth. Don't be fooled.
Skin care is big business. And there's nothing wrong with that.
But whilst its highly entertaining to browse through the shelves
and try out the latest pedigree of skin cream, these foot
soldiers in the war on wrinkles meet a somewhat tenacious and
uncooperative foe in our skin.
Our skin. This multi-layered emissary to the outside world,
bearer of our expressions, our joys, our grief. Guard against
the invisible tide of micro-organisms that seek to infiltrate
our body's first defence against disease and infection. This
complex array of cells that every month regenerate and shed,
within the constraints of age and the quality of our diet. Our
skin is a hard worker and much unappreciated. Often barely
nourished despite the money spent on technological promises, we
still hope the dream of youth slipping away will be restored.
There is a way to slow the process of aging. But not by applying
high tech anti aging creams. By understanding exactly what our
skin is, we can find better ways of giving it what it needs. And
consequently, we will find ourselves with what we want - more
youthful skin.
Our skin is composed of 3 main layers. The outside layer that we
apply our anti aging skin care products to is the epidermis.
This in turn has 4 to 5 layers, depending on where it is in the
body, and whether there is a lot of hair on it. The top layer of
the epidermis, the stratum corneum, serves as a barrier. This is
where the cells are continually shedding and where new cells are
ultimately pushed up to. These cells have no blood supply, and
hence no nutrients or oxygen carried in the blood reach these
cells. They are essentially dead in that they cannot engage in
the metabolic processes that living cells do. But they do serve
very important functions. By creating an impenetrable barrier,
they keep out bacteria and other micro organisms, and are thus
part of the immune system. But this very function also serves to
keep out most of the expensive ingredients in anti aging
treatments. And no matter how well an ingredient performs in a
laboratory test tube, that does not necessarily translate to
reaching the deeper layers of your skin, where the real anti
aging work takes place. Most skin care
products work only on the
stratum corneum, and that is their downfall as anti aging secret
agents.
The next layer down from the top is the dermis. This is the
layer where wrinkles develop. The dermis consists of living
cells, and they are responsible for the structure, integrity and
elasticity of the skin. Here collagen is regenerated whilst
existing collagen is broken down in the monthly cellular cycle.
The production of collagen slows with age and factors like
smoking, sun exposure, stress and inadequate nutrition. Other
skin nutrients like elastin and hyaluronic acid are found here.
Hyaluronic acid for example, helps hold water. As the dermis is
composed of living cells, it has a blood supply, which transport
nutrients and oxygen to the cells. These capillaries also
transport cellular wast like carbon dioxide away. Here you'll
also find lymph vessels, sebaceous and sweat glands, hair
follicles, and nerve endings for heat and cold.
Fibers from the dermis extend down and into the next main layer,
the subcutaneous layer. They anchor the skin to it. The
subcutaneous layer in turn attaches to organs like bone and
muscles underneath. Here are nerve endings that are sensitive to
pressure, blood, lymph vessels, fat cells, collagen and elastin.
The subcutaneous layer thins as we age, which creates a more
angular appearance.
Moisturizers achieve their temporary effect by trapping water
already in the skin. They essentially act as a seal, they do not
provide additional water or 'moisture'. The few products that
actually work on the deeper layers of the skin are the Retin-A
skin care treatments. Vitamin C, though popular, has not
conclusively demonstrated that it can reach the deeper layers,
the dermis. And even if it did, there is not enough evidence
that it actually does anything there.
But the news is not all bad. We can do something, and its not
rocket science. If we supply the skin with the nutrients it
needs, with good, fresh fruit and vegetables, and good quality
fats and protein, or even supplements as a boost. Then, and only
then, will we stall the clock at a more agreeable hour.
References: 1. Tortura & Grabowski, Principles of Anatomy and
Physiology, 7th Ed. (Harper Collins)
2. E Angyal, Gorgeous Skin (Lothian Books)
About the author:
Acne sufferers, read this acne natural cure article for a
great insight into Traditional Chinese Medicine and how they
view skin conditions. And if you want a deeper understanding of
why we get sick, check out this article on supplements and herbal
medicine.
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