Your skin is your body's largest organ, and one of the most hardworking. Comprising of twenty square feet in most adults and weighing anywhere from six to ten pounds. It's washable, stretchable, tough and waterproof and when treated with care, your skin is beautiful.

The Three Layers of Skin

1: Epidermis

This is the surface of your skin. It’s the area that you touch, feel and see.

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 of the epidermis, is called the stratum corneum. This layer is only about as thick as a sheet of fine paper, it is what provides your skin with all of its barrier properties. The stratum corneum is made up of flattened cells coated with humectants (chemicals) to keep them moist and flexible and surrounded by special lipids (fats) 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 the 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 (cells that build) 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 the skin firm.
Produces the elastin which keeps skin flexible.
Generates sebum which keeps skin supple and moist.

3: The Subcutaneous Fat Layer

Beneath the dermis is the subcutaneous fat layer. It’s composed of an extensive network of connective tissue, laced with fat cells.

What the subcutaneous fat layer 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 fifteen to thirty 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.

Skin Ageing

There are two distinct types of skin ageing:

Intrinsic (Internal)
Extrinsic (External)

Intrinsic Skin Ageing

The natural ageing process.
Continuous process normally begins in mid twenties.
Collagen production slows.
Elastin has less spring.
Dead cells do not shed as quickly as quickly and turnover of new cells decreases.

The signs

Fine lines and wrinkles.
Thin and transparent skin.
Loss of underlying fat leading to hollow cheeks / eye sockets and loss of firmness – skin sagging.

Extrinsic Ageing

Caused by environmental factors.
Acts together with normal ageing process to prematurely age our skin.

Environmental factors – The sun

Photoageing – ageing caused by exposure to the sun rays.
UV irradiation of the skin increases Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and decreases anti-oxidant enzymes.
Ultraviolet exposure breaks down collagen and impairs the synthesis of new collagen. The sun also attacks our elastin.
Ultraviolet exposure increases melanin production resulting in patches of increased hyperpigmentation.
Without protection, exposure over the years causes noticeable changes – freckles, age spots, spider veins, rough and leathery skin, fine lines and wrinkles, blotchy complexion and skin cancer.

Other extrinsic factors include:

Facial Expression

Repetitive facial movements actually lead to fine lines and wrinkles.

Gravity

Constantly pulls on our bodies causing eyelids to fall, ears to elongate, jowls to form, upper lip disappears while lower lip becomes more pronounced.

Smoking

Causes biochemical changes in our bodies that accelerates ageing. Unhealthy yellowish hue to the complexion.

Sleeping Positions

Resting your face on the pillow the same way every night leads to wrinkles (sleep lines).