Skin---What have you done for it lately?

Did you know that skin is the largest organ of the body?  Although it doesn’t meet with conventional images of what an organ is (small, rounded and internal!), our skin, scientifically referred to as the integumentary system, is indeed classified as an organ and it’s a big one!  Although it’s the most visible of our organs, it is often undervalued and, even worse----neglected!  To give you an idea of how important our skin is, here is a list of just a few things that our skin does for us on a daily basis:  it insulates the body, it protects us from germ invasion, it houses nerves and glands that respond to our everyday activities and it keeps our internal organs, well---inside where they belong!  With so many responsibilities, you would think that skin would get special treatment by it’s grateful internal counterparts, but nothing could be further from the truth.  If you’re familiar with the digestive and circulatory systems, you know that whatever food you ingest gets broken down in the digestive process and then, once the nutrients are extracted, the blood carries them off via arteries in the circulatory system and feeds our internal organs.  After the nutrient-laden arteries make their rich deposits into our internal organs, the now malnourished blood continues to flow through the channel of diminishing arteriesàarteriolesàcapillaries before reaching the skin and depositing whatever leftovers remain. While the internal royalty (internal organs) are feasting off a rich banquet, the poor soldier outside (the skin) whose days and nights are spent selflessly defending and protecting us is working off of table scraps!

Here’s where we come in.  We have the power to fight on behalf of our skin’s injustice!   Although eating a more nutritious diet will certainly help, it’s not enough.  Because skin is the last organ to get fed after every meal, we have to be sneaky and give it food ‘under the table’.  Not only can our skin ‘eat’ what it’s given internally, which we know is not enough, but we can feed it from the outside, too!!!  The best way to do this is using healthy, nourishing, toxin-free products that are easily absorbed into the skin. Check out this site for some great products to try! (https://shop.blackboxcosmetics.com/JB1943)  If you’re a product junkie like myself, you won’t mind investing time and money into new products to test them out, but to be honest most people just want someone to give them all the answers and, guess what?  That’s what Estheticians are for!! If you're unsure what an Esthetician is read the link here: (http://greenearthskin.blogspot.com/2013/09/an-estheticianwhat-is-that.html)  It’s definitely worth the time and money you will save trying to find the right products to visit an Esthetician and have them evaluate your skin, perform appropriate treatments and recommend products that are specific to your skin’s needs.  And because your skin is constantly changing depending on the time of the month (hormone changes), the time of the year (weather affects skin) and your age, it is wise to schedule regular appointments with your Esthetician so that you are constantly feeding your skin with the most beneficial products possible. 

What have you done for YOUR skin lately?

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s Skin Care blog.  Let me know if you have any questions or comments below.  Thank you!

~~Jessica Barahona