Have you ever stopped to think about what your largest organ is? Hint: It’s not your brain. It’s not your intestines either! Ready? Your largest organ is your skin!
Your skin accounts for up to 16% of your total body mass. According to National Geographic, the average person has around 22 square feet of skin! Our skin is an extremely important organ, and, quite literally, it keeps us together! Our skin protects us from extreme temperature, the damaging sunrays, from bacteria, and it also retains our bodily fluids. Most importantly, our skin contains tens of thousands of nerve endings that allow our brain to sense pain, temperature, airflow, and human contact, among other things!
Importance of Skin Care
Considering the many functions our skin serves our bodies, skincare is very important! In addition to contributing to our physical appearance and self-confidence, skincare contributes to our overall wellbeing. Neglecting skin care can result in dry, itchy skin that can eventually be damaged. You can also experience clogged pores, which leads to acne and enlarged pores, and most concerning, neglected care of your skin can lead the skin cancer.
Skin Care Recommendations
Who doesn’t enjoy a 5-star selfie to upload as our Facebook profile picture? Don’t let that trick you into thinking your face is the only important area of skin you should care for!
1. Taking at least one bath per day is important to get rid of the skin cells that are shed naturally every day! A build-up of these dead cells can affect your appearance and skin health.
2. Taking time to exfoliate your skin is another important skincare undertaking. Exfoliating is the process of gently rubbing a granular or coarse substance (like coffee grounds or ground sugar) over the skin to clear the pore, removing dead skin cells, dirt, and excessive oils. Exfoliation promotes healthier more radiant skin.
3. Watch what you eat! Consuming unhealthy food often shows on your skin. Eating tons of sugary, oil, or processed foods can result in skin inflammation and acne and can accelerate the aging of your skin, causing wrinkles and lines to form. Consuming an adequate number of fresh fruits, healthy fruits, and water can boost your skin’s health, reduce acne, and enhance your overall appearance. Win, win, win!
4. The sun is not your skin’s best friend. The skin absorbs vitamin D from the sun, which is good. However, prolonged exposure to direct sunlight causes your skin to be vulnerable to some of the dangerous ultraviolet rays, which can contribute to sunburn, discolored skin, damaged skin cells, and even cancer. If you anticipate prolonged skin exposure, wearing adequate clothing or applying sunscreen is advised.
5. HYDRATION! Hydrating your skin is important to restore moisture lost during exposure to sun/heat, bathing, and face washing. It contributes to a better appearance and helps to prevent dry skin and itching.
6. Lastly, wash, your, face. Washing your face properly removes sweat that has dried on your face, make-up for those who wear, dirty, dead skin, and excessive oil. That way, as we have established as extremely important, you can always be on your A-Game in the event of an impromptu selfie opportunity.
If you are guilty of ignoring some of these skincare recommendations, don’t feel bad! The best time to take control of our overall well-being was yesterday and the next best time is NOW! If you already have these basics under your belt, you can consider advanced skincare regimens that include facials, microdermabrasion, and the application of approved skincare products to fight back against acne and inflammation.
Remember, when we look good, we feel good. Take care of your skin!