Do You REALLY understand your skin?

I recently came across this article which is fascinating and provides a real understanding of your skin and so, promoting an understanding of what makes up a good skincare routine. I cannot repeat the article here in full as it is long as well as having many medical terms which one would need to further research. I have reproduced a few of the paragraphs, which I hope will draw your attention to the main article and why it is very valuable to the understanding of skin care routines.

"Basically, epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis (also known as the subcutaneous layer) are the main layers of skin. The stratified squamous epidermis is able to self-renew. The primary epidermal cells are keratinocytes which origin from the ectoderm in early embryonic development. The dermis, a layer much thicker than the epidermis, is composed of papillary dermis (the upper one) and reticular dermis (the lower one), containing fibroblasts and complex ECM. Its elastic property is supplied by elastin fibers, while the structural elements are provided by collagen fibers. Between the epidermis and the dermis is the dermal-epidermal junction (DEJ), which holds the two layers together and functions as a barrier to chemicals and cells. The deepest skin layer, hypodermis, lies below above the underlying fascia and muscle and the dermis. It contains connective tissues, blood vessels, and fat."

"For extrinsically aged skin, photoaging is the most common form induced by environmental factors. As much as eighty percent of premature facial ageing is attributable to solar radiation in a long term.16 Clinical signs of photoaging include roughness, dryness, deep wrinkle, lack of elasticity, uneven pigmentation, mainly superimposed on face, neck, and dorsal forearms. Histologically, “elastosis”, a phenomenon of amorphous elastin material accumulated just below the DEJ, is the main characteristic of the pathognomonic of photoaged skin. Atrophic epidermis, fragmented elastic fibers and collagen are also found to develop with constant sun exposure."

"Apart from nutrition, sleep of good quality is another necessity for skin health. Sleep problems are common among adults, and likely to increase. Chronic sleep deficiency along with the disrupted circadian rhythm is relevant to cutaneous symptoms of damaged barrier integrality and accelerated ageing.59 Oral supplements derived from plant extracts that ameliorate sleep quality via neurotransmitter-mediated mechanisms have been extensively reviewed,104 which provide evidence for oral skin care and further, an auxiliary to skin anti-ageing."

As I hope you may see, the article provides many very interesting observations and I hope, will be able to think about managing your skin care.

NOT MY OWN WORK The article is published here:

Liang Y, Su W, Wang F. Skin Ageing: A Progressive, Multi-Factorial Condition Demanding an Integrated, Multilayer-Targeted Remedy. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2023 May 9;16:1215-1229. doi: 10.2147/CCID.S408765. PMID: 37192990; PMCID: PMC10182820.

To read, follow the link here (opens in new window)