"Of the Month"
May is a wonderful month and celebrates many wonderful things. One of them is the liberation of our skin from underneath layers of
clothing and its joyful reunion with fresh air and sunshine. So let's talk about skin for May's Of the Month.
What is skin? Well, skin is a lot of things. It's the outer lining of our bag of self that holds everything in. It's generally our first presentation to the world. It's the object of a multi-million dollar industry to keep it looking just so, and in spite of that, it may be the least appreciated organ of the body. Yes, the skin is an organ. In fact, it's our biggest organ weighing in at about 24 pounds in an adult! Medically, an organ is defined as a part of the body having a special function. Skin has multiple functions and indeed, has functions as vital to our very life as our heart, kidneys, lungs or liver!
Functions of Skin. Perhaps the most obvious function of skin is being our outside covering - our layer of protection from things in the outside world like abrasions, germs and UV radiation. We might not really think about how important this is until we lose this protection. The most dangerous thing about extensive burns is not the burn damage, but the extreme risk of infection present without the protection of skin to keep out the germs that are constantly around us. In general, we don't just spontaneously develop infections on the skin, although we have a constant supply of potentially pathogenic organisms on our skin. Those critters are out of luck unless something happens to breach our protective layer of skin.
Skin is rich in nerve endings that provide information about touch, pain and temperature. This information is important to simply move through the day, but it is also an important survival mechanism. We'd be in trouble without the ability to feel our hand burning on the stovetop.
Skin helps us regulate body temperature by regulating blood flow and by sweating. Skin is responsible for the metabolism of Vitamin D from the sun. And skin is a detoxification organ as well, excreting small amounts of waste and salts in sweat.
Getting the idea that skin is more than just our pretty face?
Anatomy of Skin. There are 3 layers of skin. The outermost layer, the epidermis, is actually 4-5 layers. These layers are constantly regenerating from the bottom up, the top layer being dead by the time it gets there. 4 types of cells are in the epidermis that are responsible for protection & waterproofing, protection & coloring, immune function and sensation. Underneath the epidermis is the dermis. This layer varies in thickness - 0.3 mm in the eyelid and 3.0 mm on the back - and has several important features and roles. Its connective tissues give the skin strength and both its extensibility (ability to stretch) and elasticity (ability to go back to the original unstretched state). The dermis is also the site of hair follicles & their erector muscles, oil, scent and sweat glands, blood and lymph vessels, and more nerve cells. The deepest layer is called the hypodermis, or the subcutaneous layer. It is primarily adipose tissue (most commonly known as fat!) and, indeed, is the biggest storage place for body fat. This layer also plays an important role. It attaches our skin to the rest of our body! It also functions as insulation for the body and as a shock absorber. Many more blood and lymph vessels run through this layer, as well as nerves, glands and hair follicles.
So there's a LOT going on in the skin - and here's a representative of some of it below.
Skin Disorders. It's pretty obvious when things go wrong with the skin, since it's right out there in the front for all to see. (And of all my "ology" texts from medical school, the dermatology text has the worst pictures!) Since skin is out there on display, many "problems" with the skin are more cosmetic than harmful. There are a whole range of skin issues, however, from acne and eczema to different kinds of skin cancers and any suspicious skin changes should always be investigated.
Caring for Skin. How do we best care for our largest organ? Guess what - it's not the latest $200 skin cream! The front-line defense for your skin is excellent nutrition and hydration. Lots of fresh vegetables - in amount and variety - and
whole grains provide antioxidants and minerals and vitamins that provide the foundation for healthy skin. Sugars and refined grains, on the other hand, deplete these same nutrients. Plenty of water - just plain water - helps keep cells plump and working efficiently.
Exercise cares for your skin in a couple ways. It gets your circulation moving and the flow of blood to all our cells is how they get that great nutrition you're eating in and carries waste products away. Sweating is also cleansing for the skin.
Here's a radical notion - don't OVER cleanse your skin! There is a delicate balance of skin oils, pH, and flora (yes, billions of bacteria live helpfully on your skin at all times) on the skin that provides protection. Too much and/or too harsh washing can disrupt that balance leading to dry, cracked (and so then potentially infected), and other problematic skin issues. When you do wash, it's a good idea to moisturize afterward to help replace the lost natural oils.
Dry skin brushing all over the body is a great way to slough off dead layers of skin and rev up circulation and lymphatic flow. Use a natural bristle brush, start with the soles of your feet and work up toward your heart in small circles. Then jump in the shower and rinse it all away.
Another consideration for skin health is actually your gastrointestinal health. Both being systems of detoxification for the body - if the GI system isn't working efficiently, the garbage has to get taken out somewhere, and we often find it's through the skin. In my naturopathic practice, we often start here when there is a skin problem.
The question that is probably still on everyone's mind is, "What about the sun/sunscreen?" This is a complicated question and my views will conflict with much of those of dermatologists and aestheticians everywhere. First and foremost - a sun burn is NEVER a good thing, it is ALWAYS damaging - both immediately and with increased risk for future problems. Avoid sun burn at all costs. After that is where my opinion diverges from others. The sun is not the enemy. The sun is the source of all life on our planet, including us, and we would be nowhere without it. We grew up with the sun and have developed our own defenses to its brilliant power. It's not the sun that's changed over the years, it's us. We no longer live and work outdoors in the natural cycle of the sun seasons. We don't have the whole food diets with natural antioxidants and fatty acid ratios that offer natural sunscreen protections. if we could return to a more natural relationship with the sun, we could actually be friends once more. And on a related topic that could stand on its own - the sun provides us with the critical compound Vitamin D. Research is showing more and more that our lack of this important hormone (which is really more accurate than vitamin) is connected with all sorts of health problems.
One more comment that really is a topic unto itself is our mental emotional state. Stress certainly affects our overall health and the health of our skin. But deeper than that is our emotional relationship with ourselves as we age. Yes, skin ages. It's less firm, less elastic, more lined and wrinkled. Can we let go of that ceaseless struggle promoted so heavily that only silky smooth skin is beautiful? Can we celebrate our lives well lived and loved long enough to reflect the wisdom and experience of our years? Good, healthy skin shines through the wrinkles!
SO - in a nutshell - eat a varied, fresh, whole food diet. Drink plenty of plain water. Exercise. Sweat. Be smart in the sun. Cleanse gently and moisturize when you do - and not too much. Get suspicious changes checked out. And smile as you let your skin breathe the fresh air and sunshine that's ahead for us in May!
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