Adults have almost 2 square metres (20 sq ft) of skin weighing 4.5 kg (10 lbs).

Each square contains:

- 650 sweat glands.

- 20 blood vessels.

- 1,000 nerve endings from the dermis below.

- It is soft, pliable, strong, waterproof and self- repairing.

- It shapes the body.

- It protects against infections and disease and hostile environments (think about skin crawling).

- It maintains body temperature.

- It keeps germs out and fluids in.

- It gathers sensory information.

What Influences your Skin Type?

Genes/DNA:

‍ - From parent to child they direct your skin type.

Hormones:

‍ – The hormonal system/the endocrine system produces hormones, the chemical messengers that control most of our bodies systems – responsible for growth, puberty, stress and danger.

 - Over production of sebum/oil in teenagers.

 - During pregnancy increased hormonal levels can cause skin pigmentation.

 - During the menopause the drop in the levels of oestrogen effects the production of collagen and elastin – which helps keep the skin toned and supple. Both diminish with age.

A Good Diet:

- We need nutrients from food to feed the skin.

- A healthy digestive system to break it down.

- A healthy gut to absorb the goodness from the food in the small intestine.

- A healthy large intestine to eliminate toxins and waste matter.

- If you are healthy on the inside it will be reflected on the outside. What we eat and drink has a huge influence on the skin.

 A Healthy Lifestyle:

- We need to get adequate sleep and exercise, avoid stress and hot and cold temperatures.

- Protect our skin by using certified organic skincare products.

- Protect our skin by using sun protection when going outside, as sun is one of the major causes of skin damage.

- Up to 60% of what we apply to our skin gets absorbed into the blood stream and is then circulated around the body.

- Organic skincare products are derived from plants and other naturally occurring ingredients.