Understanding Your Skin
The Basics
Skin is typically characterized as consisting of three distinct layers, namely the stratum corneum, the epidermis and the dermis. The stratum corneum, the outermost layer provides a substantial physical barrier to penetration of most substances to the lower layers of the skin. In addition to preventing transport of substances to the other skin layers, this barrier also aids in prevention of water loss from the skin. Both functions are primarily due to the presence of the lipids in the stratum corneum. The stratum corneum and epidermis is often referred to as the natural moisture/lipid barrier.
The quality of the skin barrier can vary widely, depending on a number of different factors, and therefore, may not always be adequate to perform its protective function optimally. The barrier’s effectiveness can be affected by the source of the lipids in the barrier, the composition of lipids as well as the location on the body. Additionally, the lipid barrier is easily diminished by exposure to harsh detergents or soaps.
If your moisture barrier is compromised it can lead to skin problems such as dryness, redness or blemishes.
