The moisture of the skin (the amount of water in it), largely determines its appearance and properties: uniformity of color, texture, elasticity and thickness. Dry skin looks rough, brittle, has an uneven thickness and surface area, cracked and covered with scales, and prone to itching. In contrast, moist skin looks smooth, shiny, velvety, delicate and supple. Many people go to the skin clinic during the winter, a time when the humidity in the air is low, with complaints of dryness of the skin and in summer, the problems can either ease or be exacerbated. That is why it is important to take care of your summer skin.
By Team Savant
Image: Fleur Kaan
In healthy skin, the water content in the epidermis (outer layer) is about 10 percent. The upper corneal layer of the epidermis, is an obstacle to excessive fluid outflow from the skin and drying it, by stopping the constant movement of water from the deep layers of the skin towards the upper layers and out. Therefore, maintaining an adequate moisture level is a difficult and complex task. The best way to maintain skin moisture is to stay in an environment that has enough moisture. During the winter period due to the dry air, cold, wind and use of heating systems, the skin tends to dry out. Moisturizing the skin does not add moisture to the skin, but tries to maintain the existing moisture already inside. Essentially, the moisturizer can greatly assist in keeping the skin supple from the inside, because it acts as a barrier. A similar way that a blanket does not add heat but retains the heat from inside the body.
Towards spring and summer, the dangers of sun exposure must be remembered. People are exposed to the danger of radiation in daily life, even without deliberately sitting in the sun. The sun emits broad-spectrum radiation, from very short rays to very long rays. The ozone layer filters the dangerous radiation of the sun, and fortunately protects us from the short rays, which are dangerous. The dangerous rays come to us between nine in the morning and four in the afternoon and these are the main rays that cause tanning.
There is no tan that is a healthy tan, so they say!! The damage from tanning is not discovered immediately after sun exposure but, after several years or decades. The skin remembers everything. You may find dark or white spots, or sometimes benign or malignant tumors. Those who sunbathe a lot in their youth should not be surprised if, twenty or thirty years later, a cancerous growth is suddenly discovered, even if, in the years that have passed since then, they have sunbathed very little. Therefore, adequate protection is important to keep the skin safe. You may want to look at the School of Natural Skincare for a plethora of information! To maintain the health of the skin, it is important to use protective products. The protection factor is expressed by a number (SPF). Be sure to choose wisely for the best protection.