Your Skin: Both a protector and a passageway

Compared to other body structures, the skin is unique in being perpetually exposed to the  environment.

The skin is the largest organ of the body and it performs a variety of functions:

·         Protection is provided against biological invasion, physical damage, and ultraviolet radiation.

·         Sensation for touch, pain, and heat is provided by nerve endings.

·         Thermoregulation is supported through the sweating and regulation of blood flow through the skin.

·         Metabolism of vitamin D occurs in the skin.

·         Storage of blood that can be shunted to other parts of the body when needed takes place in the skin.

·         Excretion of salts and small amounts of wastes (ammonia and urea) occurs with the production of sweat.

Read more:http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/The-Skin-and-Its-Functions.topicArticleId-22032,articleId-21894.html#ixzz18ThnkCMh

The normal skin pH of the skin is acidic; between 4 to 5.5. This acidic pH mixture is called the acid mantle. The acid mantle protects the skin from bacteria. Bacteria get killed by the acid and cannot damage the skin. If you strip the skin of its acidic mantle by using strong alkaline soaps/cleansers, bacteria will find it easy to attack the skin. Moreover removing the acid mantle disturbs the distribution of dead cells on top of epidermis. This is called stratum corneum. The structure of cells in the dead skin cells layer gets disturbed and the bacteria find an easy passage through to the epidermis. Normally these dead cells protect the skin against such damages. These dead cells if allowed to accumulate will make the skin look very bad, but if totally removed, the skin is left defenseless to an extent. (Doctorgoodskin.com)

The sweat glands produce sweat in response to heat and stress. Sweat is composed of water, salt, and other chemicals. As sweat evaporates off the skin, it helps cool the body.  The sebaceous glands secrete sebum into hair follicles. Sebum is an oil, that keeps the skin moist and soft and acts as a barrier against foreign substances. (merckmanuals.com)

The rate of dermal absorption of a substance is proportional to both the concentration of the substance and the surface area over which it is applied.  The wider the contact area and the more concentrated the substance, the greater will be the absorption.

The thickness of the skin, especially the stratum corneum, also determines the degree to which substances are absorbed.  Thicker skin is a greater barrier to passage of foreign substances.  Depending on skin thickness, there can also be variability in the absorption of a given substance by different regions of the body.  For example, hydrocortisone is absorbed over 50-times greater by genital skin versus the skin of the palms.  www.cape.ca/children/derm2.html
 
So, why all of the talk about skin?

Exposure by skin absorption is much more potent and creates a more toxic effect

* Example – transdermal progesterone (like Arbonne’s Prolief products) vs. oral supplementation takes 70 times MORE orally to get the same effect

* Nicotine patches/heart medication/sea sick skin applied patches – are given because they work!

* ”In just 26 seconds after any exposure to chemicals, they can be found in every organ of the body.” – EPA brochure, Top 10 “Killer” Household Chemicals

* “The basic problem is that nowadays most of our products are made from petrochemical derivatives of nonrenewable crude oil.” (Dadd p. 12)

Why is this a problem? Primarily, because of what these petrochemicals do to our nervous systems and our hormones.

“Neurotoxins are so called because they are toxic to your nervous system. The core of your nervous system is your brain, which not only affects thinking and feeling but regulates every system in your body. When your nervous system is damaged, your entire body can be affected. The more common symptoms caused by neurotoxins are fatigue, memory loss, personality changes, headaches, sleep disturbances, muscle incoordination, visual disturbances, acnes and pains, and sexual dysfunction. And what are these neurotoxic substances? Many of the same petrochemicals that cause Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and cancer.” (Dadd, p. 19)

Tomorrow: Petrochemicals