Welcome to you:
a beginners guide to your skin

From mesmerising “before and after” photos, to revolutionary ingredients with names that are registered trademarks, to ads stating that “8 out of 10 men agree”, marketing is big business, and the cosmetics industry is certainly not immune to the hype. That doesn’t mean of course that any particular marketing claims are wrong or right. But it does mean that a self-respecting man in the 21st century needs to (literally) know what he’s made of, so that he can make the best choices for himself and for his skin.

That’s why we’ve created this quick reference guide to your skin. A simple, no-nonsense guide to your body’s biggest organ (we’re talking about your skin, of course) to help you to recognise some common issues, and make informed choices when it comes to dealing with them.

So, let’s get to it.

Your skin has three layers, with the thickest at the bottom and the thinnest on the top. The bottom layer, which is called the hypodermis, consists mainly of fat and isn’t visible to the eye, but it’s important to keep in mind that you can’t have healthy skin without every layer being in good shape.

The dermis (the middle layer) is home to your sweat glands, your hair follicles and the natural oil-producing sebaceous glands. From each hair follicle a hair shaft grows outwards to the surface of the skin, and the hole the hair comes out of is a pore. Whether the hair is visible to your eyes or not, every pore stems from a hair follicle, and it’s also worth noting that pores cover pretty much your entire body (with the exception of the palms of your hands and the bottoms of your feet). That means that many common skin complains can occur anywhere on the body, not just on the face.

The sweat from your sweat glands and the oil from your sebaceous glands both come out through your pores by following the hair shaft. If the pore is blocked, either because of excess oil production, dead skin cells (more on that later) or just good old fashioned dirt and bacteria, that’s when problems can begin. The channel beneath the blocked pore will soon be filled with oil and bacteria- and you’ve got yourself a spot, my friend!

Regular cleansing of the skin with warm water and a face wash suited to your skin type will help to keep your pores clear of excess oil and grime, thereby reducing the risk of spots developing. But keep in mind that you shouldn’t overdo it- washing too often will dry out your skin, and that’s not good for it either.

• Skin myth: It’s not unusual to hear people talking about pores opening and closing, but pores aren’t controlled by muscles, so they can’t actually open or close. They can stretch when they’re filled with oil or dirt, they can shrink when they’re empty, but they have no ability to open and close on their own. Techniques like steaming your face just happen to be good ways to clean the gunk out of your pores, which makes them look smaller afterwards.
  
  

That brings us to the third, final, topmost and thinnest layer of your skin, which is also the only layer of your skin you ever want to be able to see- the epidermis. It may be a thin layer, but the epidermis has a lot going on. Its home to the cells that determine the colour and tone of your skin (melanocytes) and, more importantly than that, it’s the barrier between your body and the billions of bacteria that are around us every single day.

The cells that make up your epidermis are constantly being refreshed as old ones die off and are replaced by new ones. Even right now you’re shedding about forty thousand skin cells per hour without evening noticing it, and it takes less than a month for your entire epidermis to replace itself. Pretty incredible, right? But we’re not just mentioning it because it’s cool (or gross, depending on your perspective). Dead skin cells do have the potential to block your pores and cause breakouts, and they can also leave rough dry patches on your skin. Regular cleaning and moisturising, and occasional exfoliation, will help to remove the build-up of dead skin cells to leave you with cleaner, more fresh-feeling skin.

It’s also important to remember that the epidermis is the part of your skin that’s exposed to the sun when you’re outside, and it’s the part that burns and peels when you’re out for too long without SPF protection. The same melanocytes that determine your skin tone are triggered by the UV from the sun, and they go into overdrive producing the melanin that darkens the skin’s colour. Regularly exposing yourself to the sun without protection leads to skin pigmentation- dark and uneven blotches of melanin in the skin. There’s no denying that the blotchy look works well for Dalmatians, but it probably won’t look as good on you. Give your melanocytes a break by making sure you’re adequately protected with SPF when you’re out in the sun.

And with that we’ll conclude this whistle stop tour of your skin, or at least the parts of it that are most relevant to your regular skin care routine. So when you’re considering buying a face scrub, a mask, a moisturiser or anything else, think about what’s actually happening in the layers of your skin, and think about what you’re aiming to achieve. Does the product contain ingredients that are going to help you to achieve your goal, or it just a tube full of buzzwords with a dash of coconut butter thrown in? Ultimately it’s down to each of us to be an informed consumer- your epidermis will thank you for it, and your wallet might too.

(Please note that this brief guide is not intended to be comprehensive description of all aspects of human skin, and it shouldn’t be used for diagnostic purposes. Always consult a professional if you experience severe symptoms or have concerns about your health).