The skin, a sensory organ, is water proof and a defense against infection and trauma. The outer layer is called the epidermis and is the one you see. This layer is constantly rubbing off and flaking. The top of the epidermis is known as the stratum corneum layer and is very thin, about 1/100th of an inch thick. Water lost in this layer is the prime cause of dryness. The flaking and loss of the outer layer of dead skin cells is brought about by a lack of blood vessels within the epidermis.
Underneath the epidermis is the dermis, which consists of a network of collagen tissue fibers with interweaving blood and lymph vessels sweat and oil glands, hair follicles, and nerve endings. Below the dermis is a variable layer of fat-storage cells. Nutrients are fed to the epidermis via the blood system of the dermis. Collagen, the gel-like substance that provides the skin with structural support, is created in the dermis. With age, collagen production diminishes and the skin begins to sag.
The dermis of the skin is greatly dependent on vitamin C to function properly. As outer layer skin is lost, basal cells beneath the stratum corneum reproduce and produce new skin. This process usually takes longer as we grow older. There is only one way skin cells can be nourished, and that is from the circulating blood. The beauty or handsomeness of youth passes quickly. For the most part, proper nourishment of the skin and the body has been ignored.
Vitamins are the nutrients most often implicated in unhealthy appearance of hair and skin. The skin and hair changes associated with vitamin deficiencies were characterized long before nutritional origins of the condition were recognized.
Essential for the health and wellbeing of the skin, vitamin A has been found to guard against dryness, scaling, and premature aging. It has been shown to be of benefit in the treatment of acne and maintaining good vision.
The B-complex plays a vital role in proper functioning of the digestive organs, the heart, nervous system, and muscles. Vitamin C is required for the formation of collagen, the substance that holds the body together, because it is the chief constituent of the fibrils of the connective tissue of the skin.
None of nutrients can be fed to skin from the outside; they can only come from a diet rich in a blend of natural foods, including whole grains and raw vegetables, whose fiber content promotes good elimination. You can’t have that healthy glow of beauty or handsomeness if you are constipated. That’s what you must avoid to have beauty inside and out.
