Skin Absorption-Permeability of the Skin

Is our overall well being taken much more serious today than ever before? Many today are suffering from diseases such as cancer or diabetes, which has lead to many changing their not so healthy habits. Smoking is not as popular today as it was years ago, and it’s as if everyone is counting calories, watching what they eat and making sure to get in plenty of exercise.

Regular exercise and eating healthy has ranked high on the importance scale, even if it cost a little more. Gym memberships, organic foods, vitamins, and nutritional supplements can be very expensive; however there is one thing that you could do to increase your overall well being, that is not at all expensive when compared to costly supplements, organic foods and exercise programs. This inexpensive health solution would be choosing natural skin care.

Many will refuse to spend four to five dollars on a bar of soap, but will spend hundreds of dollars on expensive nutritional supplements. The truth is your skin is the largest organ of the body and is permeable, what goes on, goes in as well.

Typically many of us never really think about skin care, let alone natural skincare until a rash is present or suffering from dryness, itchy or flaky skin, and until one can really understand the permeability of the skin and its direct effects on the immune system would one reconsider what skin care products they are applying on themselves and family. Once this is fully understood does purchasing a four dollar handcrafted soap made with pure essential oils, and 100% free from synthetic ingredients, does this purchase begin to make more sense.

The skin being the largest organ of the human body makes up for about 15 to 20 percent of the total body weight, consisting of millions of cells, thousands of sensory points, 100 sweat glands and 15 sebaceous glands to every square centimeter of skin on the body. The skin has three different layers that all serve very important function, the epidermis, dermis, and the subcutaneous tissue.

It is important to understand that when applying any product on your skin to know that it does not stay there or just simply gets rinsed off, it does get absorbed. Examples of this are Nicotine and Dramamine patches. When these patches are applied the drugs are released into the body through the skin.

Many argue that the harmful chemicals we are finding in products such as shampoos, and household cleaners, are in such small amounts and harmless in these small dosages. Small doses simply do not exist if you think about it. When you factor in the amount of different products you are exposed to in just one day, like toothpaste, deodorant, soaps, shampoos, hair gel, laundry detergent, dish soap, clothes, food, plastics, there is no escape from these small doses of harmful chemicals.

You might be asking yourself what the use, there’s no escape these chemicals are in everything, how could one possibly avoid not being at risk? Well you may be right but the most important thing is to be informed and know what you are putting on you and your family’s body.

Take a good look at the products you are using and research the ingredients. Discipline yourself to either make your own products like homemade laundry soap, or find companies that make natural products and then make the switch. I much rather spend a few more dollars on a natural shampoo bar knowing that I have therapeutic essential oils penetrating through my scalp than harmful carcinogens such as formaldehyde.