THE SKINCARE masterclass
It’s your body’s largest organ, but what do you really know about your skin? Here’s how to keep yours healthy and glowing, whatever stage of life you’re at
WORDS LEYLA RUDOLF
Skin. It’s generally the first thing you’ll look at each morning and more than likely, it takes up the most time in your beauty regime (think cleansing, toning, moisturising, masks). Then there’s the make-up you apply to make it more even/dewy/matt/ radiant. You get the gist. But chances are you only know the bare minimum about what it does. ‘Skin is essentially your body’s protective armour,’ says cosmetic dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting. ‘It keeps us safe from environmental aggressors, such as bacteria, UV and pollution – it’s essential in helping us maintain our temperature, processing sensation and vitamin D production, too.’
Simple, right? When it comes to your skincare however, it gets a little bit more complicated. ‘Skin has two main layers: the upper epidermis and lower dermis, which collectively sit above a layer of fat,’ says Dr Anjali Mahto, consultant dermatologist at The Cranley Clinic, London. ‘The epidermis consists of four main cell types, mostly responsible for skin protection: keratinocytes; melanocytes; langerhans cells; and merkel cells. Meanwhile, the dermis consists mainly of connective tissue containing collagen, elastic fibres and hyaluronic acid, which combine to give skin its strength and elasticity.’