One of the first things we learned in nurse's training about the skin is that it's your body's first line of defense against disease and infection, and that it protects your internal organs from injuries. Piercing ears and other parts of the body actually break that line of defense. Although many people pierce their ears without giving it a second thought, infections can develop and so can nickel allergies. Nickel allergies were a lot more common in the past with the use of jet guns. The guns dragged little particles of nickel into the blood stream.



The skin is the largest organ in the body. It regulates our temperature and both helps prevent fluid loss, as well as helps our body remove excess water and salt. And when our skin becomes dry it needs water, not oils, skin creams or moisturizers or other skin care products, to appease its thirst and help rejuvenate it.

The skin has two layers - the epidermis which is on top and the dermis which is below. The epidermis keeps producing new cells that push to the top of the skin surface. The nerve cells in our skin make it sensitive to touch, pressure, and temperature. There are about 18,000,000 skin cells on every square inch of our bodies.

The body's process of producing healthy new skin cells and removing or shedding the old skin cells takes about three weeks. As we age, our skin becomes thinner and often becomes very dry skin. Thinning skin is a result of a complete breakdown of the collagen fibers. As it ages, skin loses its elasticity, especially if it's been exposed to excessive sunlight, and becomes even more fragile.

Because of exposure to the sun, protecting the aging skin from the sun is the most important thing you can do in your skin care regimen. Exposing the sun will cause wrinkles, dry out, and age the skin prematurely, leaving it coarse, thick and wrinkly. This can happen quite innocently outside in direct noon sunlight without protection. Another side effect of too much sunning it uneven pigmentation including freckles and brown spots (also called liver spots).

Most skin care doctors and other health professionals recommend a simple cleansing regimen as the best approach to keeping skin healthy and vibrant. Just using warm water, not hot water and no abrasive skin scrubs, which can cause broken blood vessels, scratch the skin and irritate any clogged pores. Make sure to pat the skin dry rather than rub it vigorously after your bath or shower to help preserve the moisture. I like to use virgin coconut oil as both a make-up remover and natural skin care treatment. It leaves my skin so soft and silky and it's cheap too. It's great if you want clear skin.

Following these tips should help you on your path to better skin care treatment and a much healthier clear, fine-line and wrinkle-free skin. Start today to take the best care of you skin and protect it every way you can. It's the best anti-aging care you can give it.