The Secret Life of Your Skin: 8 Surprising Facts

You wash it, moisturize it and mostly forget about it, but your skin is busy all day long. It is your biggest organ, it rebuilds itself on a schedule, and it is home to a whole community of tiny life. Here are eight facts about your skin that might change how you see it, and what each one means for your routine.

1. It is your largest organ

Spread out flat, an adult’s skin would cover about 20 square feet, roughly the size of a small rug. It keeps water in and germs out, helps control your temperature, and tells you whether something is hot, cold, soft or sharp. That is a lot of work for something we rarely think about.

2. You get a new outer layer about once a month

New skin cells are made deep down. They slowly move up to the surface, flatten out and flake away. The whole trip takes around four weeks, and a little longer as we get older. That is why it is worth giving any new skin care product about a month before you decide whether it works for you.

3. You shed millions of skin cells every day

Most of them you never notice. In cold, dry weather they are easier to spot, as flakes on your shins or rough patches on your elbows. Gentle washing and a good moisturizer help old cells come away smoothly instead of building up.

4. Your outer layer is built like a brick wall

Scientists describe the top layer of skin as bricks and mortar. Flat cells are the bricks, and natural fats are the mortar that holds them together. Dry air and very hot water weaken the mortar, and moisture escapes through the gaps. Rich butters made with shea butter and beeswax help by sealing the wall from the outside, which is the whole idea behind our whipped Body Butter.

5. Your skin has its own community of microbes

Hundreds of kinds of bacteria live on healthy skin, and most of them are on your side, crowding out the ones that cause trouble. You do not need to scrub yourself squeaky clean. A mild soap made from plant oils, like our olive oil Soap Bar, cleans you without stripping everything away.

6. Your lips have no oil glands

The rest of your face makes its own oil, but your lips do not, and their skin is very thin. That is why they are the first thing to crack when the weather turns. A balm put on before you head outside works better than one put on after your lips already hurt, so keep a Lip Balm in your pocket.

7. The thinnest and thickest skin are at opposite ends

Your eyelids have the thinnest skin on your body, and the soles of your feet have some of the thickest. Be gentle with the delicate spots around your eyes, and give your heels and elbows a little extra butter at bedtime, when it has all night to sink in.

8. Goosebumps are a leftover from fur

Every hair on your body has a tiny muscle at its base. When you are cold, or moved by a piece of music, those muscles tighten and the hair stands up. For our furrier ancestors, that trapped a layer of warm air. For us, it just makes bumps.

What it all adds up to

Your skin does a lot without being asked. A few small habits help it along: take warm showers rather than hot ones, use a gentle wash, moisturize while your skin is still a little damp, and look after your lips before the cold gets to them. Your skin will take care of the rest.