An intact barrier function is essential for our skin to protect us from external influences on a daily basis. Learn more about the structure and functions of our skin. Learn about the causes of skin problems or skin diseases. Only then can you protect and care for your skin properly?
Our skin is a vital organ – the largest single organ of our body. Day after day, the skin protects us from external influences such as heat, cold, wind, pathogens and regulates the heat balance. The skin is also known as the mirror of our soul. Thus skin problems can literally make us feel uncomfortable and often have a negative impact on our overall well-being.
Our skin is a vital organ – the largest single organ of our body. Day after day, the skin protects us from external influences such as heat, cold, wind, pathogens and regulates the heat balance. The skin is also known as the mirror of our soul. Thus skin problems can literally make us feel uncomfortable and often have a negative impact on our overall well-being.
Our skin is a vital organ – the largest single organ of our body. Learn more about the structure, the tasks and the functions of the skin.
Our skin is a vital organ – the largest single organ in our body. Day after day, the skin protects us from external influences such as heat, cold, wind, pathogens and regulates the heat balance. The skin is also known as the mirror of our soul. Thus skin problems can literally make us feel uncomfortable and often have a negative impact on our overall well-being.
In order to better understand the function of the skin and prevent skin problems, it is important to know the structure of the skin.
The skin can be divided into 3 skin layers: Upper skin (epidermis); dermis (cornium); lower skin (subcutis).
The skin’s protective barrier is the natural shield of our skin. The acid mantle (hydrolipid film) on the skin’s surface is essential for an intact barrier function.
This comprises endogenous components such as water, fat-splitting enzymes, corneocytes, sebum and sweat and has a slightly acidic average pH of 5.5. The hydrolipid film regulates the skin’s water balance, prevents the loss of moisture and therefore protects the skin from external influences.
The skin’s healthy acid mantle is also the habitat of the skin microbiome. The skin microbiom is the totality of the microbes living on the skin. This variety of many different microorganisms (bacteria, viruses and fungi) are important for the skin´s health. When the microorganisms and thus the skin microbiom is in harmony, it protects the skin from pathogens or environmental influences and strengthens the immune system. The best environment for keep the skin microbiom in a good condition is a pH value of 5.5.
What happens when the skin’s protective barrier is weakened?
Both external influences such as cold, heat, sun and water as well as internal factors such as nutrition, age or hormonal fluctuations can lead to a weakened protective barrier. The skin becomes sensitive and skin problems such as irritation, redness, dryness or feelings of tension can arise.
Very sensitive skin can be prone to irritation. Learn more about the symptoms, causes and the appropriate skin care.
Very sensitive skin can be prone to irritation. Learn more about the symptoms, causes and the appropriate skin care.
Very sensitive skin can be reflected in many ways in the appearance of the skin. Its acid mantle is weakened, which is why it is no longer resistant enough to ward off harmful bacteria and pollutants. It reacts quickly to external influences. Redness and skin irritations are the result. The symptoms of very sensitive skin can occur at any age and on different parts of the body such as the face, arms and legs or scalp.
If the skin is very sensitive, these are signs of a damaged protective skin barrier.
The protective acid mantle (hydrolipid film) of our skin surface is essential for an intact barrier function. This consists of the body’s own components such as water, fat-splitting enzymes, horny cells, sebum and sweat and has a slightly acidic, average pH value of 5.5. This acidic environment creates the ideal conditions for a balanced skin microbiome, which can thus effectively protect the skin from impurities and infections. The acid mantle regulates the water balance of the skin, prevents from too much moisture loss and additionally protects against external influences.
Frequent bathing or showering, aggressive cleansing products or certain ingredients of conventional care products can affect the sensitive pH value of the skin. The acid mantle and thus the skin’s protective barrier is impaired. The skin is now no longer protected from external influences. As a result, over-sensitisation of the nerves occurs. The skin gets sensitive and is prone to redness and irritations.
Very sensitive skin needs a particularly mild care that does not attack the acid mantle.
The high-quality numis® med pH 5.5 care products are ideal for very sensitive skin. Thanks to their pH balanced formula, they stabilise the skin’s acid mantle, support the skin’s microbiome and thus its natural resistance. Your skin is immediately soothed, can regenerate and is protected from external influences.
Extremely dry skin can have many manifestations – from feelings of tightness to cracking. To combat this, the skin needs particularly effective care.
Extremely dry skin is a common problem with different manifestations. . Depending on the degree of severity, the feeling of tightness varies. The skin is rough and tends to itch. In neurodermatitis patients, for example, the skin is characterised not only by extreme dryness but also by an increased tendency to eczema and a particularly persistent, severe itching. Due to the impaired skin barrier function, the skin is also exposed to an increased risk of allergies.
There are various causes for extremely dry skin. Skin diseases, such as psoriasis and neurodermatitis, increasingly contribute to an altered skin appearance. Compared to healthy skin, extremely dry skin contains 50 % less urea. This lack of the skin’s own moisturising factors leads to increased transepidermal water loss. This effect is enhanced by a disturbed skin barrier due to reduced lipid formation, which significantly increases the moisture loss.
Extremely dry skin needs a coordinated care regimen to replenish the lost moisture and to protect it from further moisture loss. The high-quality care formulas of numis® med UREA support the regeneration of the disturbed skin barrier and help extremely dry skin to restore its protective function.
Extreme dryness, redness, scaling and itching can be signs of Atopic Dermatitis. How you can support your skin and relieve the symptoms.
Atopic Dermatitis can become very uncomfortable due to the extreme dryness of the skin. Learn more about the symptoms, causes and care of Atopic Dermatitis.
The skin of Atopic Dermatitis sufferers is characterised by extreme dryness, scaling, redness and itching. The horny layer of Atopic Dermatitis patients is much thinner than that of healthy skin, which impairs acid regulation. This makes it easier for harmful germs, bacteria and fungi to multiply and the skin becomes more susceptible to infections. Increased water loss and reduced sebum production also lead to severe skin dryness, which also makes the skin more sensitive to cleansing measures.
People with Atopic Dermatitis who regularly apply suitable care products to their skin relieve itching and improve the barrier function of the diseased skin.
A suitable skin care product should provide the skin of a neurodermatitis sufferer with lipid-rich and moisturising substances. In addition, it should be as free of allergens as possible. Creams and skin care products that contain urea, glycerin and panthenol have proven to be effective for atopic dermatitis. Urea is one of the skin’s natural moisturising factors and increases the hydration content of the horny layer. Glycerin supports the skin in its natural function and helps to supply it with moisture. Panthenol soothes the skin and contributes noticeably to skin relaxation. The products of the numis® med UREA series are perfectly adapted to the therapy-accompanying skin care for Atopic Dermatitis.
Diabetic skin is much less able to retain moisture than healthy skin. With regular and proper care, you can improve your skin condition for a long time.
Diabetic skin has significantly reduced sweat and sebaceous gland activity, resulting in a lack of moisture retention in the skin. The skin’s own oil production is reduced, which disturbs the skin’s barrier function. The urea content is significantly reduced, which means that the skin is no longer able to store moisture as well. When having a diabetic skin, the skin dries out, becomes flaky, is rough, itches unpleasantly and looks unhealthy.
Regular care improves the condition of diabetic skin. This includes daily cleansing with mild, soap-free washing lotions that are especially suitable for dry skin. These contain intensively lipid-replenishing lipids or moisturising ingredients such as urea, which prevent further dehydration. Afterwards, a rich skin care lotion should be applied.
Furthermore, diabetics should pay special attention to foot care. The moisture content of the soles of the feet is determined by foot perspiration. If this decreases or even stops altogether, the skin of the foot dries out, becomes brittle and cracked and thus offers an ideal surface for bacteria to attack. As a result of the increased blood sugar level, diabetic skin has a reduced body defence anyway, so that inflammations can quickly occur.
If the affected person does not notice this, the wound can become inflamed and lead to a diabetic foot ulcer. In order to prevent this, dry feet should be regularly cared for with moisturising products from the numis® med UREA series to rebuild the defensive power of the foot skin. When treating dry feet, the toes should be well cared for and the spaces between the toes should not be left out.
With psoriasis, proper skin care is an essential part of effective therapy. Learn more about how to take the best care of your skin in this case.
Psoriasis: Learn more about the symptoms, causes and care for psoriasis.
Psoriasis is the medical term for psoriasis. It is a genetic, non-conctious but chronic skin disease. Typical symptoms are partial, inflammatory redness and scales on the skin.
The skin irritations occur in so-called relapsed, which may subside after some time. Everyone who carries the genetic predisposition can develop psoriasis. But that is not always the case. However, in combination with certain triggers such as stress, infection or mechanical movements, this predisposition can trigger an outbreak of disease.
The cause of psoriasis is a defective immune response. The immune system attacks the body’s own tissue, which is equal to an injury and thus causes inflammation. This stimulates a constant production of new skin cells. Due to this overproduction, skin cells migrate too quickly to the surface of the skin. However, since they are not yet fully developed, they do not detach, but stick together. This results in raised, reddened areas of skin covered with silvery-white scales – the so-called plaques.
Psoriasis is not curable, but with the right care, the skin can be supported in retaining moisture in the long term.
Proper skin care is an essential part of any effective psoriasis therapy. The skin of those affected is prone to irritation and is extremely dry. The few remaining skin fat is dissolved by hot water and soaps. Therefore, psoriatics should only take a short shower with lukewarm water and use skin-neutral, re-greasing cleansing products. Products with urea and glycerine are suitable for this purpose. For further skin care products should be used in psoriasis that compensate for the lack of moisture in the skin.
End the dryness on your skin. Numis® med UREA allows dehydrated skin, affected with psoriasis, to revive in a particularly gentle way.
Numis Med is a brand of MANN & SCHRÖDER COSMETICS, based in Siegelsbach, near Heilbronn.
