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The most important substance for the suppleness
of the skin is water. In young skin the water content of the upper
horny skin layer accounts for between 10 and 20 percent of the total
water content of the organism. Without natural moisturizing factors,
water would soon evaporate and the skin would become dry and cracked.
The skin receives its moisture from water from deeper layers (transepidermal
water) and from normal sweat secretion. Various factors, such as a
lack of moisture-binding substances or extremely low humidity, can
lead to an increased loss of moisture to the environment. Especially
prone to this are more exposed regions such as the face and the hands.
A distinction is made between active, glandular and passive extraglandular
or transepidermal water loss.
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Water-binding urea between the horny skin cell
membranes.
Extraglandular or transepidermal water is water
that reaches the surface by diffusion. |
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NMF - substances with a special relationship to
water
Some of the body´s own substances, the natural
moisturizing factors (NMF), are capable of retaining water in the
horny layer. These substances with a special water binding capacity
are derived from sweat and the sebaceous oils (e.g. urea) as well
as the cornification process (e.g. pyrrolidine carboxylic acid). |
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The lipids of the skin
surface
The skin surface lipids are made up of the epidermal
lipids and lipids from sebum - important for the hydrolipid film.
Various fatty acids, especially those originating from the sebum and
only found on the skin surface give the lipophilic portion of the
hydrolipid film an antibacterial and fungicidal effect. |
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