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Written by the Elucent skincare community
It’s no secret that the skin is the largest organ in the body and requires care and protection to keep it looking healthy and glowing.
If you’re eager to turn dull, dry skin into radiant, glowing skin, having an understanding of our skin’s biology and structure is so important. After all, it not only enables us to appreciate the magic of our skin’s tiny cells, but also see the importance of skincare.
What is the epidermis?
The skin has three layers – the epidermis, dermis, and the hypodermis¹. The role of the epidermis is to maintain good skin barrier function. That is, to protect your body from bacteria and environmental stressors caused by the sun and wind. It also helps keep moisture (water) in².
As we go about our day and sleep at night, skin regeneration is taking place. Skin cells of the epidermis take, on average, between 28 and 40 days in adults to regenerate³. The new skin cells begin in the stratum germinativum, which is the deepest layer of the epidermis³, and continue up to the surface. This process, includes the production of keratinocytes in the deeper layer of the epidermis and their shedding as corneocytes (dead skin cells) from the surface of the skin, is known as the epidermal turnover⁴.
As we age, our skin undergoes many changes. Most notably, the epidermis thins out and our skin turnover rate slows significantly to 40 days and up to 60 days⁵ ⁶. This is one of the reasons why babies and young children have fresh, glowing skin – their skin turnover rate is much faster³.
How to exfoliate your skin?
Exfoliation is one of the most important skincare steps for helping to promote radiance and increasing skin cell turnover. There are several ingredients that can help remove dead skin cells, visibly improve rough skin and promote cellular renewal, to reveal a fresh, glowing complexion.
Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) include glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid and citric acid help exfoliate the skin and remove dead skin cells, while helping with cellular renewal⁷. However, excessive exfoliation doesn’t equal a faster skin cell turnover rate. In fact, it can damage the skin’s barrier, leaving it red and inflamed, so be careful not to overdo it.
AHAs can also visibly improve the firmness and elasticity of skin, helping to reduce fine lines and wrinkles⁸.
