The skin has been described as the body's "cutaneous envelope" and as an envelope it both contains us and protects us from the outside world - an outer shield.

The skin is the body's largest organ, an immune system organ. Fifteen percent of the average adult's weight is skin, and it covers a surface area of nearly 2 square meters. 5% of the body's macrophages (langerhans cells) reside beneath the skin.

The importance of this complex organ to our survival is graphically illustrated by the mortality rate of people who have been badly burned. When our cutaneous envelope is destroyed, our lives are threatened. The macrophage is critically important to our defense. It first contacts antigens, then communicates to T-cells the vital information to mount the correct immune response.

Protection is the skin's most important job. This covering cushions the body from physical trauma and helps guard against the entry and growth of microorganisms.

The skin acts as a barrier to harmful substances, absorbs and blocks ultraviolet radiation, and protects against damage from low-voltage electrical current.

The skin plays a vital role in regulating body temperature and protecting us from extreme environmental temperatures, both hot and cold. Our cutaneous envelope also helps maintain fluid and electrolyte balance.

The skin is an important sensory organ that transmits sensations such as pressure, touch, warmth, cold, and pain.

The skin has three main layers: the epidermis, the dermis, and the subcutaneous tissue. The epidermis is the thin, protective outer layer. The dermis is the tough, elastic second layer. The subcutaneous tissue is the layer of fatty and connective tissue beneath the dermis.

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THE EPIDERMIS

The epidermis is incredibly thin - about as thin as a piece of paper - especially when compared to total skin thickness. The epidermis is a layered epithelium made up of five distinct cell layers.

• Stratum Corneum - The Outer Layer (Horny Cell Layer)
• Stratum Lucidum (Clear Cell Layer)
• Stratum Granulosum (Granular Cell Layer)
• Stratum Spinosum (Prickle Cell Layer or Spinous Cell layer)
• Stratum Germinativum (Basal Cell Layer)

The skin is in a continuous process of self-renewal, and each epidermal layer corresponds to a specific stage in this process, which is called keratinization.

The process is called keratinization because the stratum corneum is mainly keratin, the tough protein that is also the major component of hair, hoof, horn and nails.

Normal keratinization and desquamation depend on timing and balance. A healthy stratum corneum is produced when cells are manufactured at a normal rate, when cells are shed at a normal rate, and when these two processes are in sync with each other.

If keratinocytes are produced faster than they can possibly be sloughed off, as is the case in psoriasis, scaly plaques form. If desquamation takes place too early, the skin isn't an effective protective barrier.

Here is a case where MSM is so important.

Some of its essential functions include maintaining structure of the proteins of the body and helping the formation of keratin, which is essential for hair and nail growth. Sulfur is often referred to as nature's "beauty mineral" because the body must have sufficient sulfur to synthesize collagen for healthy, beautiful skin, hair and nails.

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THE DERMIS

The dermis is 20 to 40 times thicker than the epidermis. This skin layer provides a flexible support structure and encloses blood vessels, nerves, and skin appendages (eccrine and apocrine sweat glands, hair follicles, and sebaceous glands).

Blood vessels in the dermis provide nutrition to the skin, help maintain a constant body temperature, and provide circulating white blood cells that help defend against infection and foreign substances. This is where the Langerhans cells play their major role in maintaining the integrity of the skin.

The skin constantly faces insult and damage; therefore, the constant need for repair. When the skin is damaged, macrophages are responsible for scavenging the dead and dying cells and along with fibroblasts, restoring them. Daily household exposure to the chemicals in cleansers and detergents and aging can cause the immune system's ability to respond to decline. The skin becomes less able to heal and cope with insults and infections.

Macrophages, when activated, can prevent or stop growth of infectious agents by attacking and destroying them. Macrophages can release substances such as the epidermal growth factor that encourage new skin cell growth. It is critically important to have Langerhans cells (skin macrophages) fully functional. Beta-1, 3-D glucan is a substance that activates and supports all of these macrophage functions.

While other ingredients are thought to be effective only when they penetrate the skin, glucan effects are actively relayed into the cells via their dendritic tentacles.

Use of an exfoliator prior to beta glucan application is important. It partially removes the outermost of the dead skin, thereby exposing more Langerhans cell extensions to the glucan.

Many exfoliating products on the market contain alpha, beta, or a combination of hydroxy acids. When used at high concentrations, these acids may produce significant irritation. Beta-1, 3-D glucan can significantly reduce these irritations. It produces a fast and powerful healing effect on chemically treated skin.

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