Let me start by asking you just a couple questions.

Do you use skin care?

Did you know that the skin is the largest, functioning organ in our bodies?

If you answered NO to either of those questions, let me tell you why your answer should be YES!

Skin care is vital to protecting and preserving your skin. The more abuse that your skin receives; the less that it can protect you. One of the main ways to take care of your skin is to keep it hydrated and maintain its elasticity. You can do this with moisturizes, but it is not safe to just use any product to do this.

On another post of mine, I have information about products that we use everyday, and I found out after joining Arbonne that those products are horrible for your skin.  To view this post, click HERE (link will open in a new window). It is very important that you see what some of the well known products contain that do harm to your skin.

Now, let me give you some facts that you probably did not know about your skin.  Some you may be familiar with, but others were a surprise to me!

• 90% of all visual signs of aging are caused by exposure to the sun.
• 10% of all visual signs of aging are caused by genetics and heredity.

These are pretty well known.  Now let me tell you what I learned while doing my Arbonne University modules!

• Our bodies are covered in approx. 18 square feet of skin that weighs between 5 and 8 pounds.
• Our skin is composed of lipids, sebum, and sweat.  These three elements help to protect us from the environment and damage to our skin.
• The skin’s role as an organ is to protect us, regulate the temperature of our body, feel sensations, and secrete toxins from our body.
• Thicker and Darker skin is less likely to have skin problems because of the moisture that thick skin holds and the melanin that is contained in darker skin.
• Thin skin is the start of problems arising with your skin because of the lack of moisture (and to keep the skin moisturized) which causes a decrease in collagen and elastin.
• Every 10 years, your skin thickness decreases 10%.
• Between the ages of 20-80, collagen and elastin production decreases 65%.

Shocking information, isn’t it?  Well let me tell you a little bit more…

Do you remember me saying that we have approx.  18 square feet of skin? How about if I tell you what each square inch of your skin contains?

• 65 Hairs
• 95-100 sebaceous glands
• 78 yards of nerves
• 20 yards of blood vessels
• 650 sweat glands
• 9,500,000 cells
• 1,300 nerve endings that record pain
• 19,500 sensory cells
• 78 sensory apparatuses to record heat
• 13 sensory apparatuses to record cold

That is just per square inch!  Now multiply that times 18!  That is a lot of important features that we do not think to protect.  This is why I say that our skin is our best and most important organ.  Without it, what would hold us together as a person?

Now let’s talk about our time line!  When does all the aging start to occur?  Would you believe it starts in our 20’s?!?

•  In your 20’s — You start seeing signs of aging around your eyes and lips from repetitive movements, like smiling, laughing, smoking, etc.
• In your 30’s — Your skin is less resilient because your elastin starts to decrease (remember every 10 years), and gravity starts to take hold.
• In your 40’s — Elastin goes away, and your skin starts losing its memory.
• In your 50’s — Gravity decreases collagen and elastin, and your skin and muscles start to sag. (Ears will elongate and face becomes longer)

Does that scare you like it did me when I heard it?  That information has inspired me to start now and fix what I haven’t been doing to take care of my skin to this point, and I am 31 years old!  I should have started 11 years ago, but I didn’t know!  Did you know how soon aging begins?  I know that 11 years ago that I thought I would be young forever LOL.
Arbonne has taught me so much that I honestly did not know about skin care and more. If you would like to know more about your skin and what Arbonne’s heritage and mission is all about, let me know!  Our skin is so important, and you should know what this company has done to make sure we treat ourselves and our skin to some pure, safe, and beneficial skin care.

I have been an Independent Arbonne International Consultant since January, and I love my job! If you want to learn more about my job, post me a comment and let me know!

Thanks for reading, and let me know if I can help you save your skin from actinic and intrinsic signs of aging today!