Wednesday, February 6, 2013

What Are Keratinocytes and Melanocytes? Skin Care Terms to Know.

What Are Keratinocytes and Melanocytes? Skin Care Terms to Know.

melanocytes- keratinocytesDid you just look at the title of the blog entry and run in fear from science? If so, don’t worry. Many of us like to stay away from the long, scientific terms associated with skin care and healthy skin. But the truth is that if you really want glowing, radiant skin that’s Better Every Day®, then you’ll need to understand how the skin functions in order to pick the best skin care regimen for you. To do that, you’ll need to get a little scientific. Trust us though, skin physiology can be fun.

Before we get started, if you’re not familiar already, you may want to get up to speed on the structure of skin by reading up on the three layers of skin.

Keratinocytes: The Protective Barrier of Your Skin
Now that you understand the three layers of your skin, we can refer to them by name. The epidermis is obviously the most visible layer of your skin, and it’s also the layer that provides protection against anything coming from the outside world. Ninety-five percent (95%) of the epidermis is made of the protein cells known as Keratinocytes. These cells are arranged in layers above the base of the skin. By the time a Keratinocyte makes its way to the outermost surface of the skin it’s called a corneocyte because it’s dead and ready to exfoliate away.  Keratinocytes shed off and replenish themselves in a continual cycle that takes between thirty and forty days.  Keratinocytes are also important because they are the cells and proteins that heal wounds, including those caused by inflamed acne blemishes.

Skin Care for Keratinocytes
When thinking about Keratinocytes and your skin care regimen, you’ll want to consider two things. Firstly, you want your Keratinocytes to be as healthy as possible so that your skin is firm and healthy. Secondly, you want to make sure that you’re continually exfoliating so that the dead Keratinocytes on the top of the skin are replaced by newer, fresher ones so that your complexion never looks dry, dead or dull. Remember, exfoliation works best when you use an exfoliating skin care product that includes an Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) rather than an exfoliating agent with a rough texture that can actually irritate skin can cause redness, irritation and even breakouts.

Recommended Product: AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser
Salicylic, Lactic and Glycolic Acids combine to exfoliate away dead Keratinocytes without scratching the surface of the skin so that they can be replaced with healthier, glowing skin cells.

Customer Review
“I use this two times a week to make my skin soft. I like how it has jojoba beads to exfoliate my skin. Sometimes I would just let it sit on my face like mask and it does make my skin look glow.” doux, California

Melanocytes: Protection and Skin Tone
Another type of cell in the epidermis is Melanocytes. These are pigment producing cells in the base (basal) layer of the epidermis. The primary purpose of Melanocytes is to protect the Keratinocytes from UV damage. The more Melanocytes that you have, the more protected your skin is. That’s why people with fair skin often experience sunburn more often. However, it’s also Melanocytes that are responsible for dark spots, age spot or sun spots (whichever you prefer to call them). When Melanocytes are damaged over time from unprotected UV exposure, they can result in areas of darkened hyperpigmentation on your skin.

Skin Care for Melanocytes
In addition to helping the Melanocytes protect your skin and not get damaged by always wearing proper SPF protection, you may at some point need to use a skin lightening agent to fade dark spots or areas of hyperpigmentation. The key to healthy Melanocytes and healthy skin is both in prevention and treatment.

Recommended Product: Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum
Fade dark spots, age spots or other areas of hyperpigmentation from damaged Melanocytes with the strongest skin lightening agent available without a prescription.

Customer Review
“I absolutely love this product. I had a few age spots that I was very self conscious about. I spent thousands of dollars on expensive prescription creams and laser treatments with not much satisfaction. Since I started using this product 6 months ago, the spots have almost disappeared. Thank you!” firefox, Colorado

Now that you know what the two major skin cells of the epidermis are, you can put together a skin care regimen that protects skin cells while also encouraging continual cell turnover.

Tagged as: beautiful skin, inclusive health, skin care
Source: www.muradskincareblog.com

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