The Skinny on Moisturizers: A Brief Report.
The skin consists of three distinctive layers. These are the epidermis,
dermis, and hypodermis. The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin,
and it provides a waterproof barrier and creates our skin tone.
The epidermis consists of further layers: stratum basale, stratum spinosum,
stratum granulosum, stratum lucidum, and stratum corneum.
It is the water content of the outermost layer of skin that
makes the difference between normal skin and dry skin.
Normally, the stratum corneum has the same surface area as the skin
layers beneath it. When its water content is low, however, this layer
shrinks in volume and surface area.
As it tightens against the skin below, it eventually cracks, producing
that flaky or scaly appearance that is recognized as the dry skin.
The stratum corneum is always losing water through evaporation,
but factors such as extreme heat and dry weather can increase
this evaporation.
The skin produces natural oils to help seal the water, but bathing, as well as harsh
soaps and detergents, deplete these natural oils. One of the things
that can be done to help prevent dry skin is to use moisturizers.
Often doctors recommend treating dry skin with moisturizers, such as ointments,
creams, and lotions. Dry skin may be lacking water or important
oils that help keep the skin moist.
Moisturizers contain many ingredients that work to add, or retain oils and water in the skin.
The primary aim of this study was to directly compare common moisturizers on the market in terms of their effectiveness in preventing dry skin due to evaporative losses.
Dermatol Open J. 2019; 5(1): 1-5. doi: 10.17140/DRMTOJ-5-138
