When thinking about your skin, you don’t usually think about it being an organ. But, it is. It is actually the largest organ our body has. Organs are essentially a system of cells that make up a collection of tissues and function as a whole.

Our skin performs a multitude of functions for our frail human bodies. Of course, the obvious one is covering our bones, muscles, and other organs. We’d likely be pretty ugly, not to mention very vulnerable to all the elements.

While our other organs are given the highest priority, like our hearts, kidneys, intestines, eyes, lungs, and so on, our skin does a thankless job of protecting us every second of our lives. Our skin breathes and absorbs and fights off the bad guys, those pesky bacterias and viruses.

How Our Skin Works

Our skin has its own set of bacterias that make up the good guys protecting our bodies from the bad guys. These are essential for not only the health of our bodies, but the health of our skin as well. People believe that bathing or showering is good, and for the most part, they’re right. But too much cleansing can be a bad thing because you essentially start eliminating the good guys and those bad guys can get the upper hand.

Your Skin’s Enemies

Your skin also absorbs what’s around it and applied to it. Because it breathes, it can be affected by pollution and unhealthy air. Because it absorbs, it will take in whatever chemicals you put on it through your lotions, moisturizers, creams, perfumes, powders, and the like. If you put too much of these things on your skin, you can essentially smother it.

All of these things affect the health of your unsung organ hero. If your skin if suffering, chances are, you are, too. Breakouts, dryness, flaking, mottled color, redness, itchiness, splotchiness, oiliness, and other skin ailments are products of what you have exposed this large organ to.

Giving Your Skin The Respect It Deserves

Finding the right products to properly keep your skin healthy and functioning the way it is designed to is important to your overall health. Keeping your body hydrated with water, using lotions that assist your skin instead of impeding its function, and taking care of what you expose your skin to will all help you keep the largest and perhaps the most important organ healthy and strong.

Notice the skin on your entire body, not just your face. Take the time to find out what works for your body. Give your skin the thanks it deserves by giving it the same care it gives to you.

Nu Skin (http://www.nsopt.com) offers great smelling beauty products from lotions to fragrances to cosmetics. Art Gib is a freelance writer.

[tags]Nu Skin[/tags]