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| harmful bacteria to die off. Massage also moisturizes and tones the skin. |
| The thin outer layer of the skin is called the epidermis, which renews itself with new skin cells growing from within. The epidermis has four layers; new cell growth begins on the bottom layer and then moves upward. Below the epidermis are small capillaries that supply nourishment and water. The skin may get clogged from the inside (food, toxins) or the outside (dirt, chemicals, cosmetics). |
| The layer below the epidermis is known as the corium or dermis. It is within the dermis that the elastic fibers collagen and elastin are found. Below the dermis is a barrier of fibrous tissue containing nerve endings, hair roots, blood vessels, sweat glands, sebaceous glands and fat globules. There are three types of protein in the skin which account for about 30 percent of the skin's composition: keratin, collagen and elastin. Keratin is found in the epidermis, and collagen and elastin are found in the dermis and connective tissue. People with dark skin have more melanin, the pigmentation that helps protect the skin from the sun. |
| Foods for Healthy Skin |
| Nourishing foods to improve skin quality include dark orange beta carotene-rich foods like winter squash, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and yams as well as apples, apricots, avocados, green leafy vegetables, parsley, soybeans, lentils, barley, oatmeal and yogurt. Fish contain beneficial oils for the skin, especially sardines, salmon, tuna, bluefish and monkfish. Be sure to include some vegetable oils in the diet such as olive oil in salad dressing. A cup of yoghurt enriched with one tablespoon each of bran, brewer's yeast, flax seed oil, blackstrap molasses, wheat germ and lecithin is a super skin cocktail. |
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