Skin Protection

Skin protection refers to the approaches we use to make sure that the protective function of our skin is itself being protected.

The skin protects the rest of the body in many ways. It provides a physical and chemical barrier that limits water loss, resists injury, and prevents germs from entering the body. It has its own localized immune system to further fight infection and disease. In addition, the skin’s internal structures regulate temperature and provide sensory information to help the rest of the body decide how to respond to changes in the environment.

That said, chemical and physical factors can overwhelm the skin’s ability to carry out its protective function if additional support is not provided. By far the most important ongoing challenge is ultraviolet radiation, which can cause thermal injury, loss of skin integrity due to premature aging, genetic damage leading to skin cancer, and direct suppression of the local immune system.

Consequently, sun protection is an important aspect of skin protection. Ensuring skin hydration is also important to maintain the integrity of the physical and chemical barrier.