Winter is fast approaching and it is critically important to take care of the skin you are in. This is only Part I In a three part series on taking better care of the largest organ on your body and how to take better care of it.  The article comes with a great soap recipe!

What is the largest organ in the human body? If you answered skin, you are correct. Skin is our largest organ which covers 22 square feet and weights approximately 8 pounds for an average sized adult. The skin is a part of a larger system called the integumentary system, whose main functions is to protects us from microbes and the elements, helps regulate body temperature, and permits the sensations of touch, heat, and cold, stores fat, water and vitamins and is a direct pathway to our bloodstream.

A versatile organ, skin creates the first line of defense against possible invasion by bacteria and germs, while maintaining the body’s internal environment to within a few degrees of normal throughout our lifetimes. The human skin is rejuvenated about once every four weeks. The skin plays a vital role in our health, yet it is the most abused as we knead it, pinch it, scrape it, tan it, bleach it, inject it with needles (botox, etc) , exposed to the elements of the environment and the list is endless. Many health issues can be detected by looking at a person’s skin. The internal health of a person can in many cases surface to the outside. So much of who we are is wrapped in our appearance both physically and mentally. People who suffer from skin conditions such as psoriasis, roseacea, and eczema can suffer from depression as they become unwilling to be seen in the outside world. In addition, this may result in missed work or school, anxiety, stress and a limited our social life.