The skin is the largest immune organ of the body, covering the body’s entire surface. It consists of two mutually dependent layers – the epidermis and the dermis. The epidermis, which includes the stratum corneum, serves as the principal site of interaction with the environment, helping protect the body from environmental exposure, bacteria, toxins and UV radiation.
Epidermis: The thickness of the epidermis varies in different types of skin as well as in different individuals and can be especially thin on the face and neck. In addition, as we age, the stratum corneum and remaining layers of the epidermis gradually become thinner, cell rejuvenation (turnover) begins to slow, affecting the texture and tone of the skin and the skin loses its ability to retain moisture. Maintaining the integrity of the epidermis is crucial to its functioning as a container, defender and regulator of the body. It is as fragile as it is unyielding.
Dermis: The dermis lies just below the epidermis and serves to regulate body temperature and excrete water and end products of metabolism. It consists of three types of tissue: collagen, elastic tissue and connective tissue which account for much of the skin’s strength. This layer also contains blood vessels, lymphatic vessels and nerve fibers.
Cell growth follows a natural inside-out growth pattern. Keratinization, the maturation and migration of skin cells, begins in the innermost layer of the epidermis and continues outward, ending in the outermost layer of the epidermis, known as the stratum corneum. As new cells are pushed outward, the dead cells making up the stratum corneum break away and are sloughed off in a process known as desquamation. The processes of cellular regeneration, keratinization and desquamation can take anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks.
The Skin
The stratum corneum represents a “brick and mortar” type construction in which pancake-like cells are layered with a thin coating of fat that make up the intracellular cement. As a result, the skin barrier is actually lipophilic or “fat-loving” as a natural way of resisting the absorption of bacteria and other aqueous environmental materials that fall on the skin.
As new cells move outward from the inner layers of the epidermis, the cells within the stratum corneum undergo continual replacement through this inside-out process. It is important to note that the healthier the cells that are being regenerated, the healthier the skin barrier becomes.
The key to maintaining healthy skin is maintaining a healthy skin barrier. As the outermost layer of the skin, the skin barrier is subjected to a host of daily assaults including sun exposure, environmental pollutants, wind, chemicals and cosmetic cleansing products. These stressors contribute to its breakdown and compromise its protective capabilities. Therefore, on-going efforts are needed to promote the integrity of the skin barrier so that it can protect and help maintain healthy skin throughout a lifetime.
The Skin Barrier
Sun damage occurs as a result of the skin’s exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. As UV rays are absorbed, they can cause cells to enter into photo-excited states, which can lead to the formation of free radicals, oxidation and cellular damage to occur. UV rays can also produce changes or mutations in the DNA within the skin cells, causing the cells to function, look, and act differently than normal cells. If the skin is continually abused, over time it struggles with self-repair and the signs of sun damage begin to emerge.
As the cells within the basal layer begin cellular replication and keratinization, the DNA changes caused by the sun’s UV rays are copied into new cells. Eventually, visual changes on the skin’s surface appear such as hyper pigmentation, uneven skin tone, fine lines and wrinkles, and other more serious imperfections such as actinic keratosis (precancerous lesions).
Fortunately, the body has mechanisms to repair damaged DNA, as it is essential to maintaining genomic integrity and immune function. NAD (the active form of Niacin) is one of the components of that process. NAD also stimulates energy metabolism and thereby enhances epidermal renewal and dermal functions, all of which result in healthier skin >There are several ways to minimize and combat damage caused by the sun and other environmental factors – PreDamage and PostDamage.
AVOIDANCE. The best way to prevent sun damage is to stay out of the sun as much as possible.
PREVENTION. Sun Protection Factors (SPF) are widely used to reflect the sun’s harmful UVA/UVB rays. As a result, DNA damage is minimized and the risk of developing sun damaged skin is reduced.
PROTECTION. Building a strong, healthy skin barrier is an excellent way to help the skin protect itself from sun damage. A stronger, healthier skin barrier is able to reduce the number of UV rays that enter the basal layer, therefore minimizing the amount of sun damage.
REPAIR. Promoting DNA repair improves energy metabolism and the overall generation of healthier skin cells within the epidermis and can help reduce the visible signs of sun damage by utilizing the skin’s own natural repair processes.
The incidence of sun-induced skin damage is increasing at an alarming rate. Sun exposure is currently responsible for more than 90% of all skin cancers. Promoting healthy skin that can protect and repair itself as well as using proper protection against the sun and avoiding sun exposure when possible is absolutely necessary to reducing the effects of long-term sun damage to the skin.
Pro-Niacin is the patented molecule found in each of the NIA24 products. With its unique micronutrient delivery system, Pro-Niacin penetrates the skin, delivers Niacin to the skin cells, and enables healing from within to promote healthier, more beautiful looking skin.
Just as its name suggests, Pro-Niacin is based from Niacin, also known as Vitamin B3. Many are familiar with the oral form of Niacin, a water-soluble micro-nutrient found in a number of commonly eaten foods. As a nutritional supplement, Niacin aids is cholesterol reduction and energy metabolism, but more recently, it has emerged as a key factor in helping the skin protect and repair itself from sun damage and aging.
