“Advocates of synthetic skin care insist that our skin is virtually
watertight. Many say skin can be scrubbed, steamed and washed and nothing
penetrates it deep enough to cause any damage. At the same time, many cosmetics
claim they deliver collagen, vitamins and minerals to feed our skin. So do
cosmetic really “get under our skin”?
Human skin is a powerful absorption organ that seems to be
constantly hungry for anything that touches its surface.The ability of skin to absorb chemicals substances so they can
be spread throughout the body is widely used in medicine. Transdermal delivery
drugs from motion sickness; cardiovascular diseases, chronic pain, smoking
cessation and birth control are already widely used
According to new estimates, our skin can absorb up to 60
percents of substances applied to its surface. Unfortunately, along with water,
vitamins, minerals, and oxygen, skin soaks up potentially carcinogenic
ingredients that increase our risk of having cancer at some point in our lives-As
if breathing pollutes air and eating chemicals was not enough”.
A Definition of Dermal Absorption
In fact, many substances do pass into the body from the outer surface of the skin and into the circulation. To understand how this works, imagine a tightly woven fabric. While from a distance it may appear impervious, at close range it is actually highly porous. It is this porous nature of the skin, with its millions of tiny openings, that allows not only sweat and other toxins to escape, but also enables the absorption of some substances.
The process is known as dermal absorption. Once a substance passes through the outer layers of skin, it passes into the lymph and local vascular (blood vessel) system and soon after into the bloodstream.
