Amazing Skin

Natural defence

It's also the largest organ of the human body and needs to be maintained to help us lead healthy, full lives. If neglected, skin becomes easily damaged and dry – and not only looks bad, but loses its ability to work properly.

Hang on to your liquids

Our skin is naturally very good at protecting us. It's shielded by a strong, hard layer called the stratum corneum, which is held together by oily, waxy substances like fatty acids and cholesterol, called lipids. Together, these help our skin to keep moisture in, and the harsh environment out.

However, washing with soap removes these lipids and with them the skin’s ability to hydrate itself, eventually causing the cells to stiffen and dry out.

Beat the dry skin cycle

Now unable to moisturise itself, the skin's natural exfoliation process – shedding dead cells – is disturbed, and flakes of skin begin to form.

Eventually, the skin becomes drier and cracks, driving the damage deeper into the living epidermis. Weaker cells form in place of healthy ones, resulting in poorer quality skin.

So how can you reverse the damage and make skin that's as dry as a lizard's look as smooth and healthy as a peach? The answer is simple.

The magic of moisturiser

Using a moisturising lotion softens the stiff, dry cells of damaged skin. Lotions, such as Pond's contain humectants – substances like glycerine and sorbitol that act like 'water magnets', locking moisture back into the skin.

Also present in moisturising lotions are lipids and occlusives, such as petroleum jelly, that act in the same way as the skin's natural lipids by helping it form a protective layer.

Over time, using a lotion will repair all the damage done to skin by washing with soap, allowing strong cells to grow back and flourish – leaving you with great-looking, healthy skin once again.