your skin

healthy skincare for your skin type »
d.i.y. skincare remedies » your skin type

To understand how skincare products work, it is important to understand how your skin works.

Your skin is much more than just a translucent wrapper. It is a vital organ - in fact, it is your body’s largest organ.

Your skin performs a series of key functions -

it helps protect against infection from surface bacteria
helps block viruses and bacteria from entering your body
regulates your body temperature
protects your body from injury
helps protect against heat and light radiation
excretes wastes and water
absorbs Vitamin D from sunlight
helps protect against moisture loss

The skins capacity to retain water decreases with age, making the skin more vulnerable to dehydration and wrinkles. A good moisturiser can help decrease moisture loss from the skin, leaving your skin looking fresh and younger.

natural moisturising factors

One of the major elements in keeping skin healthy is to ensure that the structure of the epidermis (outer layer of skin) is intact. That structure is defined and created by skin cells that are held together by the intercellular matrix.

The intercellular matrix is the "glue" within the skin that keeps skin cells together. It helps prevent moisture loss and creates the smooth, non-flaky appearance of skin. The components that do this are called Natural Moisturizing Factors (NMFs).

Lipids are the oil and fat components of skin that prevent evaporation and provide lubrication to the surface of skin. It is actually the intercellular matrix along with the skin's lipid content that gives skin a good deal of its surface texture and feel.

When the lipid and NMF content of skin is reduced, we experience surface roughness, flaking, fine lines, and a tight, uncomfortable feeling (Source: Skin Research and Technology, August 2000, pages 128–134); moreover, the skin's healing process is impaired.

NMFs and lipids make up an expansive group of ingredients that include cholesterol, fatty acids, triglycerides, phospholipids, amino acids, linoleic acid, and glycerine.

Mimicking the lipid content of skin ingredients are such oils as sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, jojoba oil, shea nut butter, avocado oil, olive oil, sesame oil, and soybean oil (to name only some), which can all be extremely helpful for your skin.

Carmajé uses ingredients that mimic your skins natural oils. All our oils are as close to natural form as possible – pure cold pressed and organic vegetable oils, pure herbal extracts and 100% pure and organic essential oils.

All of the skin's supporting NMFs and lipids are present in the intercellular structure of the epidermis, both between skin cells and in the lipid content on the surface of skin. When any of these ingredients are used in skin-care products, they appear to help stabilize and maintain this complex intercellular-skin matrix.

Although none of these very good NMFs and lipids can permanently affect or change skin, they are great at temporarily keeping depleted skin from feeling dry and uncomfortable. More important, all of these ingredients, and many more, can help support the intercellular area of the skin by keeping it intact.

This support helps prevent surface irritation from penetrating deeper into the skin, works to keep bacteria out, and aids the skin's immune/healing system.

Carmajé and your skin

Your skin though is a wonderful looking glass into your physical and mental state. The effects of stress, dehydration, poor diet, PMT, etc can all be seen in the appearance of your skin.

As your skin absorbs up to 60% of what you put on it, it is essential to use products that contain only pure & natural ingredients.

You can’t improve on Nature . With this in mind, Carmajé chooses to use only the purest of ingredients. All of our products -

Contain Certified Organic Oils
Contain Fresh Aloe Vera Juice not Water
Contain Pure Botanical Extracts
Contain No Sulfates (SLS, SLES)
Contain No Petro-Chemicals or Mineral Oils
Are Paraben free
Are Never tested on animals