What acts as a temperature regulator, waste eliminator, protective barrier, is new every 52 to 75 days and is all over your body? It is your skin. Your skin is the largest organ in your body and is made up of approximately 300 million skin cells. An average adult has 21 square feet of skin (or 2 sq. meters) and it weighs between 6 to 7 pounds, or 14 to 16 percent of your total body weight. The thickness of your skin ranges from .5 mm to 4mm., the thinnest being your lips, eyelids and the area around your eyes, and the thickest being our palms and soles.

Everyone has three layers of skin. The first layer is called the epidermis; this is the skin we see and feel. It is made up of live and dead keratin cells. Also in this layer are the cells that produce our skin pigment and form our nails. The epidermis is constantly growing from the bottom upward, shedding the dead cells. The process takes approximately 52 to 75 days. The second layer of skin is the dermis. This is where blood vessels, sweat glands, hair follicles, lymph vessels, and pain and touch receptors are located. The third layer of skin is the subcutaneous. This layer is made up of fat cells and a fibrous protein called collagen. This layer keeps your body warm while acting as a shock absorber to protect your other organs from injury.

Your skin regulates your temperature by expanding the blood vessels on a hot day to shed internal heat, and constricting on a cold day to retain heat. Your skin also purifies your body, similar to your kidneys. It eliminates waste fluid like extra salt, water and chemicals by pushing them out through the sweat glands. The skin is a protective barrier against bacteria, viruses, fungi, toxins and parasites. Our skin can sense different kinds of stimulations, such as, touch, pressure, heat, cold and pain.

Our skin has many important and fascinating functions. It is a window into the happenings in our body as well as our emotions. Therefore, it is very important that we take care of our skin by drinking water, eating fruits and vegetables and using sun-screen while exposed to the sun. God created human bodies to function in an awesome way. And think—He made man from dust!