The skin is the largest organ of your body. The skin and its derivatives (hair, nails, sweat and oil glands) make up the integumentary system. Among its many functions, the skin is an incredible organ always protecting the body from external agents such as pollution, disease etc.

Not all skin or epidermis is created the same, and depending on where it is on your body, your skin may have different requirements to keep it functioning a its best. It is true that the skin works to protect us and keep our other vital organs where they should be.

Here are the main differences between your body and facial skin, and some tips to best support your skin – from the outside in.

So what’s the difference?

Facial skin is thinner than the skin on the rest of your body due to the fact that it doesn’t encounter the same “wear and tear” that the rest of your body does. Think about your feet, knees and elbows and how much time you spend walking on, kneeling on or leaning on these parts of your body. The only area of your body that has the similar type skin as our faces, is our chests. Our faces have, what is called “appendage concentration”, which encapsulates the many blood vessels, hair follicles, sweat glands and sebaceous glands (oil glands) that help to protect, heal and moisturise the delicate skin on our faces.

This also means that any cuts or scars we may have, might heal faster on our faces, than on any other parts of our body. However, as with most other things – we want to be careful not to strip it from too many harsh ingredients or disrupt the acid mantle, which is a thin film made of lipids and amino acids on the surface layer of the skin which acts as an invisible barrier to keep moisture in and dirt and bacteria out.

Skin on the body is thicker than the skin on the face and is not typically as sensitive. Because the skin on our body has far fewer oil glands than the skin on our face, it is especially common to experience dry skin, especially in places like your elbows, knees and feet – where the skin is thickest.

The layer of fat underneath the skin (the subcutaneous layer) is also thinker on the body than that on our face. This also accounts for the skin on our body not being as susceptible to wrinkles and the other nasty fine lines that we get on our faces, neck and sometimes our chest.

Skincare products vs. body care products

Generally, when you are looking for skincare products, you’ll find that the products for the face are more formulated, and more gentle, but also tend to target certain areas of the face. Natural products like the face mask range from BWG Botanics have been designed to not only soothe the skin, but also to hydrate from deep within. They can also help to improve the overall look of the skin, leaving it glowing and looking more radiant. Plant based products, and specifically those chosen for our products, are chosen for their ability to improve the look of fine lines, wrinkles and also help to reduce the occurrence of pimples and other skin conditions.

Since the skin on our body is thinker, and normally drier than that in our face, the oils and creams we use to help moisturise the body tends to be heavier and thicker in consistency than those we use on our face. Because the facial care products are more formulated for the face, they also tend not to have adverse effects, and thus designed for more delicate skin. Therefore, using products designed for the body could cause clogged pores and could ultimately lead to pimples and acne. Those body creams may have a fantastic fragrance that we’re sure you’d love to experience or use as a pick-me-up, but be warned that they could lead to irritation, rashes or even breakouts, especially around the eyes.