(Photo by Kelsey Dadmun Kelly / Illustration by Lauren Alexa)
We all know how important it is to take care of our skin — we all want it to be glowy, clear and bouncy. But most conversations about skin care only discuss our skin from the neck up, which, in the grand scheme of it, is only a small percentage of all the skin on our body. Why do we put so much focus on just our face when the rest of our body deserves love, too?
Here are three big reasons why you should start investing in body care today:
1. Give your largest organ proper care
Your skin is the largest external organ, with adults carrying eight pounds and 22 square feet of it, according to National Geographic. It’s made of three layers: the epidermis, which protects the body from viruses and other infectious agents and forms layers of cells that eventually flake off; the dermis, which is built of collagen and elastin, nerve receptors, hair follicles and glands and helps regulate your body temperature; and subcutis, which is a layer of fat that acts as a fuel reserve, insulation and cushion.
Our skin protects literally our entire body — so why should we only worry about face care? Skin on our body needs cleansing, exfoliation and moisturization just like the skin on our face. You may have three upwards steps of skincare for your face, so you shouldn’t have just two (cleansing and moisturizing, at the very least) for your body.
2. Prevent now so you don’t have to reverse later
One of the key points about taking care of your skin is so you don’t have to try to reverse and rejuvenate it later. You can prevent wrinkles, sun damage and a whole list of other skin concerns that pop up later in life if you commit to prevention and protection now. But most of this conversation just revolves around faces — and while sun spots on your face are definitely more noticeable, they can also appear on the rest of your body. Your face might be the most noticeable part of your body, but that doesn’t mean you should forget your arms, legs, chest and stomach.
By taking care of your largest organ, you can also have a greater impact on your overall wellness. It’s another action you can take now to promote your health now and in the future.
3. Understand what ingredients you’re putting on your body
Mainstream body care companies have a bad reputation for putting ingredients that you don’t know how to pronounce, have never heard of and don’t know the benefits of in your products. You should know exactly what you are slathering all over your skin because after all, it is your biggest organ! By going clean and non-toxic with your largest organ, you’ll see the most impact on your health, as Meant founder/CEO Lindsay Knaak-Stuart explains in WWD.
At Meant, we focus on creating products with ingredients that you recognize and don’t add anything extra. You can do less with more with our natural body care products.
Check out the range of products here.
